After the Rain

Zackary Baker had a certain condition. One that made him be home school all of his academic life, and forced him to be inside almost 24/7.
The condition he had was polymorphous light eruption.
Every time he went in the sun, his skin would turn red, and he would feel nauseous.
Because of this unfortunate disease, he had to admire her from afar.
Her long, black hair was perfectly straight, and her style was identical to his.
Carrie Young.
She was a next door neighbor. Zacky would sit at his window for what seemed like forever as she was in there watching TV.
She would sometimes wave to him, but unknown to Zacky, she hid something as well.

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Carrie Young had a certain condition. One that made her bones a lot softer than a usual person, and forced her to banish herself from the social scene almost her whole life.
The condition she had was infantile cortical hyperostosis.
Every time she fell or had to get up in the morning, she was in all too extreme pain.
Because of this unfortunate disease, she had to admire him from afar.
His short black hair laid perfectly on his head, and his snakebite piercings made her melt.
Zacky Baker.
He was a next door neighbor. Carrie would sit at her window while he watched TV for what seemed to be an eternity.
He would sometimes wave back to her, but unknown to Carrie, he hid something as well.

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Zacky awoke with the blinds shut and a pillow over his face. He stretched, hearing bones crack. He sighed, and sat up, punching the buzzing alarm clock. He slipped his sunglasses on, and put a black bandanna over his face, as part of his morning ritual. He peeled the blinds open, cautious of where the sun touched, and noticed that it was beyond sunny out. He sighed, and shut the blinds.
He tossed his sunglasses on his desk, and chucked the bandanna on his bed. He walked downstairs, and was greeted by his mother.
"Morning, dear!"
Zacky smiled at his mom as she started shutting the blinds in the kitchen.
"I hear we are gonna get a storm in a few days."
A storm.
That was always good.
That meant he could go outside, for there was never sunlight.
"That's cool."
Zacky fiddled with the spoon in the cereal his mother gave in. He looked around at the darkened room, the only light from a lamp above his head, and sighed.
"Something wrong, Zacky?"
He looked at his mother, and shook his head.
"Nah. I'm fine."
"Ok, then. Your tutor should be here any minute", his mother said, looking at her watch.
"I have to go to work. I'll be back tonight."
Zacky nodded as his mother kissed his cheek. He heard her shut the front door, and his mother's Volvo pull out of the driveway.
He stood up, and poured his cereal down the drain.
"Just another day."

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Carrie slowly opened her eyes as the sun poured into her room. She slowly sat up, scared of the pain soon to shoot through her body, which as sure as she was born, it would.
"Fred!"
Within seconds, her brother was at her side, wrapping his arms around his little sister's waist. With a grunt, Carrie was on her feet, wincing at the sharp pain down her spine and in her feet.
"You cool?"
She looked at Fred, and slowly nodded.
"Need help in the bathroom?"
Carrie grabbed the end of her nightstand, and gently held her arms out.
"I think I'm ok."
Fred nodded, leaving the bedroom.
Carrie peeled her clothes off carefully, and felt the warm water trickle down her sensitive body. Her arms slowly went through her hair, the shampoo cascading down her neck.
When she was finished, she wrapped a towel around herself, and called her mother in.
Her mother smiled kindly as she brushed her daughter's hair, and plugged the straightener in. Carrie wasn't helpless, but in the morning was when she was weakest.
As her mother waited in the bathroom, Carrie picked out her clothing for the day. She grabbed a Bush tshirt, black skinny jeans, and her mother helped her put her socks and shoes on.
As her mother dried her hair, the same thoughts ran through her head every morning.
What if her mother had to do this her whole life? What if she could never live alone? What if she was stuck like this forever?
When her mother was done, she ran the straightening iron gently into her daughter's natural raven locks.
Carrie applied her own makeup after her mother departed downstairs.
Carrie walked downstairs, and sat at the table next to her older brother.
"Now Fred, Carrie's tutor will be here later today; around noon. I know you have practice, but if she is late, as usual, could you stay with her?"
Fred looked at his sister as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears.
"I guess", he shrugged, bummed that his hockey coach might yell at him.
"Thank you. I have to leave, now. Dad will be home early today. I won't be until tonight. Have a good day!"
With that, their mother was gone, the sound of her mini-van promising that she was leaving.
"So, what's up?"
Carrie smiled at her brother's goofiness, and shrugged.
"Nothing much. What about you?"
Fred laughed, and shrugged.
"Same old shit."
Carrie laughed, and slowly slid from her seat.
"Where you going?"
"My cell phone is upstairs."
Carrie left the kitchen, and slowly walked up the creaky stairs. When she got to her room, she spotted her black Razr on the dresser. She smiled, and picked it up, something catching her eye. She saw the blinds open for just a second, and she saw a sunglasses and bandanna wearing figure in the opposite window.
"Zacky", she whispered to herself.
She sighed, and shut her shades.

