The Last Time the Rain Fell

According to Clare who had just rushed off to class, the bell to signify the end of lunch was about to sound.

“What class do you have next?” Jake asked.

I looked over at Adam expectantly, knowing he had already memorized my schedule whereas I needed to continue checking the paper for what class I had next.

“You have a Creative Writing/Journalism elective with a teacher I’ve never heard of before, after that you have two free periods so you can go home.” Adam said.

“Well, there you have it.” I said, finishing the last of my soda.

“You’re a junior, why do you have free periods and electives?” Jake asked.

“In my old school I was in mainly AP and honors classes so I already have some of the credits I need.” I explained.

The bell rang and we all stood up from the table, gathering our garbage as we did so. I walked away from the garbage can and took out my schedule, trying to find the classroom once I re-entered the building. I heard my name being called and turned around to see Eli rushing towards me.

“Can I help you, Eli?” I joked.

I watched as he smirked and me and slid his thumb under his book bag strap.

“We have the same class; I thought I should be a gentleman and escort you.”

The two of us walked a few more feet before he stopped, opening a door and gesturing for me to go in before him.

“Wow, I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.” I said, following him to the back of the class and sitting next to him after he patted the seat.

“Oh, it’s just the good-old Eli Goldsworthy charm.” he said smugly.

I shook my head as the teacher walked in.

“Everyone pick a partner and pick wisely, they will be your partner for the rest of the year. Once you pick a partner, choose a topic you both agree with and begin writing about it.” he said without taking off the sunglasses that were obviously hiding his hangover.

Without speaking, Eli and I turned to each other and we each pulled out a notebook.

“I don’t want to do work today.” I said with a whine.

“Well, it’s not due for another few days. We can work on it over the weekend since it’s only Monday.” Eli suggested after he chuckled at my whining tone.

I nodded my head and we both put our stuff away.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked after a moment of silence.

“You just did but I’m sure another question won’t hurt.”

“How did you and Clare end up together?” I asked him.

“It’s complicated, we always kind of liked each other and we were filming something for English class last year and in one of the scenes we had to kiss. It sort of just took off from there.”

“But from what Adam has told me, she’s the sacred and divine Saint Clare.”

Eli chuckled a bit at that.

“Not all boys are totally interested in just having sex with someone.”

“Oh, and you think I am? Besides, I never mentioned sex.” I joked, feigning hurt.

Eli placed a hand on his chest, “Well, I am so sorry for hurting you.”

I laughed a bit and he did too, both of us trying to stay quiet as to not attract attention to ourselves as we sat in the back row of the class.

“So, what do people do for fun around here?” I asked, leaning back in my chair a bit and stretching out my legs in front of me.

“Well, I am not a social creature but I think most people go to the Dot and stuff like that. Me, Adam, Clare and sometimes Jake usually just hang around watching movies, playing video games and going to concerts. What did you do before you were forced to move up here?”

“The same thing you guys do except it’s usually just me, my mom and the dog.”

I could sense that he wanted to know more when the bell rang. I walked calmly to my locker and once there, I pulled out what I would need for homework. I sneakily pulled out my phone and sent Adam a text that I would be in the school library when he and Drew finished their classes and that we would all walk home together. I walked down to the library and was happy to find that it was relatively empty save for just a few students. I sat at one of the tables and pulled out my Trigonometry books to get a head start on the work. I worked in silence for a few minutes, only stopping to get a sip of water from the bottle in my bag.

“Hi, are you new here?” someone asked.

I looked up to see a girl with perfectly straight brown hair that was almost blonde looking at me with a huge smile. I nodded my head and her smile widened as she held out her hand to me to shake.

“Hi, I’m Becky Baker.” she said sweetly, sitting directly across from me.

“I’m Olivia Torres.” I said politely, putting my books away now that I had company.

“Torres?” she questioned, “Any relation to Adam and Drew Torres?”

“Yes, actually, they’re my cousins.” I said.

“My brother goes to school here as well; he’s one of the Toronto Ice Hounds. We just moved up here from Florida.”

“I love Florida, my mother and I went on a mini-family vacation there a few months ago when I still lived in the states.”

“Just your mom and you?” she asked, a bit too concerned for my liking.

“Well, yeah, my dad died when I was four.” I said, toying with the bracelet he gave me a few months before his death that somehow still fit my slim wrist.

There was a moment of awkward silence as I just examined her a bit. She seemed to be pretty nice, despite what Adam had told me about her when I first moved here. I noticed the small gold cross hanging from her neck and I smiled a bit.

“You’re religious?” I asked her with a smile.

She smiled and nodded her head eagerly.

“Yes I am, though I’ve noticed that it’s not exactly welcome around here. What about you?” she asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call myself religious but my parents were. But, when my mother goes to church on Sunday’s, I tag along and I help out with the Sunday school for the little kids.”

She smiled at me again as the last bell rang. She ripped out a piece of paper and scribbled something down before handing the paper to me.

“Text me sometime, maybe we can hang out more.” she said before walking away.

I put the paper in my pocket just as Adam and Drew walked in the library. We all started walking home, Adam and Drew both teasing me about my ‘not-date’ with Jake. I was shaking my head when we all walked in the front door and I turned around to look at them.

“If your mom or dad come home randomly do not tell them that I am on a ‘not date’ with someone today.” I told them as the doorbell rang.

I opened the door, sure that my face was still red because of being embarrassed by Drew and Adam just a few minutes earlier. Jake was leaning against the doorway and I smirked.

“Is this your attempt at seducing me?” I asked playfully, his hand taked mine and I stepped out of the doorway.

“Only if it’s working.” he answered, making both of us laugh.

“Hey!” I heard from behind us.

I didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Drew and he was most likely about to threaten Jake. Jake and I turned around, my hand still in his, only to confirm my suspicions when Drew was hallway out the door.

“I want her home by five thirty. If she’s home after six I’ll hunt you down, Martin.” Drew said before walking back in the house.

“Is he always like this?” Jake asked once we were safely seated in his truck.

“He’s only like this in the beginning, eventually he’ll warm up to you.” I said.

“It’s the eventually that scares me a bit.”