“How did you know? How do you _always_ know?”, the kids asked Taylor in disbelief shrouded in envy.

She shrugged. She should have been used to the questions; it happened every time she won. She wished she had an answer but the truth is, she had no idea.

Taylor quickly walked away from her classmates, like she always did. She walked towards the gray building she had called home since she was thirteen years old. She opened her door and took her helmet off. She set her latest trophy on her dresser that was cluttered with awards tossed there without care. Taylor sighed. She knew her parents would boast about her tonight to their friends.

The truth is, yes, Taylor was very good at knowing exactly where a tornado was going to strike but what no-one knew was that it physically hurt her every time. When she felt the breeze, her skin tensed up. The pin pricks meant she was heading in the right direction. When it intensified, she was getting close. Those tiny pin pricks of hell made her the most successful miserable soon-to-be graduate.

Taylor felt the cool glass of the window and looked at the bleak sky. She watched the ‘Tsunami kids ‘ get off their boats. Her ‘wave riding’ class in second grade still brought her nightmares. Taylor was about to shut the blinds when some movement caught her eye. She turned to it and noticed someone sitting between two trees. He was by himself which was unusual for the school. Everyone considered themselves pack animals- mostly out of survival. You couldn’t survive natural disaster training if you didn’t have a pack to rely on, unless you were Taylor. But here there was someone else, standing by himself.

She watched him for a minute and against her best judgment, she decided to meet him. She grabbed her jacket and hat.

Taylor made her way downstairs, being careful to take the back exit so she didn’t run into her classmates. She followed the meandering path that led her to the red building, where the _Fire_ kids lived. She heard the loud music and scoffed. Typical. Fire kids were known to be full of themselves. Everyone wanted to know a Fire kid. While the school did their best to ensure remind everyone that they were all _equally_ important, everyone knew the Fire kids were the true cool ones. They were daredevils, they knew how to have fun and they looked cool saving lives. Tornado kids constantly had unkempt hair, Tsunami kids were cold and wet, Earthquake kids were filthy, but Fire kids somehow looked cool, even if they were covered in ash and soot. Taylor rolled her eyes at the building. _No, thanks_.

She made her way behind the building towards the trees. Taylor knew that spot well- sometimes she sat there alone too. She felt a bit awkward knowing someone else was there this time.

Taylor coughed a few times so it wasn’t a complete surprise. He saw her, quickly wiped his face and jumped to his feet. “Sorry, I was just about to leave. I didn’t know anyone else comes here.”, he muttered.

“Oh no, please stay. I’m Taylor. I sometimes come here to escape, well, everyone.”, Taylor said with a smile, reaching a tissue out.

“I know who you are. You’re on our hall of fame. Second person to have won five years in a row. We all know. “, he said looking away as he grabbed the tissue.

Taylor turned red. She had no idea anyone outside Tornado Hall knew her. She didn’t like that they did. But she was curious about him and looked at him expectantly.

“I’m Joe. Earthquakes, 5th year. Well, for now, at least. I just finished try outs and they didn’t go very well. I needed a place to sit it out and found this. I thought it was hidden from everyone, but I guess not.”

“Earthquakes?! That’s cool! I fell through the crevice and almost didn’t pass the exam. I couldn’t get myself out without help.” Taylor, said without being asked and then added, “ Do you like it?”

Joe looked at her like he’d never considered that question before. “ I’ve only known this. My mother and my brother graduated from Earthquake school. I dreamed about it since I was a little boy. And my brother, well, that building is named after him.” He said, pointing to the large purple building.

Taylor nodded. “So, do you?”

Joe took a breath, “I couldn’t believe I got selected into the program. But now, I’m beginning to think it was only because of my family. I am not good at all. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I don’t know how long I can do this for or I guess, how long they’ll let me.” Joe paused and then turned to Taylor, “ Do you? Like it, I mean?”

Taylor looked at the sky and took a breath. “ I want to say yes. I mean, somehow I seem to know what I’m doing. Everyone’s always looking for tips from me. But can I tell you a secret? I really don’t like it. I dread waking up every day. “, Taylor’s voiced trailed off.

