L and S: Steps in Rain

Rainy days are beautiful, but beauty never comes without a risk.

It has been raining for quite a new streak this month, a "wet streak" as S would call it. Neither of us enjoyed the humid hell that spring rain always brought with it, but I sleep sound to the lullaby of shower and she adores the roaring thunder.

"It makes me feel secure." She states. "Knowing that there is still something greater than me in this world."

"If you say so."

Still, with all said and done, the cruel shower keeping us captive did not subside. I lowered my empty coffee mug in frustration.

"Is there nothing we can do about this weather?"

Almost at default S began refilling my cup, "How about taking a walk with me under the umbrella?"

"Not if you're wearing that." I pointed to her white lacy gown "A few touches of water and you'll be transparent."

She turned down to her dress, then looked back to me teasingly, "But who other than you will notice?"

"At least grab a coat."

"Fine."

She grabbed my jacket and swept it before I could protest.

"Hey!"

"You said "A coat", not "your coat"." She grinned "Meaning any coat within the room, L."

I rolled my eyes, "Enough with the grammar mistakes."

We ducked out the opening of our hideout and immediately snapped open the silver-blue umbrella canopy. The rain had now softened into a faint drizzle, raindrops falling from the sky like silky needles that would snap on mere contact.

"No thunder or lightning; I hate this!" S scowled.

She stomped the wet floor angrily with her bare feet and immediately slipped forwards, her eyes widening in surprise. Instinctively I grabbed her arm before she could fall.

Thanks. She mouthed.

"Be careful."

We began the walk wandering aimlessly, she danced through the puddles barefoot as I stomped through after her with my heavy boots. S made it quite keen to ignore my order to stay away from water, as she spun and twirled before me at a lengthy two-step distance, well away from the shielding of the umbrella.

"Oi, careful with my coat." I frowned "You'll break the leather like that."

"Come and save it!"

S danced away from my snatching arm and reached behind the collar to pull on the hood, except that there wasn't one. She stopped her dance and glared at me unhappily.

I shrugged with a smile, "That jacket never had a hood."

"Cheater!"

"Get back here!"

She had already broke into a sprint, fairy-like steps flying for the startling red traffic lights. I held my breath as S dashed directly into the army of automobiles, her pace breakneck and unstoppable.

Carelessly, she weaved through and swirled safely across the pavement.

I let loose a tensed sigh.

"L, come on!" She waved from across the street as I arrived at the pedestrian crossing. "I'm going to be trans-pa-rent!"

"Damn this woman." I cursed beneath my breath as she shook off my overcoat and swung it over her right shoulder. Quickly I rushed past the green light and covered her wet form within the umbrella. She sneezed while returning the overcoat to me.

"Cold?" I asked, pushing back the overcoat.

"You didn't cross fast enough."

"When has it ever been my problem?!"

She giggled and spun, then dove into a snuggle against my woolen hoodie.

"It's always your problem, L."

"Yeah, whatever," I said while wrapping the overcoat over her bare shoulders. "Homebound?"

"So soon? We just got out." She ringed her left arm around my right "Let's walk on for a bit."

Peacefully at last, we began our walk through the rain once more. Beneath the overcoat and her intentioned control I could feel her slender body shivering, yet her face was of forced calm.

I twisted my arm out of her grasp and rolled up my right sleeve, "See if this is warmer."

She stared at my bare arm in surprise, then took it into her embrace wordlessly, tightly to take in all my body heat.

"L, why are you so good to me?" she sighed.

I turned away from her from her eyes, "Whatever do you mean?"

"...You sly fox."

Our next steps were in silence, S having shed off her facade playfulness and me not being much of a talker.

"You'd better not be like this towards other girls." She said quietly.

"I wouldn't dare."

We had arrived before my past elementary school, and after turning to S for permission, she allowed with a nod.

"Do you still miss your time with R?" She whispered as we ascended upon the grey granite flooring.

"R." I said in deep thought about the dark skinned girl with dyed red hair. Compared to S's angel-like path of purity, R had always been imperfect, and yet, had carved her path of thorns brutally with her flawed knife. R was the most human girlfriend I have ever had.

"I suppose I do, but I'm over that now."

"Good answer. I didn't expect you to be so honest with yourself." S commented.

"Me neither."

The climb to the fifth floor proved a lot faster than I remembered, but that was in comparison to ten years ago. A left, then a right, then past three classrooms lies the fourth.

I stopped before classroom 608, S halting with me.

"Weren't you in class 607?" she asked in confusion.

"They switched the positioning." I said. "This used to be where 607 was."

"Oh."

I stared through the windows of my past classroom for a few more seconds, then turned back, "Let's go."

"Not going in?" S tilted her head "Or at least take a snapshot?"

"It's not my classroom anymore." I said as we walked back down the corridor "Everything's changed, I can hardly remember my time in here."

"Where they happy times?"

Her question threw me into a memory session just as I was about to step down the staircase: First time seeing R enter the classroom, first time seeing R smash a boy's head into the edge of a steel closet, first time hearing R's view of the world and her path of thorns.

"L!"

S yanked me back just as I was about to mop the staircase with my face, her sudden pull so forceful that she was choking my windpipe with the neck cuff she grabbed. With a swing of my right boot I regained balance.

"Spaced out?" She asked.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

We escaped the elementary school without a second glance, being extra-careful on the staircases as we descended. The score for near-facefalling was 1-1 now.

"You know, L, I think you were right. Rain days are really dangerous." S said once we were back on the road.

"The sound of rain recalls from the past; you can get pulled into memories of you aren't careful." I frowned. "And once you're sucked in, it's not that easy to jump back out. You're vulnerable on both physically and mentally then."

"Better to stay the entire day home?"

"Exactly."

Author's Note

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