Sudden Rain

The shrill cricket-like sound of the phone interrupted the peaceful serenity of a nice hot shower.

“Ah crap! I’m coming!”

Kelly rushed out of the shower, his long tangled bangs dripping down into his eyes. The phone rang again as he picked up a large fluffy towel and tried to quickly dry himself off. A third ring and he’d abandoned the idea and just ran for the phone.

“Just a second, damn it! I said I was coming!”

The fourth ring came and Kelly grabbed the receiver just before the answering machine could pick up. Out of breath he put the phone to his ear, panting.

“H… hello?”

“Hey Kel! How’s my baby brother doing?”

Riley was two years his senior. She was in college, much like his parents wished he was, and was currently studying to be a veterinarian.

“Oh, hey sis, I’ve been better… I’ve had a LONG day.”

Kelly grabbed a seat on the couch, the towel wrapped around his waist.

“You mean you actually left the house?” She giggled, “Just kidding bro, how about you tell me about it?”

“Uh… sure…”

****

Of all the places to be caught in a downpour this was not it. The park was rather open and there were few trees to take shelter under. I could feel streams of water running down my forehead as I sat on the park bench. Rain drops were beading on the rose pedals behind me. The thick smell of pollen filled the air. Couples with umbrellas up ran past me. I guess they’d actually taken time to check the weather report out before leaving. I sighed and bent over finding my tennis shoes really interesting all of a sudden. With in a few moments a pair of black high heels had accompanied them on the pavement. I looked up and saw a rather well dressed woman standing in front of me. She reminded me of Karen. Those high cheek bones, that long black hair, that air of sophistication. Karen… That’s why I was there.

I really didn’t see it coming when she called this morning. In my mind, we’d been doing okay. She came over often and we cuddled and watched television together.

“Kelly…” She started the conversation with.

I listened contently, not aware of what was to come. Any time she called was good to me. I just loved hearing her voice.

“I’m sorry Kelly… I really am.”

What was she apologizing for? This didn’t sound good.

“I really tried to like you the way you like me. But we just have nothing in common. I mean I find you cute and all, but you’re cute like a little brother is cute.”

Ouch. I know I’m short, but comparing me to her little brother?

“You’re too sensitive for me. I always thought I wanted a sensitive boyfriend but you’re kind of a wuss frankly. You dress like a slob, you’re lazy, and all you do is sit around your apartment all day. We never go anywhere together; you don’t even have a job. If it wasn’t for your parents you’d be living on the street right now. I’m sorry I’m being so harsh, but you need to hear this.”

I didn’t know how to respond to all this. Tears were already welling up in my eyes as I listened to her.

“Kelly, it’s over. Please don’t expect to hear from me again.”

As she hung up, I started crying. As I’m sure you know I don’t handle rejection well. Now all I could do was sit and cry. I hadn’t even pleaded my case to her. I just sat there and took it without saying a word.

The next few hours were bad. My emotions were all over the place. I was furious with myself. I wondered what I’d done wrong. True, she’d told me what was wrong with me, but I wasn’t willing to accept those faults in myself. I thought I must not have loved her enough or she would have loved me back. The two hours of grief ended with me standing outside on the fire escape. I had climbed over the metal railing, my toes teetering on the edge. I thought about letting go. I really did. But when push came to shove I couldn’t do it. Suicide wasn’t the way to get over this. I just needed to get out of the house for some fresh air.

**** 

“You were thinking about killing yourself!? You jackass! What in the hell were you thinking?”

“Hey, I didn’t do it, did I? It was just a thought.”

“Well you know you could have called me at least if you were feeling that down.”

“Can I just get back to the story?”

“Yeah, okay, please continue.” 

****

When I got in my car I didn’t have a clue where I was headed. I just started driving. Unconsciously I’d ended up at the botanical gardens. This was as good of a place as any to be right now. Strolling through the park I felt a little better. Well I was feeling better until it started raining.

Ah yes, the rain. It had come out of no where. One minute it was sunny and the next the clouds burst wide open sending their shower down upon me. With my mood, I didn’t feel like running to the nearest shelter. Instead I just sat down and let my clothes get soaked.

This was around where I veered off wasn’t it?

