Rainy Nights

Rainy Nights: part 1

It was the dead of night. It was pouring rain, nothing unusual for a mid-spring night in Silver Springs. Everyone on quaint Maple Street was sound asleep. Except for Elaine.

She sat all alone on the rickety old swing set at the little playground in front of a row of identical houses. The rain hit her exposed skin as she sobbed into the blackness of the night. She was freezing and dripping wet, but anything was better than staying at home to hear her parents' endless arguing. Their loud voices echoed again and again in her mind. It was the only thing she could think about. Why couldn't they just get along? Why couldn't they be like normal, happy parents?

She sat there, holding onto the chains of the swing like they were the last strings holding her once happy family together.

Suddenly an unfamiliar voice broke through the silence.

"Elaine? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Startled, she looked up and saw a boy about her age. She barely recognized him through the raindrop stained lenses of her glasses. Ethan, was it? They had a few classes together but he had never spoken a word to her. He was looking down at her with a puzzled look. He held a black umbrella, shielding him from the rain, Elaine could've definitely used one of those.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Ethan asked, he sounded concerned, panicked even.

Elaine sunk with embarrassment. How on earth would she face him on Monday after this?

"I- um..." how on earth could she explain this situation? "It doesn't matter."

Ethan reluctantly nodded, he could tell something was going on, but he didn't pry. Instead, he held out his hand to Elaine, inviting her to join him under the umbrella.

She slowly took it, her cheeks burning red even under the cold rain. They were standing a little too close for her liking.

"And you?" Elaine said, anxious of the silence that was forming around them. "Why are you out here?"

Ethan let out a dry chuckle. "I like taking walks in the rain at 11 am."

It took Elaine a second to catch the sarcasm in his voice.

"I live right over there," Ethan said, pointing to one of the houses on their right. "I saw you from my window and..." he trailed off.

"And?"

"And I thought I'd check on you." he finally said. "Someone sitting all alone in the dark and rain isn't exactly a usual sight."

Elaine tried to listen to his words but her mind was only focused on Ethan's shoulder brushing against hers.

"Elaine?" Ethan snapped her out of her daze and back into reality.

The humid air must have been getting to her head.

"O-oh yeah, sorry," she shook her head and tried to get her thoughts straight. "I should- um- I should get back home, my parents... they're probably worried."

No they weren't. They would barely even notice if she just disappeared one day and never came back.

"Where do you live? I can walk you home." Ethan offered.

Elaine looked at him curiously. Why would he offer to walk some crazy home at the dead of night when he could be sound asleep in his bed?

"Shouldn't you be home?" she shot back. "Your parents are probably wondering where you are."

Ethan shrugged. "My parents aren't home right now."

Elaine weighed her options. She could walk home alone in the rain, or walk home with Ethan under an umbrella.

After a moment she sighed. "Thanks... um, my house is on Oak Street, number 5."

He nodded and they set off.

The sound of the rain on the umbrella managed to calm Elaine's nerves. That was the second panic attach that week.

She looked down as she walked, but she could feel Ethan's eyes on her. It made her nervous.

"Can you stop staring at me?" she said, still not looking at him. "I feel like you're burning a hole trough my head."

Ethan quickly looked away. "Ah-sorry... it's just..." he paused, unsure if he should say what was on him mind. "If you don't mind me asking, why... why were you crying like that?"

Elaine felt her body tense up. That was the one question he couldn't ask, and that she didn't have an answer for.

"None of your business!" she spat in a panic.

"Oh... yeah, you're right, sorry."

Elaine bit her tongue. Why did she say that? She was really painting a good picture of herself to this almost-stranger.

"I mean..." she struggled to find the words to fix the situation. "I don't feel like talking about it."

"No it's fine," Ethan quickly said. "I had no right to ask."

The awkward silence returned.

Another raindrop fell on Elaine's shoulder. The umbrella was too small to completely fit them both underneath it.

"Hey your shoulder's getting all wet." Ethan said, noticing.

Elaine finally looked up. "It's fine," she said, shaking her head. "I'm already soaked anyway-"

Suddenly Ethan pulled her closer so she would be completely covered.

"There, much better." he said with a small smile.

Elaine's shoulder wasn't getting rained on anymore. But her heart? That was a different story. Why was it hammering so hard in her chest? She barely knew Ethan- she shouldn't be having this reaction to him. But every time she breathed in she caught a whiff of whatever perfume he had been wearing that day. Was it vanilla? Something about him was making her head go all fuzzy.

"Elaine? Earth to Elaine?" Ethan's voice once again pulled her out of her head.

"Huh? What were you saying?" she had to stop spacing out like that.

Ethan nodded toward the house in front of them. "We're here."

Suddenly Elaine panicked. All fuzzy feelings forgotten she dug in her pockets for her keys.

"Y-yeah- thanks for walking me home." she said, before racing to the door and shutting it quickly behind her.

She stood there for a moment, with her back to the door, unsure why she was so scared of Ethan hearing her parents' arguing.

"Elaine Addilynn!" her mother's voice boomed through the entrance hall. Her face was red and stained with tears.

"Where on earth were you?" she asked angrily.

Elaine searched for an excuse but her head was already swimming with thoughts. "I was... um... out."

"Never do that again," her mom said sternly. "Now go up to your room."

Elaine nodded and slipped past her mother, into her room where she shut the door tightly behind her.

Once she was alone again she let out a tired sigh.

After a warm shower she threw herself under her covers. She was so tired, yet she couldn't sleep.

"She's a loose cannon! She came home soaking wet!"

"Maybe if you weren't so controlling!"

She buried her head under her pillows to try and block out the sound of her parent's voices. But that didn't help. It had been like this for a good month after the divorce. She couldn't sleep, she would have random panic attacks, she would constantly space out. Her father was doing the final bit of paper work so he and Elaine could finally get out. How much longer could she take this?