Pouring

The rain was coming down hard. Harder than usual in the dry climate I lived in. All the clouds were mixed together, you couldn't tell if it was just one cloud, or a couple hundred. It was dark, and most parents had their head lights on. Good thing it was Friday, I wouldn't have to deal with this tomorrow.

"Willow! My pillow for shillow!" I heard Gabe yell from behind me.

I turned around and my heart felt like it was jump started. As usual.

"What's a shillow?" I questioned him. Smiling insanely. If that was possible...

"You know! Like, Willow, you're my best friend for sure. Or in other words, Willow my pillow for shillow!" He hooked an arm around my shoulders, shaking me a little. That was why I always felt special. I was his pillow, and he always hugged me like one. Not like the other girls who always got the awkward hug that looked like every other hug. No, I got my pillow hug.

I laughed insanely again. I laughed often. Very often.

"Gabe, you're all wet." I laughed at him from underneath my gold and forest green Humboldt umbrella. An idea, a great idea, popped into my head. "You can stand under my umbrella. Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. Under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh!" I sang softly, and self consciously, to him.

"Ooh, Baby it's raining, raining." He lulled. That made me sad. I'd never be his baby. Only in my dreams. He didn't seemed phased though. I guess my smile hid everything. Except a smile can't hide a blush. He definitely noticed that. "Your face is all red. Stop rubbing your eyes!" He said. I was often tired and I rubbed my eyes when they watered every time I yawned. It sucked, because everyone always thought I was crying. I didn't cry in public. Ever. The last time I did was at the airport. God, that was a horrible night.

"Sorry, I couldn't fall asleep last night." I admitted. I never could fall asleep easily.

"Aw, my little firefly. You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep." He sang again. I wanted to smack him for making me feel this way, but at the same time, I wanted to hold his hand, and kiss him.

Smiling, I wiped my eyes again with my pink hoodie sleeve. I could've been crying, but I wasn't sure. I don't think I was though. "Why does everyone sing that to me?" I asked.

"Because..." he paused momentarily,"You're weird, and this song is weird, so it's your song." He chuckled.

"Eh, I'm normal, it's just that everyone else is weird." I said.

"Am I weird?" He asked, looking at me with his golden brown eyes.

"Yus." I said, pronouncing the 'u' with my throat

"Then doesn't that mean I'm normal? Because all the weird people are normal, and the normal people are weird?" He asked, shaking his head a little.

"Haha, I guess so. Such a paradox." I noted.

"Dude, you can't even see any cars, it's so dark!" He changed the subject, not wanting to get into a 'deep conversation' with me. He said it always made him feel stupid or dumb in stuff like that. Serious stuff. I hardly saw the discussion of paradoxes serious. Heck, I didn't even know if 'paradoxes' was even the right plural.

"Yeah, well that's why I'm here. Maybe we should get closer to the bus loop or something." I suggested, walking down the grassy mound and down onto the sidewalk. He followed reluctantly.

"Yeah, I'd be so lost without you." He grinned at his sarcastic remark.

"Heck yeah."

"Hell yes." He corrected. "Hell isn't a bad word."

"Your face isn't a bad word." I muttered.

From there, he had come back with the 'your momma' joke and we went back and forth just bickering at each other.

"Gabe, when I get married, will you be there?" I asked him.

"God, you're random. Yeah I'll be there. Your maid of honor! I can wear a kilt or something."

"I'm not random, I just think about a lot of stuff." I yelled at him, slightly. Being random was something emos and scenes did... not what pillows did... "And you can wear a tux, you know? Don't you watch Dexter? Deb was his best man, and she wore a dress."

"No, I don't watch serial killers get married. I don't even watch TV that often."

"Well, you have to come over sometime then. We can watch the first two seasons on Instant Watch. Maybe my birfday... or something... if you don't mind a bunch of girls. I mean, my dad and step brother will be there..."

"I'll take a pass on the birthday thing, as much as I like looking at girls, I don't like being around then. We can celebrate just us or something, or maybe if your parents don't mind I can go out to dinner with your family and stuff." He chuckled.

"Says the guy who's talking to a girl." I laughed, covering my mouth so I wouldn't laugh like a madman.

"Hey, that's different. I know you. And plus, you don't act like other girls." He defended himself, but still smiling wide. His teeth almost blinded me.

"Oh, and what do other girls act like?" I chuckled. "And speaking of girls, what about that Alexis girl?"

"Well, other girls act like Alexis. I don't like her. She likes me though." He made a face at that. I smiled widely while he wasn't looking, but went back to my straight face when he did look up from his shoes. "Shit, my sister's here." He said as his sister pulled into the bus loop. No... he was leaving already?

"Aw, I wish you could stay longer. Have fun at home, though. Just think about it, you'll be in a nice heated car, and soon, you can get in your jammies and snuggle up on the couch!" I told him, giving this a positive side.

"God, you're just all sunshine and rainbows aren't you?" He mocked me.

"Pretty much." I admitted. He laughed, and waved goodbye, walking off to his sister's car.

Waving back, I let my smile drop to a frown. He noticed, frowning too. I saw him hold his hand up to his sister, dropping his backpack onto the floor of the car. He started sprinting back over to me, pulling his hood up. I looked at him quizzically, as he stopped right in front of me, smiling like a madman.

"Why'd you come back?" I asked him, very confused.

"To do this." Grabbing my shoulders, he yanked me towards him and our lips smacked against each other. He leaned over a little, so I wouldn't have to stand on my tippy toes as my eyes closed slowly, in absolute bliss.

My hand reached up, and placed itself on his cheek. His lips were softer than I had ever imagined. Like they weren't even there. I opened one eye slightly, to make sure he was still there. And he was, so I smiled, and he laughed as our lips pulled apart.

"Was that for sure?" I questioned him, still holding his face, not looking him in the eye.

"For shillow." He pecked my lips once more, and held me in his arms before letting go, and jogging off to the car. He waved a solemn goodbye kept his eyes on me as his sister drove away.

A small, warm drop of water slid down my face. Acid rain? No, it was tears. My tears. I wiped it away before anyone noticed, not that there was anyone around. So I was left here. In the rain. By myself. Freezing, but in absolute bliss. That kiss warmed me a little, but the warmth was quickly fading.

A beep beep awoke me from my daze. My head quickly turned to my step-mom's car. Gleaming in all it's wet, white, shiny glory. I smiled, and quickly walked to the car, tripping a few times over cracks in the sidewalk. I pulled the door open and jumped in as I slammed the door, letting the heat seep into my body. I let out a shiver of relief.

Too bad it was Friday.