That woman stared down at me. The hard rain was pounding on top of her large black umbrella making it hard for me to hear anything.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you just sit there,” I barely made out.

I was in no mood for her lecture. She had some nerve walking up to a perfect stranger who was perfectly happy being thoroughly drenched and telling him he was going to catch a cold.

“Leave me alone lady. I’m perfectly fine. Why don’t you go bother someone else?”

She stormed off in a hurry. I could scarcely hear her muttering to herself as she did.

“Some nerve, kids these days have. I was just being courteous. Try to do one good deed and they blow up in your face. Jeez!”

“I’m not a kid, you stupid bitch!”

She turned and flicked me off. So much for being sophisticated.

It was really starting to get cold now. It’s amazing how fast you’ll start shivering when every inch of you is completely sopped. I got up from the bench, my arms wrapped tightly around my torso as my teeth chattered. Walking around a bit should warm me up. I certainly wasn’t going to get out of the rain. That would mean letting that ignorant woman get the best of me.

Rings were forming on the surface of the koi pond. I leaned against the wooden railing of the bridge and looked down at the mass of koi swimming around. There had to be at least thirty of them just around the bridge. Probably used to being fed. I stuffed my hand into my pocket and fished out a quarter. I shoved it in what looked like a gumball machine and received a handful of fish pellets. One by one I dropped them in watching the koi swim up and grab them hungrily.

My skin was starting to look pale as smoke from an invisible cigarette escaped with each breath. The wind was really starting to blow now too. I trembled, leaning against the wooden rail as I dropped the last of the pellets in. The bridge started creaking a little, and I heard footsteps coming towards me. I sneezed and the footsteps stopped directly behind me.

“Aww, you poor little stray. You’re drowning out here,” a high but still masculine voice chuckled from behind me.

“Who’re you calling little!?” I turned ferociously on him. Did people have nothing better to do than annoy me?

“Hehe, Puppy’s got a bark on him too.” The man smiled warmly at me. He was tall and pretty thin. He was wearing a long double-breasted wool coat, black dress pants and a thick scarf. He had a large umbrella that could easily fit two people He looked well groomed, having short blonde hair and near perfect skin. Compared to the soaked and ragged jeans, worn tennis shoes and faded t-shirt I was wearing he probably looked like a god.

I growled at him.

“Aww poor Puppy, is the rain making you all grumpy wumpy? Let’s get you out of this rain and get you something warm to eat.” He stepped closer to me and offered a place under his umbrella.

“You’re treating me like a dog, you actually think I’m going to go anywhere with you?”

“I’m just trying to help you Puppy. I’m sorry I’m treating you like a dog, but you know even dogs have enough sense to come in out of the rain. Now swallow your pride and come with me.”

I grumbled a little. He had a point. There was no reason for me to sit out here and freeze, but he didn’t have to belittle me every time he opened his mouth.

“Fine, but you have to quit calling me Puppy. I have a name you know.”

He gave me that same warm smile as I stepped underneath the umbrella. His bright blue eyes gave off a light that made me sure that I could trust him.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What’s your name silly?”

“Oh it’s Kelly…”

“You’re such a silly little puppy. My name’s Andrew, but you can call me Drew.”

I pouted a little and objected, “Didn’t I ask you not to call me puppy?”

He just chuckled at me.

**** 

“You’re being awfully descriptive for a phone conversation.”

Kelly grumbled and picked up a business card off the table spinning it around between his fingers.

“I’m a writer, Riley. I’m used to being descriptive.”

“Most writers go to school you know.”

“Whatever. Back to the story!” 

**** 

He took me to a quaint café across the street from the gardens. It was currently noisy and filled with people. All of them had come in to get out of the rain, probably something I should have done earlier. I was still shivering as we found an empty booth. Drew just stared at me smiling his warm smile. I started wondering what in the world he could be so happy about.

“Quit staring at me like that, it makes me uncomfortable.”

He faked a pout sticking out his lower lip at me.

“How am I supposed to stare at you then?”

“Don’t stare at me at all!”

“You have to talk to me if you don’t want me staring. How about telling me why you’re so grouchy?”

“I’m soaking wet and freezing, why do you think I’m grouchy?”

