Natural Disaster

She blushed looking at him. Cassie had had a little crush on Finn since her best friend Jesse had had his end of year party and the two of them had sat alone in Jesse's room while Cianna sat talking with Matt and Mike. They hadn't talked much,just listened to music. Cassie was shy around Finn, she never said that much around him. Cassie could see Jesse sitting right next to the door, too curious to walk away yet too polite to walk in. That also made it too difficult to say anything. “So, scared Matt will hit on you in your sleep?” Cassie said jokingly. Finn looked up. “totally” he deadpanned. Cassie laughed. Jesse walked in. “Hey Guys” he said. Cassie smiled and fell silent happy not to have to say anything. Cianna came in. “I'm bored” she announced. Cassie laughed. “well, we're going in a minute so that's okay” she said. Pretty much as soon as she said it a car honked and the girls said goodbye before running out the door to Cianna's mum.

Jesse asked Cassie one day when they went and saw a movie if she had a crush on Finn. Cassie went red. He smiled at her. “Oh?” he said teasingly. Cassie turned bright red. “Nothing will happen” she said defensively. While they waited for their rides, Cassie leaned over and stroked his face softly. He closed his eyes and Cassie hesitated for a second. “Do you like that?” she asked her best friend. He nodded and laughed. “Say it a bit more seductively” he said. She shrugged and leaned forward again, “You like that?” she said sexily. He smiled at her. “That's it” he said. Cassie flushed bright red. “I can so imagine what Finn would do if this was him standing right next to you” he said laughing. Cassie shoved him. “Finn!” she exclaimed. He kept laughing as Cassie walked onto her bus. “your demoted” she said. Jesse still laughed at her. “You called me Finn” he laughed. Cassie turned back to him, her hair blowing in her face. “Did I?” she asked. Jesse nodded and Cassie turned away, “Still don't like him that way” she laughed and turned away. Her bus shut the doors behind her.

A few days later she texted Finn, 'Hey, we should all hang out sometime soon?'. Finn stared at his phone for awhile, wondering why Cassie was texting him instead of Jesse before replying. 'I can do tomorrow?' he asked, hoping she'd say yes. Cassie was surprised. 'Um...sure, I guess' she replied. Finn smiled at his phone. 'Great, meet you at the beach at 10am tomorrow?' he asked her. Cassie took a deep breath. 'sure, night Finn' she said before switching off her phone and falling asleep.

The next morning Finn waited nervously at the bus stop for Cassie and the others. Then his phone beeped. Cianna was calling. That was a surprise in itself.  “Hey Finn, I can't make it there.” she said.        Finn was surprised. “Oh? Everything okay?” he asked.

“We're flooded in” Cianna said. Finn stared in shock as Cassie got off the bus wearing a light purple dress. He smiled at her. “Cianna” he mouthed. “She's flooded in”. Cassie's eyes widened in shock as Finn put the phone on loudspeaker. “Hey Ci, you kay?” she asked. “Gracie's here too, we're okay, we just can't go anywhere till Saturday, where are you guys?” she asked as Cassie's phone started ringing. “We're at Flanders Beach” she answered to Cianna and as a greeting into her phone. “Get to higher ground guys, your next” Jesse said back to her. Finn stared at Cassie as her face whitened. He put his arm around her. “Where are you Jess?” he asked. “Home, Cass, your mum's here too, said to call her or me when your safe” Cassie nodded before Finn and her hung up.

Cassie put her phone back in her bag. “Where do we go?” she asked Finn, all thoughts flying out of her mind. “How long do we have?” she asked as an afterthought. “Oh My God” she said freaking out, putting her face in her hands. Finn hugged her without thinking. He spotted a police officer waving the fifty people around into a three-floor building that had a childcare center on top. “Answer one” he said leading her towards the building. He walked towards the officer. “How long till it hits?” Finn asked seeing as they were the last ones to enter. “There's a wall of water heading for us. It'll be here in about ten minutes” he said locking the doors behind them. “This place was deserted about an hour ago.” the officer said as they climbed the stairs up to the third floor. “We were on public transport an hour ago” Cassie said to herself. The officer nodded. “How long are we here for?” Finn asked as he let Cassie go ahead of them into a room. “According to the head officer at least until tomorrow night, maybe Monday morning”. Cassie sighed as she saw the people in the room sitting down on the floor. The officer beckoned them to do the same as he took charge.

