The Walls Caved In

Around ten, I had checked my phone to see five text messages from Allison. They all revolved around the same thing: where are you? and i need you to come home. I checked the book I'd been reading out, I was almost done with it anyhow.

Then, I opened the exit door, ready to run into the pouring rain to my car. The curtain of water falling hadn't let up since it had started a few hours ago. It was going to continue to rain all day, I suspected, which wasn't too great. It was just another setback, though. I stepped out onto the pavement, and the water rushed down on me. I started walking quickly, the book I'd just checked out hidden in my bag, and started dodging deep puddles.

"Hey!" someone called. I looked back, seeing someone waving at me. Thinking I had forgotten something, I turned and hurried back.

"Yea?" I asked.

"Do you have a dollar I could borrow?" I hadn't forgotten anything after all.

"Um, sure," I said. I started to dig through my bag, when he pulled me by the arm under the overhang. We were a little too close for strangers, trying to fit both of us beneath the safety of cover. His chest was pushed against mine and he still held my arm. I wasn't being drenched anymore, though. Also, I could see his face now, and I could tell that he was young; he wasn't some 35 year old pedophile who wanted to take me somewhere. He wasn't much taller than me, and he was thin. Not an unhealthy thin, more like the long and slim type. He could probably fit my jeans if he tried.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really needed, but I have this overdue fee that I need to pay, and I'm a dollar short," he said.

He was smiling, watching me as I pulled a dollar from my wallet and folded it into his hand. He had a nice smile, and light green eyes. His hair wasn't wet (I wish my hair wasn't wet) but it had a little wave and the light brown locks swept across his forehead.

"Thanks," he said. "I'll pay you back, I swear."

"How are you gonna do that?" I asked.

"Give me your number," he said. I guess he saw something on my face, because he quickly held up his hands and rushed out, "No funny business or anything. I just want to pay you back."

I nodded, finally spouting out my 9 digit number for him as he put it in his phone.

"And you're name?" I didn't answer him straight away. I didn't like my name much, and I definitely didn't want this strange kid knowing it. "C'mon, I can't put girl I owe a dollar to because of stupid library fees!"

"Joyce," I finally said. My voice always sounded like a sigh when I said my own name, because it seemed like such a burden. It wasn't unique, it was just plain and difficult to me.

"How about Joy, instead?" He continued to click buttons on his phone, before shutting it. "Thanks again, Joy."

"No problem," I smiled. He finally let me escape back into the parking lot. It had stopped raining now, which let me run to my car before it started to pour again. It had started so quickly, and then stopped so abruptly, who said it couldn't start all over again? I didn't want to get stuck in that again.

It didn't, though. It didn't rain anymore that day.