The waitress stepped up to our table and smiled widely. It was similar to the way Drew smiled at me but seemed to lack the warmth and caring that was behind his.

“What can I get for you two today?”

I tried answering her but was cut off before I even started.

“Two hot apple ciders with extra cinnamon. Is that okay with you?” He asked, looking in my direction. I simply nodded.

The waitress walked off and started talking with her co-workers right away. I figured we wouldn’t be getting those anytime soon.

“You didn’t have to order for me.”

“Oh, you should’ve spoken up then. If you don’t do things for yourself, how am I supposed to know whether or not you’re going to do them?”

“I—”

“I bet your grumpiness is due to a girl, am I right?”

“Er…”

“Aha! I knew it! The poor stray puppy caught his beloved in a love affair and was going to the koi pond to throw himself in! It’s such a tragic story!”

“No that’s not—”

“Oh? Then perhaps the puppy was waiting in the park for his secret love affair only to be left there waiting and waiting without hope!”

“Will you calm down and just let me tell the story!? And no calling me puppy!”

“Okay, okay,” he giggled.

The waitress dropped the two mugs of cider off at our table just as I started to talk. Drew blew on it gently as he kept his eyes fixated on me.

“I met her at that park. She thought my nervousness was cute. I wasn’t trying to be cute at the time; I’d just never asked a girl out before. We dated for about a month, until this morning. That’s when she called me and laid everything out for me. I can’t say that she was wrong really. We had nothing in common. But being my first girlfriend, I was really upset about it. I even thought about killing myself.”

He seemed to be listening pretty intently. His eyes hadn’t left me for a moment even when he took sips of his cider, he’d take small ones so that the mug wouldn’t cover his eyes.

“So I tried just getting some fresh air to take my mind off things, but it started raining. It’s like the gods are trying to make sure I stay depressed.”

“No wonder you’re so grumpy. Break ups are always hard, especially the first one.”

I took a sip of the cider. It felt just right going down and warmed my belly. The warmth cheered me up a little and I started to think that maybe this day was going to take a turn in my direction.

“Yeah… I think I’m done with women for a while. They’re just too much trouble and I don’t really understand them.”

“Just don’t give up on love all together. A person who’s closed their heart is a very sad thing.”

“I’ll—”

“Ooh! Lookie, lookie, the rain has stopped!”

The sun was beating in through the large pane glass window in the front of the café. Customers were getting out of their chairs and heading back out.

“Yay! Now I can take the puppy for a walk!”

“Er… I can’t. I should be going home now. I need to get out of these wet clothes after all.”

He started pouting again. This time it seemed genuine. I couldn’t help it though; I didn’t really particularly want to walk around with some strange guy all day, regardless of how nice he was to me.

“I’m sorry….”

I stood up and reached for my wallet but he stopped me and shook his head.

“No, it’s on me.”

He gave me that same warm smile again as he removed his wallet from his coat pocket and dropped a few dollars casually on the table. He reached out, offering me his hand. I gladly shook it.

“It was nice meeting you Drew.”

I turned to leave but he wasn’t letting go. I felt myself being pulled back and a hand up on my cheek. Before I knew it his soft, gentle lips were pressed fully against mine. I felt powerless and just let it happen. It couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds but at the time it felt like an eternity. He finally released his grip on me and chuckled.

“I had a good time Kelly, thank you.”

With that he was out the door leaving me standing there completely stunned. I heard whispers spreading throughout the café and I started blushing.

“It’s none of your business!” I yelled and ran out. 

****

“That’s so cute! My baby brother has a boyfriend!”

“Gah! I do not! And keep your voice down, someone might hear you.”

“You’re so uptight, it was just a joke.”

“Yeah, yeah, so what did you call for in the first place?”

“Oh, mom wants to know if you’re coming home for Easter.”

Kelly sighed. He didn’t really want to go home and just have his parents ridicule him the entire time.

“I don’t know… you know how mom is…”

“Aww, but I miss you baby bro! Come home for me.”

“Fine…”

“Well see you Sunday then. I can’t wait to meet this boyfriend of yours!”

“Very funny, I’ll see you then.”

