Out of the Rain

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean no."

Tara gave me a doubtful look. "Help me," she whined. "I need to get this outfit perfect."

I snorted a laugh. Tara Beckett, my quite wealthy best friend, was asking me, Mary Siska, for fasion advice. I was a lanky seventeen-year-old. And I was pretty much a dork -- not to mention, a dork with nothing to do all summer.

Okay, so I wasn't a dork -- per say. I just happened to have very few friends. Being in band didn't help much....

I guess I'm more of a "scene kid." A dorky scene kid.

So I'll tell you more about my friends. Tara (as I mentioned before) is my best friend. She's one of the pretty, popular girls that all the guys like. She was a cheerleader at our high school before we graduated. I've known her forever. Her family's always lived down the street from me.

Tara's brother, William, just happened to be my boyfriend. He's a year older than us and is the lead singer for his band, The Academy Is.... They were actually going to be gone all summer on tour. William has shaggy brown hair and beautiful brown eyes.

Adam Siska is the bassist and is also my twin brother. We're really close and he is actually really chill with William and I dating. We both have sandy blonde hair and big brown ("doe") eyes.

Michael Carden plays guitar. He treats me like his little sister, but it sucks that he graduated last year. With his dark hair and eyes (not to mention his dimples), he's quite the ladies man, but is totally devoted to Tara.

Michael Guy Chislett is another guitarist. He has long blonde hair and dark brown eyes. From about ten feet away, we look like we could be cousins. As to not confuse the two Michaels, I actualy used a nickname for Michael Guy Chislett. It was mostly either "cousin," "Mikey," or "Guy."

Andy Mrotek is the drummer. He has short, spikey blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He's the person who I go to when I don't want to talk to William or Adam about something.

So back to me and Tara.

"What's so funny!?" she exclaimed.

"Tare, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not the most fasion-forward chick around. and besides, it's just the mall."

"So! Michael's gonna be there and I wanna look perfect for him."

I rolled my eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, he thinks you look just as good in sweat pants with no make up as you would in a ball gown with perfectly styled hair and professional make up."

"I know but--"

"Tara shut up."

She stuck her tongue out at me. I crossed my eyes at her and went to her huge walk-in closet.

"Damn, your room's so clean compared to mine." I called.

"Puh-lease. My room's a caticlismic explosion." she hollered back.

"Then mine's the end of the world," I giggled, pulling a pair of never-been-worn skinny jeans from a hanger.

"You should keep those. Mom bought those for me, but I don't like 'em." Tara said, appearing by my side.

"Would that be because they're dark and very unfaded?"

"Yup," she giggled. "They'd look better on you anyway."

"Thanks." I was used to getting the clothes she didn't want. Tara's mom was always trying to get her to wear "less preppy" clothes, but Tara prefered Old Navy over Hot Topic.

"Jesus, are you two ready yet?!" I heard William yell.

I bolted out of the closet, leaving the jeans on the floor.

Jumping up on him, I kissed William passionatly. I had my legs wrapped around his waist and he kissed me back.

"Well hi," he whispered as I pulled away. Our foreheads were pressed to the other's and we were gazing into each other's eyes.

Sickening, I know.

"Hiya," I said childishly.

He laughed and kissed my forehead.

Oh, swoon.

"Get a room you two."

I put my chin on William's shoulder and saw Adam standing in the doorway--his face complete with a disgusted look.

I grinned at him. "Okay."

"Mary!"

"I'm kidding!"

------

We walked into the mall--Tara, Adam, William, and I--after Tara and I had changed. I was now wearing the jeans, beat up Conveerse, and my favorite My Little Pony T shirt.

"Yo, Mrotek!" I yelled.

Andy turned around and grinned when he saw me. God this was going to be a long summer--even Tara was going on tour. "Holy shit."

"What?" I asked.

"Your shirt."

"Shut up!"

He snorted a laugh and I punched his shoulder.

"Hey Siska!"

Adam and I both turned around to see Michael Guy Chislett walking towards the five of us.

"Cousin!"

He laughed and sat down with us at the two food court tables.

About five minutes later, Michael Carden arrived. Tara was the first one to greet him, giving him a kiss and a bear hug.

"How 'bout some shopping?" Andy suggested.

"Always," Tara joked.

------

The good tihing about everyone living so close to each other was that we cold take our cars home and walk to a central location. For us, that location was a old, beat up 7/11 that was conviently located exactly in the middle of all our houses.

"Hey, Tim," William said to the tall fifteen-year-old standing behind the cash register. So what if this was our regular hang out and we knew all the employees by first and last name? A few of us even worked here growing up (Adam, William, and I *cough, cough*).

"Yo, Aluminum," I said to him. The nickname was a long story, but I'll make it short. You see, whenever the manager, Brian, says "Tim," it comes out alot like "tin." I thought he had actually said "tin" the first day Tim had started working here. Me, being the dumb blonde I am, burst out with, "Tin as in metal?! Like aluminum?!" The guys never actually let me live that one down....

