Downpour

Hospitals creeped me out. It wasn't the site of the dying or the sick. It was the way they smelled, how kids would scream at the site of a needle, the way people waited in the waiting room to hear the good news or the bad. It was the way that people would react. How they would cry, how others would laugh and cheer, and how others just stood there, seeming as though they couldn't process anything else around them.

However, I was not in the hospital anymore, just thinking about it. They explained to me the side effects of chemotherapy, what it does, and how long it takes. But I already knew all that, I have the internet and movies to thank for that....I guess you could thank school too.

I decided the day after we come back from camping is when I was going to start. I was scared. Hell, I was terrified. Nothing could describe how I felt when they told me everything. The puking, the hair loss, the weakness. I don't know how I was going to pull this off without tell Baylin soon. Mom used to say that I was strong. But the only time she would say that to me is when I got dumped in middle school and high school.

I'm sorry, Mom. But boys and cancer are on completely different planets... I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle this on my own.

Right now though, I was job hunting. I applied to a few places and couldn't find a real good one. I stopped into Tony's Treasures as I saw that there was a Help Wanted sign. Tony was working, of course. He was the only one working. He was a bit scruffy, maybe in his earlier thirties with blue eyes and brown hair down to his shoulders. He was tall, but not that tall and his frame wasn't super built either. But he wasn't scrawny.

He waved at me as I walked in and continued to help a customer. I figured I'd wait until he was done so I went straight to the trinkets and small things made of glass. When he was finished, I walked up and told him that I wanted the job. I didn't ask if he was hiring someone else, I told her straight up that I wanted the job.

Tony laughed at me. I took this as a bad sign and let out a nervous laugh. "What, really? I thought you were working at the diner?"

I explained to him that I wasn't getting enough hours and wanted a new job which would pay fairly nice. I told him I was responsible, a real people person and that I was never late. Tony smiled and I asked him why after all this time was he hiring someone. He always worked by himself. I don't even think he had a girlfriend...or boyfriend. People's sexual orientations didn't matter to me. I was going to be nice and friendly to the person no matter what gender they loved.

Tony wanted to take a break from the shop. He barely got to do anything because he was so worried about this or that or how the shop was doing. "I thought, I'm going to die and I haven't done anything productive with my life. I haven't gone on vacation or done anything worth while besides taking care of this place," he lifted his arms up and turned in circles slowly, " and I'll tell you something, I'm not going to stay in this shop forever. I want to do something with my life, even if it's the smallest thing possibly, like hiring you."

If it was physically possibly, my jaw probably would have hit the floor. I was astonished. I shook Tony's hand and he wrote down a schedule for me. "I'll pay you $8.05 an hour. And now I know that's a bit much, but I'm trusting you to take care of this place for me when I'm out doing my thing. There are lots of breakables in here and you could get hurt. Hell, that surfboard could probably give you a pretty big egg on your noggin'. "He pointed towards and yellow and orange surfboarcd hanging from the ceiling, "So just accept my offer and go home. I will see you tomorrow, bright and early."

"Hey, Tony. If it's not too much trouble, I actually plan on leaving to go camping with my cousin, best friend, and my other friend soon." I didn't want to say boyfriend, because he was definately not that. "It's only for two days, would that be alright?"

Tony chuckled and nodded his head. "That's fine by me, kid. Just let me know when you're going to be for surely back and I'll get you all set up and ready to help me run this place, okay? He's the number to the shop," he grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down some digits, " so call if you need anything or need anymore information. See you later."

As if my power walking wasn't fast enough, I basically ran out the door with adrenaline pumping through my veins. I don't think anyone could fathom how excited I was right at that moment. Sure, I wouldn't be working there long, with dying and all, but I had a plan on how that was going to work out. I had a plan for how everything was going to work out, as long as everything stays how it is, my plan would work.



I was laying in bed readining when I heard Copper scratching at the door , wanting to get out of my room. I couldn't sleep and I didn't feel like talking to Patrick, even though I still had to ask if he wanted to come camping with us. Nothing like a last minute invitation, right? I wasn't exactly avoiding him, but I didn't want to really talk to him either. Okay, maybe I am avoiding him a bit. I'm scared. I don't want to get attached to anyone else right now. I don't want to die alone, but I don't want to die knowing that there's going to be another person out there sad.

I looked over at the clock and it was 3 in the morning. Baylin was sleeping away. She's been tired and different a lot lately. Either she's still sick or something's up and I'm just not getting it.

I heard the front door open and sat up from bed. Through the crack at the bottom of the door I saw lights. I opened the door a crack, pushing Copper out of the way. There were two men in black ski masks and brown sacks draped over their shoulders.

I tried to stay calm. Our cars were in the garage so they probably didn't think we were home. I heard them quietly yelling at each other and heard one walk into the kitchen. My heart was beating in my ears. It was loud and fast.

Thinking of nothing else to do besides stand frozen, I ran to my phone and fumbled with the buttons. With my clumsy self and my body trembling in fear...It dropped. As it hit the ground in what seemed like slow motion it made a loud 'thud'. I stood there, my body unable to move.

"Did you hear that?" I heard one of them say as they walked towards my room.I grabbed my phone and hid under the bed and dialed 911 as fast as I could. My door knob turned and I stood frozen in fear.

The first thing to come through the door was a tip of a gun, tears ran down my cheeks and I covered my mouth. They were going to kill me and my best friend.

Copper looked up towards to man and ran towards the door, out into the living room. "Just some stupid weiner dog." He shut my door and I heard him shuffle away from my room.

"There are people in my house. They have guns. My friend is sleeping in the other room, please hurry." I gave them my address and hung up. the next number I dialed was Baylin's. She didn't pick up.

I heard the gun fire and my eyes went wide while tears streaming down my cheeks even faster. "That damn dog scared the piss out of me."

"Did you get it?"

"No, but these people are going to have to buy a new window."

I heard the first man laugh, "That's not the only thing they're going to have to buy."

I tried calling Baylin again and she finally picked up and answered half asleep. "Baylin, wake up right now and get under your bed. Be quiet. There are men in our house and they have guns. " I sobbed silently. "They have guns, Bay. Please hurry and get under your bed."

Baylin shifting in the bed was loud enough for me to hear. So was her fast-pace breathing, "Rain, I think one of them is coming in my room." Through the phone I heard her door open and some shuffling. There was silence.

That silence was one of the most terrifying thing that I ever had to hear. I heard them leave the house, a vehicle door slam, and heard them come back in. Those greedy bastards weren't done yet.

"Baylin, it's going to be okay. We're going to be alright, just stay quiet." I heard Baylin start to cry on the other end of the line. She was on the other side of the house and as frightened as I was.

Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours. I just wanted them to leave. I bet pizza would get here faster than the police. Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard more people run into the house.

"Freeze! Drop your weapons!"



We were shaken up, that's for sure. All of our stuff was put back. We needed a new window and a better guardian since Copper seems to like people a little too much. I called Tayden as the police left. I was probably going to be sleeping with Baylin until we left to go camping in two days.

If Tayden could be any superhero, it'd probably be Flash. He got to the house faster than ever. He burst through the door and hugged mine and Baylin's tear-stained faces. "Holy fuck, are you girs okay?!"