Kelly hung up the phone and stretched out on the couch. His slightly shaggy hair hung over the arm. He held the business card up to the light and looked at the gilded lettering on it. Drew had slipped it into his hand right before he kissed him. Kelly grumbled a little then flicked the card towards the trash can in the corner.

“That bastard. He’s probably at home laughing himself silly right now. He probably does that to guys like me all the time. What a sick person, has nothing better to do than make my life hell.”

Kelly wandered towards his bedroom and grabbed a pair of shorts. He slipped them on then sat down at the computer with a big yawn.

“Better get started on my next chapter…”

The cursor blinked on the blank white page. Kelly picked up a pencil and started tapping it against the desk impatiently. He sighed as nothing was coming to him at the moment. He closed his eyes and sighed. A smile came into his mind. It seemed familiar and made him feel comfortable. As he thought about it further he could see two deep blue eyes. He smirked. His mind moved back further and he was getting a clear picture of who he was envisioning. He saw the stylish blonde hair—SNAP!

The wooden pencil was now in two pieces. Kelly shivered.

“Bleach! That was getting scary… maybe some food and TV will calm me down,” He said aloud.

Kelly’s kitchen was a mess. Dishes were piled up on the counter. Crumbs were all over the table and the floor. Several stains were on both the floor and the wall. He opened up the cabinet and looked around. Different drink mixes and cereal were about all he had at the moment. He picked up the small box of instant cider but shook his head and dropped it right away. Instead he took out a box of raisin bran, grabbed a bowl that looked clean and filled it. Taking a quick sniff of the milk, Kelly shrugged, got a spoon from the drawer and took a seat back on his living room couch again.

Nothing except for the usual assortment of infomercials and horrible dating shows seemed to be on as Kelly flipped through the channels quickly. He groaned.

“Don’t these cable channels know that normal people are still awake after midnight? Why do they have to put this crap on!?”

Having just talked to his sister, he settled on Animal Planet. There was some show about vets on. It wasn’t long before his attention was waning. He was getting anxious again and was sliding the spoon around in circles.

“He’s just a stray,” said a woman on the television, “He looked pretty cold and like he hadn’t had a meal in a while when I found him.”

On the screen the male vet was petting the chin of the small dog.

“How’re you doing little puppy?”

“Leave me alone. I’m trying to watch TV.”

Kelly sneezed and rubbed his nose a little.

“Looks like you’ve got a cold puppy.”

“Why the fuck can’t you just use my name!?” Kelly yelled as he stood up angrily. He blinked a little bit when he noticed that he was yelling at the TV. He would have blushed had anyone seen him.

“Ugh. I must have a fever or something…”

He flicked off the television and walked back into his bedroom collapsing on his bed. Suddenly Drew wasn’t leaving his thoughts. He tossed and turned and groaned.

“What’s wrong with me?” He thought, “I’m not into guys, am I? Well even if I am, I wouldn’t like him! Sure he helped me out… and bought me something to drink… and his smile kind of made me feel nice… but he kept teasing me, and he never once called me by my name.”

The kiss they shared earlier entered Kelly’s mind very visibly. He could feel his heart beating faster and louder. His cheeks turned red as he turned over on his side.

“I had a good time Kelly, thank you,” echoed through his mind.

His heart skipped a beat and he gulped sitting straight up all of a sudden. Drew had called him by his name after all. The kiss had shocked him so much at the time that he hadn’t thought of it. The whole day replayed in his mind as he got out of bed and started pacing around.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see something glimmering. It was catching what little light was in the room in just the right way. He crept over to the trashcan and picked up the small piece of paper. Drew’s name stared back at him; he looked at the number quickly.

“He wouldn’t still be up,” The pale green numbers on his VCR read 2:14 AM, “Would he?”

Kelly picked up the phone and took a deep breath. His fingers were quivering as he pressed each button. It was ringing.

“Hello?” A soft, masculine voice asked from the other side.

Kelly was breathing heavily now. He probably sounded like a stalker or something over the phone.

“Is anyone there? I’m going to hang up if you don’t say something.”

“No… don’t… I’m here.” Kelly muttered.

“Is that you Kelly? I knew you’d call.”

~ by Kacie Cross on May 12, 2008.