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"Ok, Zackary. What did you get for number 12?"
Zacky yawned as his tutor sat across from him in the living room.
"I got -3 squared."
"No, that's wrong."
Zacky rolled his eyes as his tutor rambled about how a negative plus a negative is a positive, and how blah, blah, blah.
He looked at the shade covered area where a window was once visible. He looked down at his nails, and bit the back of his lip rings. One thing and one thing only crossed his mind.
Carrie.
He was crazy about her, and yet, they talked very little. That needed to change, and quick, in fear of losing his mind in a case of cabin fever.
"Get it, now?"
Zacky sensed the tutor's aggravated tone, and nodded.
"I guess."
The tutor let out an exhale, and stood.
"That should be enough. I will be here tomorrow. Same time. Study."
He said that last word harshly, and Zacky flipped him off as he exited.
"I have to get out of here."
Zacky ran up the stairs, and grabbed his hoody, his sunglasses, his bandanna, and his black fingerless gloves. As much as he looked like a burglar, Zacky had no choice then to leave the house as he was. It was the only way the sunlight would leave him be.
As he walked out the front door, he felt the immediate rays hit his face, almost like a slap. He quickly wrapped his bandanna around his face, and slipped his sunglasses on. He looked at her house next door, and saw a woman in a gray two piece suit exit a very expensive Mercedes. She walked up the door, and Zacky walked slowly down his walkway to observe.
She knocked four times, and soon, there was Carrie.
"Morning, Carrie."
Carrie smiled as her guest greeted her in a soft embrace.
"Morning, Mrs. Green. Come in."
Zacky smiled at her polite gesture, and sighed.
Carrie's eyes met Zacky's and his head felt like it was about to explode.
She slowly lifted her hand, and waved at him.
He waved back.
She smiled, and soon, her brother walked past her. He gave her a hug, and Zacky felt a pang of jealousy.
She stood and watched her brother quickly skate down the road in the opposite direction.
As Zacky's vision went back to where Carrie was, he noticed that the door was now shut. He sighed as he started walking down the road, unknown to where his feet were taking him.

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"What time is she going to be here? I can't wait much longer?"
Fred paced in the kitchen as Carrie sat defenseless on the couch.
"I don't know. She should be here."
Fred looked at the clock, his hockey stick and goalie mask in hand.
12:15PM.
"Un-fucking-believable."
Carrie couldn't help but smile at her brother. She thought he was the funniest.
Within seconds, the front door knocked.
"Thank you, God!"
Fred grabbed his keys as Carrie answered the door.
Mrs. Green, Carrie's tutor, had finally arrived.
"Morning, Carrie."
Carrie smiled back, and stood aside a bit.
"Morning, Mrs. Green. Come in."
Mrs. Green nodded in approval, and Carrie looked outside.
There he was, in all black, and his face almost fully covered.
Carrie had no choice but to smile.
Just Zacky in her presence was enough to make her faint.
To make the staring match end, Carrie waved at her deep crush.
He waved back.
As she was about to shut the door, Fred walked past , enveloped her in a quick hug, then jumped on his skateboard, hockey stick dragging behind. Carrie laughed, and with a last glance at Zacky, her door was shut.
"So, Carrie. Yesterday, we left off with polynomials, yes?"
Carrie nodded, and opened her notebook as she sat down on the couch while Mrs. Green set up her little chalkboard she kept in the corner of the Young house.
Carrie glanced out the window for less than a minute, and saw Zacky pacing himself down the road. Her heart pounded, wanting to be walking next to him, hands intertwined.