“If I could have your attention!” he called out. “we have five minutes to lock up, guys, if you could go down to the two other floors, lock up the windows and the giant double doors leading to the two other floors after making sure everyone's out of there?”He ordered. Finn got up and left, looking back at Cassie. She smiled and waved him off. “Ladies, windows on this floor, and if someone could make a enclosed area for the children?” the officer asked. Cassie raised her hand. She gathered some of the children to push aside some cots in a babies sleep room before quickly setting up some toys.

When they came out, the men were back and the officer was preparing them for the noise and terror of the wall of water. “Guys, this room's big enough and safe enough for us all to go into” Cassie announced not feeling at all shy. Finn came over and stood next to her. “I've checked the kitchens on here, we've got enough food for the kids to last till at least Friday” another woman volunteered. “There's a staff kitchen as well, which has plenty of food” a man said. The officer checked his watch. “Inside. Now.”. There was a scurry as everyone went quickly inside the room. Cassie sat against a wall as a toddler came and sat in her lap. The mother smiled at her holding a baby. Finn wrapped his arm around Cassie. It felt right. “If I know Childcare Center's” Cassie began, “There's at least six rooms. Sixteen cots, and at least 120 mats”she began. The officer interrupted sounding important. “I will be taking names and then I will arrange where people will be sleeping-”there was a giant noise and a smash.

The toddler in Cassie's arms started whimpering. “What's your name sweetie?” she asked the girl.

“Emily” the girl said.

“Beautiful, and how old are you?” she asked. The girl (with difficulty) held up three fingers. Cassie smiled as more noises made talking difficult. The officer stood up and looked out of a high window. “Holy-”A smash below interrupted. “That was a car smashing into a glass window across the road” he said. Cassie closed her eyes, turning to push her head into the wall. Finn's shoulder however prevented that. He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her head, not really sure what else there was to do.

An hour later the officer turned away from the window, receiving a call “Officer Peterson” he said. He listened for a few moments. “Alright, yes, okay” he said hanging up. “The water's pretty bad, covered the entire outside of the first and half of the second floor, we won't be going anywhere till it goes down, which could be Tuesday or Wednesday”. Cassie stared at Finn. “We need to stay in this room for another hour.”The officer said. “I think its time for introductions.” he said. “I'm Sergeant John Peterson, I'm in charge of the police station here”. Around the room they went. Emily's mum's name was Sarah and she was a single mum of two. There were two siblings Anna and Katie (ten and eight) that had been separated from their parents, a man David who had left his wife at home to go shopping for supplies, and other people with stories of who they had left behind. There was a fifteen year old girl Isobel that was intellectually disabled. Cassie was stressing out. Since her dad died three years ago, she was prone to panic attacks. Finn rubbed her back. “Its okay Cassie” he said softly.

Cassie had pulled out her notebook and had written down everyone's names and ages. She got up when the hour was up. “Can everyone just stay in this room for a few minutes while I make a few sketches of the other room?” she suggested. The officer nodded. “Good idea Cassie”.She took Isobel with her. Something about the girl made her need to make her calm. Making other people calm made her calmer. Isobel helped her by telling her where bathrooms in rooms were and mats and blankets and that there were spare clothes in cupboards and stuff. Cassie and Isobel then made a big list of everything before heading back to an office with Sergeant Peterson to make a outline of things.

Finn helped some of the mums make bottles and food for the kids while the men set up all of the cots in both the babies rooms. He was worried about their friends. He tried to send out a mass text but he had no service whatsoever. Isobel came out and beckoned Katie and Anna to follow her. A few minutes later they came back with some mattresses, and sheets and Finn helped them set them up in the other cot room away from the adults wondering what was going on.

After lunch the eight babies and ten toddlers along with Katie, Anna and Isobel and three boys went into the other babies room, where the little kids slept and the older six read. Officer Peterson and Cassie came back in. “As a duty of care I've had to take some precautions regarding sleeping arrangements” he said. He read out the list that he and Cassie had created. The families that had the babies were sharing the two cotted rooms, so that the kids and adults sleep wouldn't be interrupted. The four toddler families were sharing the two toddler rooms, and the older six and a Social worker named Jessica were using the kindergartners room. At the opposite side of the building a group of teenagers including Cassie and Finn were sharing the four year old room while the two other rooms were being split up between the remaining men and women.

