When it rains in the desert

9 Years Ago

I'm woken up to the sound of Lia bouncing on the bottom of my bed.

"Jacob! Jacob! Jacob! Wake up" She squeals at me.

I groan and pull a cushion over my head, then the bouncing stops and I know exactly why. The water works are about to begin. I move the cushion from my face slowly and peek down at her before I see her pull out her bottom lip and begin crying.

Before I can even move she tackles me. "YOU SAID YOU'D TEACH ME TODAY!" Shes still crying when I grab her arm and push her onto the opposite side of the bed.

I promised her that I would teach her how to skate if she didn't tell mom that me and Aaron were sneaking out three nights ago.

I mean it's not like we were doing anything bad, we just maybe snuck into school and maybe filled Bobby Barlow's locker with silly string so maybe when he opened his locker the next morning he'd be attacked with silly string.

Okay so maybe we were doing something bad but that's besides the point, the point is he beat up Aaron almost every Monday. The point is that he deserved it.

I groan again and get out of bed to make my way to the bathroom but Lia just stands in front of me. Her arms are crossed at her chest and she says " woah woah. And just where do you think you're going?"

I sigh and say "well munchkin, if you want me to pee all over you right here I will" I grab the waistband of my pyjama bottoms and she runs out.

When I get downstairs Lia is sat on the skateboard rolling herself backwards and forwards at the bottom of the stairs. I quickly run into the kitchen, kiss my mom hello, grab an apple and go and get Lia.

"OWWWW-" that is the sound of Lia falling off the skateboard for what must've been the 7th time today.

I run towards her and she'd scraped her leg pretty badly. "How many times do I have to tell you to balance before you take off" I shake my head at her and could see the tears. My, for a 12 year old she cried a lot.  "Okay okay stay here let me go get you a plaster." I run  inside getting the plasters from the kitchen and run back outside.

When I get out the door, my skateboard is  sat at the edge of the curb but Lia isn't there. "LIA, WHERE'D YOU GO?" I look around and feel panic in my chest.

I sprint to the end of the street but she isn't  there. All that's  there is a white van. I turn around and the white van was gone. I didn't think there was much to it until it circled back and I saw the driver.

He looked at me. Looked me straight in the eyes and smiled. He smiled and said "bye munchkin." 

I don't remember when I started crying but the rest happened so fast. I ran home and screamed for my parents to come outside. I told them what happened.

I remember sitting on the porch steps whilst they questions Dad, I remembered how my mother couldn't even look at me. I remember Aaron asking me if I was okay. I remember thinking that I should've just taken Lia inside when I went to get her plaster. I was supposed to be watching her. It was my fault they took her.

They took her because I wasn't thinking properly.

They took her and never gave her back.

I got back from work and Celia was reading a book on the couch. She turned around and rested her arms on the back of the sofa, then placed her head on her arms. The book still in her hands, closed. The cover read A Thousand Splendid Suns.

"Any good?" I questioned as I walked toward the couch to take a place next to her. Hey eyebrows rose  in excitement and I felt my body still. What did I just get myself onto?

Gorgeous green eyes, so gorgeous, too gorgeous. If someone were to ask me my favorite color, even after all of these years, I don't think i'd be able to describe the perfect shade of green for them.

"Hmm?" I shook my head, realizing I hadn't actually been listening to what she was saying.

"I said "Are you telling me you've never read this soul crushing, heart wrenching story before?" I smiled, amused at her excitement.

I loved reading, although in the past few months I hadn't really had the time for it, it was my favorite way of escaping.

Can you guys keep a secret? I only ask because if you tell anyone I will deny, deny, deny capiche?

My favorite book has to be....drum roll please. The hungry caterpillar.

No, I'm kidding, although it was a spectacular book it'll have to come close second to Pride and Prejudice. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of Jane Austen okay? She was magical, heck even I want a Mr Darcy to tell me that he's most ardently in love with me.

"I guess, yes, I am telling you that." I said, still amused by the fact she was practically jumping out of her seat.

"Jacob Anthony Mendoza, If you ever loved me in anyway shape or form you will read this book." I tilted my head at her and then squinted at her a little so she knew I was irritated. I couldn't stand my middle name, the only person who ever called me Jacob Anthony Mendoza was my Grandma.

"How-" I shook my head, "How do you know my middle name is Anthony?" but she just smiled a magnificent smile, the kind that lit her entire face up.

She tapped her nose twice and said "Well clearly, I'm in the FBI, it's the only rational explanation." shrugging her shoulders, she rested her body back onto the cushions behind her.

"Okay Agent Lockheart" I said inching closer to her. "I will read this soul crushing book, on one condition." I inched closer again and I could practically feel my heart beat thumping out of my chest.

Her nose grazed mine and her eyes were trained on my lips. I felt myself smile internally. Who am I kidding ? You could see my external smile too, probably all the way from India.

I felt myself lean forward and push the millimetres of space between our lips aside before I planted my lips onto hers. As soon as she felt it, I felt the slow movement of her lips forming a smile. It drove me crazy when she did that. God, it was like an eclipse happening on my lips. She kissed me back before I pulled away a little, resting my forehead on hers. She raised her eyebrows against my forehead and I realized I hadn't finished my sentence.

"Would you like to go on a date?" Her eyes immediately softened and I felt her nod. It was odd. This feeling, having her back and so close. I felt like a teenager, giddy with love. Hope was blossoming in my chest and I didn't have the heart to tell it to stop.