Together, We Try

Ch. 1 | One Remarkable Afternoon

This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Story might contain typographical/grammatical errors.

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A usual afternoon in my life would always be the breezy and sunny one, combined. Those afternoons, however, were my usual yet favorite afternoons of all. At every end of classes, we would head to our favorite canteen stall, the shake stand. We would sit at one of the canteen tables, and talk about things that are currently happening. We all have gallons of tea every afternoon because we belong to different senior strands and sections. We do that not only in the afternoons, but during recess and lunch, too. Our stay in the canteen would only last 20 minutes because we all need to head home right after.

We all have different ways of transportation in terms of going back to our homes. My Dad always picks me up every class dismissal, 4 pm, in his car. He's always present every afternoon because his work always ends at 12 sharp. He will come pick me up, as usual, and we'll head back to our home. It will take at least 20 minutes to arrive at our house because our hometown is in another town where my school is in. It's a neighboring town, though. I'm in that school since I'm in my 3rd grade.

One afternoon came. I would say, it was not the same afternoon as my usual afternoons. The wind and rain were strong, the weather was so gloomy, and we couldn't do our afternoon routine because we had early dismissal caused by the weather. The campus pathways were so slippery that most students are fighting for their feet not to be driven away by the floor. Other students used their bags for cover. The others, including Audrea and Zariya, were left in the building for their choir practice, Athena was picked up by his Dad at the back gate of our school, and Yvonne was left in their classroom, working on their journalism group project. Me and Scarlet, on the other hand, were together. Luckily, she brought an umbrella with her.

We were talking on our way to the main gate of the school, despite how we can barely hear each other because of the heavy rain. Falling rain sounds intensifies.

"Will your mom pick you up?" I said, volume raised.

Scarlet leaned a little bit closer to me, and I'm guessing that it was for me to hear her reply well. "No, but my service will. He's already outside, waiting. How about you?"

"My Dad is also outside, waiting, just like your service!" Again, I raised my voice for her to hear what words are coming out of my mouth.

We both arrived at the gate, and we bid our goodbyes to each other as we saw both my Dad and her service exactly at the same time. She went to her service, while I went to mine. Because I have no umbrella now, I quickly went to Dad's car, using a book as a cover, for me to avoid getting wet.

"What did I say about bringing umbrellas, Dri?"

My Dad looked at me with his brows raised. He saw me getting wet in the rain because of the absence of my umbrella, and I think I will hear some nagging right now.

"Sorry, Dad. I left it on my study table." I replied, smiling.

My Dad started to drive off as soon as I got inside the car. All I could do inside was look in the window and see the rainy condition outside. A lot of people were carrying their umbrellas, a lot of people were just letting themselves get wet in the rain, and a lot of people were running and trying not to get themselves wet by using some alternative covers, just like what I did earlier when getting to the car.

"By the way, Audrea, when we arrive at the house, get yourself changed right away. We have visitors on the house, and I think they will last long there." Dad's sudden reminder.