Rain

Sunday came with rain.

The night, as bright as it was for a while, was taken aback by the clouds that crept up behind its blue curtain. And soon enough, the thunderclouds let out their fury onto the earth. The lightning struck once, twice, thrice... Tetsudo kept counting them. Every drop that hit the window kept him awake. He looked over a few time to Yai's futon - she was dead asleep.

After a while the thunderclaps disappeared and only the quiet rain remained. Washing away the bushes near the railway. For a while, the rails looked beautiful - silent and almost glowing by themselves, but after the storm they will start rusting even more than before. The trees in the misty forest were rustling and vibrating from joy:

"Finally, rain!" you could hear them say through their now relieved leaves and white roots.

The town looked more empty than when the scorching sun gracefully shined. It was now tucked to the other side and when it wakes up, it will probably find only clouds covering its birds-eye view the city. Its flaming heart will be blind to all the trouble the rain puts the people through, despite it being welcomed across the forests and fields in the outskirts. The picture was grey, but everyone slept through it, just to forget or to relive this moment of change.

*

The first day that was boring for Tetsu since he met Yai. They had to stay in his house, since his mom didn't allow them to go out. They wasted their time by playing games and reading manga. Who could've thought that his favorite day would be so insignificant? At least yesterday was nice, going to town with Yai. The weather didn't change - still the same rain and grey clouds waited outside.

"Will it still be raining tomorrow? I hate going to school in this kind of weather..." Tetsudo was thinking to himself as he watched through the window how some poor guy was running with his bag over his head, heading somewhere in this poor weather. It was already afternoon and the sun wasn't coming to save Tetsu now. Maybe it wasn't coming at all.

"What stupid weather," said Yai, who was sitting behind him, tying her hair. "I hope tomorrow's not such a downer."

"I hope too, but seems like those clouds won't let us off the hook just yet."

"I wanted to go to the railway today, too..." Yai said and let off a big sigh. "I started getting attached to it, like you are."

"Is that so? And when you leave this house, what will you do without it, I wonder." Tetsu said jokingly. Yai smiled with him.

"I wonder if I can stay here just a bit longer too..." Yai said under her breath.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"No, it's nothing."

*

The rain never stopped. Monday had already come, but the clouds didn't turn around and go away just yet. The last week of school for Tetsudo is usually the most eventful one, since there are a lot of activities in the school clubs. But there was never something unusual. Until now.

Tetsu and Yai walked together to school under a black umbrella. It was not cold, but definitely chilly and not warm like they both hoped it would be on Sunday night.

"You're better off staying at some cafe until I come back. You can't go to the rails today." Tetsu said.

"What if I get lost?" Yai mumbled with concern.

"There's a cafe a few blocks away from school. I'll drop you off there."

"I'd better not be expensive or I'll have to wash two times the dishes today," Yai said with a smile.

They arrived at the cafe. It was small and cozy, on a street, that is usually busy, but now was almost empty. Tetsu gave Yai some money, so she could get something and then left for school. It was a bit lonely in this cafe - she was the only customer at this time of day. The little drops running down the window to her left raced to the bottom. She watched them, she watched Tetsudo walking towards the crossroad they just came from. A mist had enveloped around the town - it was not so dense you couldn't see a thing, but after crossing the empty street, Yai lost sight of Tetsu. Then as if it was a ghost, a girl she didn't know ran from and back in the mist at almost an instant.

"Probably late for school or something..." Yai thought, as she put one hand on the chin, supporting her head. The rain had stopped. It all got quiet. The only thing she could hear was the quiet ripples of the water in the sink and the clanking of plates at the counter. 6 hours of waiting, huh...

*

Tetsu walked through the mist. He was afraid that he was going to get lost - he never had a good sense of direction after all. But it was school - there was no way he could get lost on his way to school, right?

"Tetsu, wait!!" suddenly a voice penetrated through the mist behind him. He turned around.

"How do you walk so fast?? I'm out of breath!" a familiar girl emerged from the haze. Tetsu frowned.

"Never did I say to you to chase me, Hiraya."

In front of him stood a panting Hiraya, one of his friends from school. She had deep and dark blue hair, just as deep blue eyes, with bangs down to her long eyebrows. Despite it raining, it would seem she forgot an umbrella, since she looked soaked to the bone, with her bag over her wet hair. Tetsu looked at her for a couple seconds, as she tried to catch a breather, even if the thick mist was not helping her. He put his umbrella over her head.

"Come on, we'll be late," he said.

"Ah, it's okay, it almost stopped raining."

Hiraya stood up and smiled. Her white teeth glistened for a split moment.

"Ehehe, thank god I caught up to you!"

The two of them turned and started walking towards school.

"Second time a girl is under my umbrella... Just my luck..."  Tetsudo thought while he and Hiraya walked. The mist slowly, but surely disintegrated, as they approached the school gates. Hiraya looked at Tetsu's musing face.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Huh? Nothing really..."

"Is it a girl?"

"What? No! Where did that even come from?"

"Ooo, what are you so flustered about then?" Hiraya asked curiously. and got up in Tetsu's face. He turned away and muttered:

"Do you ever stay out of others' business?"

"Welll, you know me, I love to meddle!" Hiraya said and chuckled. Tetsu looked at her and scoffed.

"You're such a dummy..."

"Wahhh?? That's mean, Tetsu!" Hiraya whimpered. "You're such a bully!"

"Am not. You just love to meddle," Tetsu said with a smile. "Come on now."

The two finally entered the school.

*

Tetsu and Hiraya were indeed late for school, despite their best efforts to catch up. At least the rain and the mist worked out as good excuses for them. The school day was uneventful as ever, the only thing of note is how the sky cleared out and the sun shined again when all the lessons ended. Soon the students started to go home one by one. Tetsu was still at his desk, looking at one of his notebooks, deep in thought.

"Let's go home, Tetsu!" Hiraya, standing in front of him, yelled from behind the notebook. He didn't see or hear her. She got annoyed and slapped the notebook out of his hands.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Tetsudo yelled.

"For ignoring me! Now let's go home!"

"Ugh, jeez..." he picked up the notebook from the ground and put it in his backpack.

"Ahh, the sun is so pretty!" Hiraya's eyes sparkled as they passed the school yard. She turned to Tetsudo: "Where are ya going now?"

"I have to meet a friend at a cafe."

"A friend? Are they not from our school?"

"They aren't."

"Interesting, I never would've thought you had a life outside school..." Hiraya said with her thinking pose.

"THAT'S INCREDIBLY RUDE! HAVE YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT OF ME AS A LONER?!"

Hiraya laughed and her smile glistened once again, this time even brighter. The rain puddles on the ground shined, but were slowly drying up and dying. The grass looked like dew hat fell on it, like it was still morning, despite the sun being above everyone's heads. Soon Hiraya and Tetsu got to the cafe and they parted ways.

"Tetsu, let's go to school tomorrow together!" Hiraya waved.

"We'll go home together, to school I take a different route."

"Okay! See you tomorrow!"

"See you."

Hiraya watched as Tetsu entered the cafe and sat next to an unknown to her girl with black hair. She turned around and began walking home.

"Is she the friend he talked about?" she thought. "Friend... Are they closer friends than me and Tetsu?..."

Hiraya's chest suddenly felt like it was going to drive her deep underground. Her chest felt like it was going to light a fire. She hurried home, stepping in a few rain puddles along the way.