The afternoon was spent setting up enough mats for everyone and setting up the kitchens for meals and Cassie discovered that in the second babies room there was a bathtub for the children and another teenager Amy discovered a shower inside the four year old room. There was plenty of soap and at least five towels inside every room, they would all have to cope with that. Cass glanced at Finn, aware of her crush returning.

Later that night, everyone walked into their respective rooms at about eight pm. As Finn walked in, he saw Cassie sitting on a mat staring out at all the water. He wanted to hold her but before he could the police officer beckoned her out. “Ready to call my boss with the list?” he asked. She nodded. “Finn, can you reply to any messages if they come through?” she asked handing him her phone. He smiled at her, and Cassie felt shy again. She hugged him before going. Cassie and the officer sat in the officer reading out everyone's names and getting a loved one's phone number for everyone. Then there was using the two phone lines to call everyone and inform them that they were all safe. Officer Peterson used his line to make sure that there were no criminals in the building while Cassie called everyone. Anna and Katie's mother was in tears when she got her, and Isobel's mother was relieved too. Finn came in during the conversation and she rested her head on the table when she hung up. “How many more?” he asked.

“I'm done” she said tired.

“I moved us” Finn said as she stood up.

“What? She asked confused.

“Yeah there's a staff area in the four year old room, so I moved our mats there, I figured you might want some space to break down” he said. Cassie stepped forward and touched his cheek gently. Finn smiled trying hard not to break down himself. “Lets go” he said leading her towards it.

They sat down on the mats silently. Finn knew he was just as scared as Cassie was. Somehow she had managed to make herself in charge so that she wouldn't have to deal with her feelings of being scared. Finn closed his eyes. He hadn't even gotten to speak to his mother. Cassie hadn't been able to get through to her. Without even are of what he was doing he cried.

Cassie had already laid down before Finn started crying. Without even thinking of it she sat up and pulled him close to her. “Finn, hey, its okay” she said soothingly. Finn smiled and slowly calmed down. About fifteen minutes later, both exhausted they lay down and fell asleep.

In the night Cassie woke up. In his sleep, Finn had rolled over and wrapped his arms around her. Cassie smiled before falling back asleep.

The next day Finn and Cassie talked with the other teenagers getting to know everyone. Isobel joined them for awhile before realizing she preferred the company of Katie and Anna and walked away. Cassie wasn't aware how much her and Finn had in common. He liked the same books as her and was into music as much as she was.

Later that night Amy, who was seventeen decided that playing 'Truth or Dare' would be fun. Cassie shrugged and decided to join in. Nobody knew her there, so it wouldn't really matter what she revealed. Finn decided for the hell of it to join in as well. They made a circle and sat down on their mats. There were the normal questions for people before someone asked Finn if he was interested in Cassie. “No, I'm not, I'm her best friends best friend, it'd be disloyal” he said simply. Cassie glanced away from Finn wrapping her arms around her legs. Finn turned to Cassie, “You and Jesse, what's happening there?” he said without asking her 'Truth or Dare'. Amy jumped up. “Cassie has to take a dare now!” she said. Cassie turned red and shoved Finn for forgetting. “Nothing by the way, we're just best friends, you know we're just friends” she said trying to distract everyone from the dare. A guy, Greg coughs. “I dare you to...kiss....Finn” he smiled.

Cassie turned bright red, “Unless that's too scary” Amy teased. Cassie glanced at Finn who shrugged. She let go of her legs and straightened them before slowly leaning over, glancing at Finn's lips. She closed her eyes before kissing him softly. Finn pushed a piece of hair out of her face kissing her back. After about ten seconds Cassie pulled back and let a curtain of hair hide her face. “Um, okay” she said before asking the guy across from her what choice he wanted.