Joe looked at her in surprise. And then they _really_ began talking. They shared stories of their first year at the school. How Taylor joined the school on a whim. She came from a family of tailors and wanted to prove she was different. She wanted to show she was brave. No-one was more surprised than Taylor that she was actually good at finding tornadoes. Once Taylor realized her parents were overjoyed, she felt the pressure to keep doing well. She explained how much it physically hurt her and how she kept at it. Every time she did it, she felt like she wasn’t supposed to be there, except she was the fastest in her class. She went to sleep anxious and woke up sad. But she was already getting head-hunted to join the top tornado firms.

Joe explained how all he had ever known was earthquake school. His mum would take him to her job when he was a little boy. She would straddle him as she climbed down crevices. She showed him where to get a grip and what to avoid. Every year, the family would go to his dad’s grave and talk about how proud they were of him. How he saved multiple families that day. But, when Joe was out in the field, his mind went blank. He couldn’t remember any of his training in the moment and he was always the last one out. No-one chose to be his partner anymore and he didn’t blame them. He stopped calling home. His mother told him she didn’t care if this wasn’t for him but he could hear the disappointment in her voice. His brother gave him advice but it started getting frustrating because it seemed like that’s all they talked about.

They sat and talked for hours. They didn’t notice the sun go down and daylight slipping away.

Taylor turned to Joe and said, “What if I taught you everything I knew about tornadoes and you taught me everything you knew about earthquakes? We both seem pretty miserable and this may take our minds off things.”

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m so behind already. Plus, tornado chasing seems hard. But it is really cool! I’ve always wondered how people did that.”, said Joe reluctantly.

“Okay, how about we try it for an hour a week. No-one needs to know. It’ll be our little secret. And we can stop whenever we want to. It’s surely not going to make us feel worse than we already do! Honestly, I think I need to think about something else, anything other than knowing I’ll be in pain tomorrow.”, said Taylor, eyes wide with hope.

Joe looked at her face and sighed. He couldn’t say no. She was right. He had nothing to lose.

So it began. They met every evening at seven pm. First, it was a lot of hypothetical scenarios and gentle quizzes. Then, they both snuck each other to their labs to get some hands on experience. Before they knew it, weeks turned to months.

Taylor taught Joe to feel the breeze and wait until it tensed up: she taught him to go where his instinct told him not to. Joe, in turn, taught Taylor how to navigate crevices and take care of broken pipes and rubble. They both got bruised along the way but little by little, they picked things up and slowly, they found themselves feeling lighter every day

Six months in, Taylor and Joe marched up to the Principal’s office and asked if they could swap for each other’s programs. Principal Mattias did not want to lose Taylor in the Tornado program but had worried about Taylor’s health. Taylor needed friends and she noticed Taylor looking brighter than before recently. Joe, on the other hand, was close to being dropped out of the program. She knew this would be his last chance to be a student at the school. So, Principal Mattias said yes, conditionally. She made them promise to check in with her regularly and she kept a watchful eye on both their progress. This was an unusual situation but it was worth trying if it meant it would save two students.

At Earthquake school, Taylor found herself in a completely new situation. One, where she was slow and struggled to keep up. But, she asked for help slowly learned tricks of the trade. It was refreshing to learn from others and to feel like she had goals she could achieve.

Joe was learning things faster than he ever did. He realized he had no pressure anymore. Everything he did was new and exciting. His mistakes were his own and his wins were especially thrilling. He enjoyed protecting his team and they loved him for it.

A year later, they found themselves back in that same spot. Both in their new classes and both feeling at peace with the world. Taylor’s parents were proud that she could handle two natural disasters and Joe’s mother and brother felt that this was the right fit for him all along.

Decades later. Joe and Taylor teach at the school, both specifically looking for the students who struggle, helping them find their special paths forward. Even in the world of natural disasters, peace finds you when you’re on your path.