One Hundred Ways To Leave The Planet

Chapter 14: Rainy Day

The writing starts to improve a bit from here on. Just a bit.

This one was based on a true story, it's how I used to get panic attacks and still do when stress piles up too much(for example the recent midterm week).

All right enough of me, have the tap dancer slowly slipping into existential crisis!

~

On Thursday, it rained rather than snowed. The pleasant kind of rain that came slowly down in large drops.

Two and his close friends sat on his covered porch talking and laughing, watching the rain fall and staying dry.

Well, for the most part.

While the other four sat happily, wrapped in blankets and drinking coffee and tea, One was running around, splashing in puddles, catching raindrops on her tongue, having the time of her life.

Two smiled, watching his best friend play without a care in the world.

"Come on, you lot," she yelled to her friends. "Come have some fun!"

Three, who usually would have leapt up before the sentence was even finished, was too busy being enamored by Four to notice her. Two answered instead.

"No, thanks, One."

One frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't want to get my shoes all puddle-y," he replied, kicking his legs slightly.

"Puddle-y." One giggled.

Two laughed at himself as well. "That's not a word. Right?" He turned to his other friend. "Is that a word, Five?"

"I don't believe so," she said, putting her book down to look Two in the face, "but it can be if you'd like it to be."

"It's a word then," One declared, then rushed up, grabbed Two by the hand, and dragged him away from the safe dryness of his porch into the shower.

"Isn't it wonderful!" One gave a little hop. "One! One refreshing rainshower. Come on, let's have some fun! It's been far too long since we played a game just for the sake of it."

She rushed away, expecting Two to follow her, only just having hopped into the natural dip in Two's yard that had filled with rain water and turned into a mini-creek when she heard, "No, I'm good."

She turned around to face him. "What do you mean?"

Two was holding an arm over his head, struggling to stay dry. "I'd rather not be soaked. Why don't you come inside and warm up? You're gonna catch a cold. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

"Okay, in a little while," she promised, then called, "Five! Come play!"

"No thanks," She replied, not looking up from her book.

One's face fell. "You won't play either?"

"I'd rather stay warm. How's later?"

"No, don't bother."

"One," Two began, "I'm sorry if we hurt you. I'll play wi--"

"No, Two, it's fine." One beamed again. "Go get warm."

"All right then." He dashed back toward the porch.

One hung her head. Why would anyone want to sit around and talk when there was an opportunity to play? Especially on a rainy day like this one?

She spotted a leaf that had curled toward its own center, resembling a boat. Spirits lifted, she picked it up and dashed up to where the dip began and placed it into the water, cheering when it sped down the creek, fast as lightning.