"Hey 'The Virgin Mary'," he retorted.

Yeah, there was some irony in that.... Like, I actually am. ... Unfortunately.

"Wow, did you just come up with that?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Huh, that's cool, 'cause I've never heard that one before."

"Oh shut up, Mary. I'm only fifteen."

I gave him a pointed look.

"Don't tell me you could come up with something better."

"Actually, I could, but if I did, you would use 'em."

He rolled his eyes.

"Hey Aluminum?" I asked, looking up at Tim. Why did I have to be so damn short? It's sad when fifteen-year-olds are taller than you.

"Yeah?"

"Can I get a purple Slurpee?"

"We don't have purple, Mary."

I batted my eyelashes.

"Oh fine." he sighed, turning around.

I watched as Tim mixed the blue and red Slurpee stuff to make purple.

"Thanks, Timmy Tim."

"Nintey nine cents," he said as I took a drink.

I handed him a dollar and walked outside to meet the guys and Tara. "Yo, homies."

"You're so white," Michael commented.

"Racist."

"I'm white, too!"

"You can--"

"William kissed me, preventing me from finishing my sentence.

"I never thought I would say this to you for that, but thank you." Adam said to him.

"So is everyone's stuff over at your house?" Tara asked casually.

"Yeah."

I looked up at Adam (once again with the being short I was, like, a foot shorter than William as it was). "Why's everyone's stuff at our house?"

"'Cause we're gonna stay the night with you before we have to leave!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Awe, you guys rock!"

"Come on, I wanna spend some time alone with you." William whispered in my ear.

"We're gonna go for a walk." I told everyone. "Meet you at home."

Neither of us spoke on the way to the woods. We finally reached clearing in the middle with a pond at the end. I led William over to the edge of the pond. We sat down, still holding hands.

After a few minutes, Willaim finally said something. "Mary, can I tell you something?"

I looked up from or hands--for the record, they fit perfectly together.

"Anything."

"I love you."

In the two years that we had been dating, neither William nor I had said those three words to one another. Sure, we knew that's how the other felt, but we had just never said it.

That made it more real.

I started laughing out of relief.

"Jesus, Mary. If you don't love me back, all you--"

"No, no! I love you too."

A grin spread across his face as he leaned over (and down ...) to kiss me.

After we pulled apart, William laid back on the soft grass. I laid back on him, grasping his hand. We silently watched the stars for a few moments. They were mesmerisng tonight.

"I'm really gonna miss you guys."

"No you won't."

"Yes I will. You'rre gonna be gone all summer and I'll--"

"No. You. Won't."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You're coming with us."

"What?! That's impossible, mom and dad said 'no'. I can't. Besides, even if I did go, I'd still need to pack and--"

"Tara's packing for you as we speak," he grinned.

I leaned in to kiss him just as rain started to come down in sheets.

Damn Chicago for being so unpredictable.

------

"Hey guys," Mikey said as William and I walked in the door--soaking wet.

I turned to Tara. "How did you keep that a secret from me?"

"Very carefully," she grinned.

"So how'd y'all got mom and pops to say 'yes'?"

"We used the 'Adam's Gonna Be There' card," Andy said. "Plus, thay thought you needed to get away from Chicago."

"It was their idea, actually," Adam told me.

"You amaze me everyday." I said to no one in general.

"You're pretty amazing yourself. And pretty," William whispered to me.

"Okay, well you better change out of your wet clothes before mom comes down. She'll kill you for getting water on the floor and we kinda need our singer," Adam reasoned.

William and I walked up to my room and found about fifteen siutcases and five backpacks and/or duffel bags laying on the floor.

I carefully manuvered around randomly strewn bags to get to my dresser. William grabbed his duffel and walked down the hall to the bathroom, closing my door behind him.

Quickly, I changed into my red Soffee shorts, a white cami, and William's old Alice in Chains hoodie. Thinking back to the day he first gave it to me, I smelled it. It still smelled like him after all these months.

I shivered, standing outside the enterance for Six Flags.

Damn Chicago for being so rainy.

"You cold?"

I looked up at William--who had his arms wrapped around me to keep some rain off--and nodded.

He let go of me (NO!) and took his draw-string backpack off his back. From it, he removed the black Alice in Chains hoodie that I had secretly coveted for a year.

Handing it over, he said, "Keep it, you need it more than I do." He was laughing.

I giggled, slipping the sweatshirt over my head. It was warm and smelled like him--a mix of Axe and oranges.

"Get a room!" Adam yelled, pulling the car up next to us.

I laughed and William and I slid into the backseat. We held hands all the way home, and then he asked me out.

Those were the days.

There was a soft knock on my door. When I answered it, I found William standing there in pajama pants and a Green Day tee shirt. "Nice sweatshirt," he commented.

"Well, I like it."

"So do I."

I laughed as we walked downstairs hand-in-hand.

Who said hese can't be the days, too?