Cassie excused herself for a shower at about ten pm. When she got out she slipped away and lay down on her mat, facing away from the entrance when Finn would come in. About twenty minutes later he came in and she pretended to be sleeping. Finn stepped over her before laying down. He stared at her, wondering why she had kissed him that way. It was so tender, so vulnerable, but so beautiful. He touched her hand before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Cassie spent the next day babysitting the babies and toddlers with Isobel's help. All the adults spent their day in the two adult's room talking and laughing happy for a break, watching the waters slowly recede. At this point it looked very likely that they could go home on Tuesday. Finn peered in the window's at one point to see Cassie with her hair falling into her face as she helped one of the kids change into their rest nappies. He opened the door and stepped in. “Finn!” Isobel said loudly. He stopped. There was a baby sitting behind the door. He slipped in before picking up the child. “oh, pooh” he said. Cassie smiled. “Just in time for the rush.” she said. He stared at her for a second before remembering his manners. “What can I do?” he asked. Cassie glanced around. “Izzie's set up the toddlers next door, can you go lay them all down on the mats, and just stay there? Pat them if they need it?” she asked pleadingly, the stress on her face. He nodded before handing her the baby and kissing her cheek. “Your doing a great job” he said before leading the kids next door. He picked up a pad and some pencils. “I'll send them back to you when they wake up?” he asked. Cassie shook her head. “Send them to the toilet and keep them there till 2.30” she said. Finn nodded and closed the door as Cassie started changing the baby she held.

Isobel made a great assistant. She noted to herself as she changed Jessica. So far Isobel had set up all the mats/cots for all eighteen kids. She had sent all the kids to the toilet every half hour and recorded it so that Cassie knew who to call next, and she had helped feed the babies while Cassie got all the toddlers ready for a nap, and now as each baby finished  their lunch that she fed them, she handed them to Cassie to change and stick in a cot. Cassie felt that her and Isobel would make a great team in a childcare room, maybe with another assistant just in case. Isobel poked her head around the corner with the last two babies holding her hands. Cassie handed her Jessica while she started changing Marco and watching Angel. Ten minutes later she sneaked into the cot room with both babies to find every baby asleep. Isobel lifted Angel into the cot and started patting her. Marco had his bottle and fell asleep. Cassie turned on the monitor and took one with her before sneaking next door to see how Finn was doing. She knew that Isobel was more than capable of watching some sleeping babies.

Finn was drawing something when Cassie entered. All the children were asleep except Emily. Cassie smoothed back her hair until Emily closed her eyes and she stood up to see Finn staring at her. “She only wanted you” he whispered. Cassie smiled. “What'cha drawing?” she asked. Finn blushed. “N-N-Nothing”he stammered. Cassie smiled. “Show me!” she whispered loudly. He turned it away from her so Cassie went over trying to seduce it out of him. “Finn” she said slowly, her voice low and dangerous. Cassie remembered something.  Finn caught his breath, and Cassie used that moment to lean down and stroke his face softly. “You like that?” she said seductively. Finn smiled. “hell yeah” he said losing his thoughts for a second. Cassie leaned down more and plucked the notebook from his hands. She turned it over. “Hey!” Finn laughed as Emily stirred. He closed his mouth as she rolled over and went back to sleep. Cassie stared at the drawing.

It was beautiful, that was the first thing Cassie noted. The second thing she noted was that it was of her the previous night, holding herself, her long blonde hair falling in her face. “That is not me” she whispered as one of the babies started whimpering in their sleep. She heard Isobel through the monitor walk over and then the whimpering stopped and Isobel sat down. “Seriously Finn, that is beautiful.” she said softly. “So are you” he said without thinking. Cassie blushed. “Thanks” she said. She looked at him. They stared at each other for the longest moment before Cassie handed him the notebook back. “wow” she said. “Um, I should” she said gesturing back to next door. She blushed bright red before going back to Isobel leaving the monitor there.

Finn didn't realize that the monitor was there until Emily's brother Sam started crying. He went to stand to go give it back before realizing he couldn't leave the toddlers. He listened to Cassie soothing the child. Isobel started singing softly while (it sounded like) patting him. “Once in a lifetime mean's there's no second chance, so I believe that you and me should grab it while we can” Cassie had a smile on her face as she joined in with the harmony. “Make it last forever, and never give it back” Finn sat there listening and smiling at how beautiful her voice sounded.

Later that night they glanced out the windows in one of the five year old's rooms. The flood waters were only a metre high now and some clean up had begun that day of removing major obstacles. Apparently, during that night, the waters were supposed to be gone completely. Cassie yawned. “I'm going to bed” she said softly to the group. “Maybe tomorrow will come quicker if I do”. She left and Finn watched her.

When she got out of the bathroom she was surprised to see Finn waiting for her on their mats. She smiled before sliding down onto the floor and curling up under the blanket. Finn watched her, unsure of what to actually say to her. “You have a truly beautiful voice” he said softly. Cassie glanced up shyly at him. “I don't like Jesse, Finn” she said softly. “I mean, of course I do, but not in that way” she said. “I just felt that I had to tell you that”. Finn smiled at her, getting ready to lean down and kiss her.

