NOT Looking For Love

“Duke~! Don’t go home already! Let’s go play some more.” Ariel called after me as I loosened my tie and headed towards my car. I had accidentally left my jacket in my car in the morning and now the rain had almost completely drenched my white button up shirt. I hated this stupid uniform. Ariel put her umbrella over my head as we walked.

“I can’t. Not today.” I said as I finally reached my car and pulled my keys out of my pocket.

“Come on, Duke! Ariel’s asking so sweetly.” Cooper chuckled but I didn’t even turn around to respond. Mason and a couple other guys were standing with him and also began laughing and joined him in mocking me.

“I’ll deal with you tomorrow Cooper.” I said as I got into my car and closed the door, not waiting for his response. Ariel knocked on my window and as I opened it she bent forward so that I could see much further down her button-up uniform shirt, due to the fact that the first few buttons had been undone, but I kept looking directly into her eyes. It's not like it was something I hadn't seen before, and right now I wasn't in the mood to "play".

“You sure?” She mumbled as she pouted.

“Yeah. Sorry.” I smiled and she rolled her eyes, realizing her plan wasn’t working.

“Whatever.” She muttered as she stood straight and stepped away from my car. I smiled as I closed the window and drove off.

As soon as I was a couple lights away, I let out a huge sigh and ran my hand through my wet hair. Ariel was becoming more and more of an annoyance, but apparently my social status called for me to be with her, or at least that’s what Cooper kept saying.

It was raining hard and I could barely see anything as I approached a bridge I had driven over countless times. However, even in the rain I had no trouble spotting the person sitting on the edge of the bridge. “What the hell?” I muttered as I pulled over and put on the emergency lights. I was not about to just let someone kill themselves if I could help it.

I quickly ran over to the other side of the bridge and found a girl with bleached blond hair, wet strands clinging to her cheeks and her drenched clothes, sitting on the railing.

She was wearing a uniform identical to mine, the exact same emblem one her shirt. I didn’t recognize her, but that wasn’t much of a surprise since the school was pretty big. “Hey! What are you doing?! You don’t want to do this!” I said to her when I was only a few feet away.

She turned to face me and looked surprised but then she smiled widely. I was surprised I hadn’t met her before. Her honest smile didn’t fit her bleached hair and the many piercings in her ears. “What does it look like I’m doing?” She laughed. When I just stared at her she looked at me and then where she was sitting and then looked back. “Oh! Sorry! It’s not what it looks like.” She laughed loudly even though she was soaking wet and only one slip away from falling to her death. “I’m just waiting here for my sister. We had a fight and I’m waiting for her to cave and come looking for me.” She said as if her plan made any sense.

“If you stay out here you’re going to get sick, you know.” I replied,, but she didn’t look very concerned.

“But I love the rain!” She smirked as she closed her eyes and looked up, letting little droplets of water run down her face. “It’s so soothing.” I sighed, knowing there was no way she would listen, when I remembered the jacket in my car.

“Wait a minute.” I said as I quickly jogged to the car and pulled out the jacket. I walked back and handed it to her. “At least wear this while you wait.” I sighed, unsure of why I cared. Maybe it was because the look she had on her face was one that I could only wish I had. She was happy.

“Wow. Thanks.” She smiled softly and she slowly reached for it and took it from me.

It was then that we heard a car screech. “ANDY! OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” I heard a lady scream as she ran towards us. She was wearing a coat and a purple party dress with high heels.

The girl sitting on the bridge laughed. “Told you she would cave. I guess I won’t be needing this.” She smiled as she handed the jacket back.

“I’M SORRY ALRIGHT?! GET OFF THE RAILING!” The lady screamed, panicking.

“Alright, alright.” ‘Andy’ laughed as she stood up on the railing and turned towards me and jumped down. She slowly walked towards the lady who was in tears as she came up and hugged her tightly while calling her names and yelling at her. They started walking back to her car, when ‘Andy’ turned around and smiled back at me. I was just standing there with the jacket in my hand. “BYE! Thanks for keeping my company.” She smiled as she waved and I waved back.

“Goodbye, Andy.” I smiled as she got into the car and drove off. What a strange girl… And yet I found myself hoping to meet her again. Finally I ran back to my car smiling, and for the first time, the rain didn’t bother me at all…

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ANDY

A year later…
I gripped him tightly in my arms. My arms usually ached when I held him for too long, but now he felt as light as a feather. I glanced at his sleeping face. He looked so calm… How could he be so calm? I looked at his light brown hair, just like his father’s. It was so light and soft. His bright blue eyes, which resembled those of his mother, were hidden under his long eyelashes.

“Miss, are you sure about this? This isn’t…” The nurse said as she looked me in the eye.

“I am sure. I’m 18. I can definitely do this.” I felt another round of tears coming. I cursed myself for ever bleaching my hair and getting a bunch of ear piercings, which were the reason everyone here was treating me like a delinquent. I would have to get rid of those. I needed to be responsible now.

“Yes… but raising a 3 year old chi-“

“HOW COULD I GIVE HIM UP!” I screamed. I was cracking. NO. I had to be strong. “I CAN NOT GIVE HIM UP.”

“Calm down. Take a deep breath.” The nurse whispered as people stared at me. I realized that I had stopped rocking side to side. Dylan liked when I rocked. It helped him sleep.

I sighed and tried to focus on my breathing. “He was their life, everything they lived for. They wanted me to take care of him if anything happened. I will not let them down.”

“Raising a child is not easy, especially when he’s not yours…”

“HOW is he not mine? Look at him. If my sister’s blood runs through him, that means MY blood runs through him, and I promise you I will never let a single thing hurt him.” He was all that they had left behind. He was all I had to remember my loving older sister.

“What about you? Your life?”

“From now on, it’s not my life, it’s our life. He needs me. Do you understand that? And I need him. He’s all I have left now. He is my only family, and he’s the only family that I need.”

“What about your parents?”

I smiled darkly. “They never wanted to see my sister again, and they have already told me that they don’t want anything to do with Dylan.” I rubbed Dylan’s hair. “However, I won’t need their help in raising him."

“Money?"

“It’s not an issue. My sister’s husband was quite wealthy and since his parents passed away a few years ago and he doesn’t have any siblings, the money will be going to both Dylan and I.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call your parents?” She repeated for the hundredth time.

“Their eldest daughter and her husband just died, leaving their grandson behind, and they didn’t even have the time to come see him. I bet they don’t even know his name.” I muttered angrily. I never understood how they could be so cold to Emma. I know it was wrong for her to marry Chris even though it was against the will of our parents, and especially at such a young age, but for them to refuse to come see their own grandchild hurt me so much.

Emma was dead now, as was Chris, how could they be so heartless? Could they really not put the past behind them for the only thing that their daughter had left behind? Her one and only little boy, who was a true angel.

From now one, Dylan was my life, my heart, and MY son. I would give him the love they wouldn’t.

“Miss Pierce, there is still some people you will have to meet and talk to before you can take Dylan with you.

“I will do ANYTHING for him. Who should I speak to?” I teplied with a smile.

Don’t worry Sis, Brother-in-law, I will take care of Dylan. I will try my very best, but it was wrong of both of you to leave Dylan behind… and to leave me behind. I don’t how I am going to fill the hole your deaths have left, but I will give it my best.

Watch over us. And… Rest in peace.