Scott is gone

Alice washed her hands and forearms, then went to her room to pick out her clothes. Ever the modest girl, she picked out a purple t-shirt, jeans, a matching white set of a camisole and bloomers, a black set of underwear with a sports bra and boy shorts, and some white-and-red striped fuzzy socks. She continued her habit of always wearing three layers of clothes since junior year of high school, even if it only meant that there was another layer for fate to strip away from her. She heard the front door close, and a car start, but just thought that one of her siblings was out running some errands.

Alice washed away the literal and metaphorical dirt of the day, cleansing herself of the grime of the hike under the relaxing warmth of the shower. Thinking about what had just happened, she felt pangs of guilt about the way she lashed out at her devout and loyal boyfriend. Turning the water off and wringing her hair out, she resolved to apologize to him, and got dressed to bury the hatchet.

"Scott, sweetie..." she called out in the sweetest tone imaginable as she descended her staircase and approached the living room, only to find Scott not on the couch.

"Scott?" she called out throughout the house.

"He left, sweetheart," her mother approached her, "said he was going back home."

"Oh my," Alice thought, "well, I just wanted to have a talk with him."

She called his phone several times but didn't get a response. Sighing, she put her shoes on, got her stuff, and went out to her car with so much as a "bye, mom". She noticed the sky was considerably darker now, but didn't think much of it.

Making her way to Scott's park, she turned the radio on and mistakenly put it to AM. Before she could switch it back, however, she heard a "authorities have issued a tornado warning in the Scraggly Brook area from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight. All residents are advised to immediately seek shelter."

'Scraggly Brook', she thought, 'that's where Scott lives. He's probably heard all about this and gone to his parents' instead. I'll meet him there!'