Suddenly phone service came back in. Finn's phone started vibrating, and so did Cassie's and everyone else. They smiled at each other before replying to the ton's of texts that people had sent to them. Jesse, Cianna, Gracie, and Cassie's mum had texted Cassie so she replied quickly to those messages. Jesse and the guys and Finn's parent's had been texting Finn and as soon as he finished replying to their messages both their phone's rung. First were their parent's and they both reassured them that they were okay. Next were the guys and Cianna/Gracie. Lastly Cassie dialed Jesse and they both spoke to him. Then exhausted they both fell asleep as throughout the centre people were talking to loved ones.

The next morning they all packed up the beds and cots that they had been using and the Sergeant went downstairs and unlocked the big double doors blocking each set of stairs. Once he unlocked the doors leading to outside the metre of  water from the first floor slid outside of the building and went down the drains.

The fifty people inside called their loved ones and less than fifteen minutes later people started arriving. First to leave were David (who lived down the road and who's home managed to be completely unaffected by the floods) and Isobel's mother arrived car squealing. Next to leave were Anna and Katie and a relative of Sarah's picked up her, Emily and Sam. Slowly people started leaving till it was some cleaners, the sergeant and Finn and Cassie. As Cassie went to dial her mum on her phone a cab pulled up. “Finn Hudson, Cassie Steele?” the driver asked. They glanced puzzled at each other. “Yes” Finn said. The driver smiled. “You guys are coming with me” he said opening the door. The two of them shrugged and got in.

Forty five minutes later they pulled up at Cassie's place. “You, out too” the driver said to Finn before leaving. They glanced puzzled at each other before climbing the stairs exhausted. When they opened the door they found both their families, Jesse and his family and Cianna, Gracie, some of their other friends and their families there. They smiled at each other before allowing themselves to be completely swamped in hugs.

Five minutes later as Cassie's mother let go of Finn. “Go have a  hot shower guys” she said. Cianna started setting up her karaoke machine while the mum's started making some food for everyone to eat. Jesse followed the both of them upstairs. He held Cassie close. “You survive okay?” he asked tenderly. Cassie nodded before seeing Finn stare at her before walking away. “Finn!” she said exasperated before he grabbed some spare clothes and walked away.“Cass, what happened?” Jesse asked. “We...We kissed” she said softly. “I thought he did like me” she whispered. Jesse stared after Finn. “Go have a shower love, I'll talk to him”   

Finn opened the door to the bathroom and went to the toilet. He then washed his hands. He had known Finn since he was twelve so it wasn't a big drama talking to him while he was in the shower. “What happened between you and Cass?” he asked perching on the bench. Finn sighed. “One of the other girls dared her to kiss me, and she did” He said.“I kinda began falling for her, but then I came out of that fantasy when I saw you holding her” he said turning off the taps. Jesse handed him a towel through the opening. “Thanks mate” he said. Jesse smiled.“I don't like her that way if your thinking that, and she doesn't either” he said. “I'm her surrogate brother though, hurt her and I will kick your arse”

Finn sighed exasperated as he stepped out of the shower his hair dripping. He slipped clean clothes on and brushed his teeth with a clean toothbrush before speaking. “I wouldn't hurt her, but I feel weird dating your best friend.” he began, but smiled when the image of waking up with her in his arms came into his head. Jesse laughed. “That my friend, is a sure sigh that you've fallen head over heels for my little sister” he said patting his shoulder. “Go for it Finn” he smiled.

Finn ran into Cassie on their way out of the bathrooms. Jesse slipped past Finn and went downstairs. Cassie's hair was still damp, but not dripping. she had brushed it and had changed into jeans and a beautiful green singlet top that flowed at the bottom. "Wow Cass" Finn said speechless. Cassie smiled stepping forward and touching his face. Finn smiled, feeling himself go red. He wrapped his arms around Cassie before pulling her in and kissing her softly. She kissed him back until applause broke them apart. Their friends and families were standing at the bottom of the stairs with big grins on their faces. Jesse came and grabbed them both in a hug. "My two best friends" he said kind of sadly. "Don't ditch me okay?" he said. Cassie grabbed him tightly around the waist. "Not allowed remember?" she said in his ear as Finn hugged them both.