Feels Like Rain

Chapter 4: Details

Kalista

I should've known Jet wouldn't call me. Why would he? Just because he'd put me into his contacts didn't mean he would actually contact me. As I got ready for bed, I tried to think of something else; my AII-11 test, the speech I dreaded giving after lunch tomorrow, how to get my science project hybrid safely out of his cage and into my car unnoticed.

When I opened the bathroom door, letting the steam from my shower get replaced by the cool air from my room, I heard Verity, my little sister, talking to someone. "Who are you talking to?" I asked, but got no response. "Verity, get out of my room." I peeked around the corner to see who she was talking to and found her talking to my SLIP screen.

She burst out laughing. "You're so funny! I can't, she'd kill me."

"Go talk to your friends on your own HALO," I fussed as I walked into my room to run her out.

When I sat down beside her, it felt like the bottom had fallen out of my stomach. "I'm not talking to one of my friends. He's one of yours," she said with a wide grin, leaning towards me. "And he's really cute," she whispered.

I was now sitting next to her, with a towel wrapped around my head and no make-up on, looking straight into the eyes of the person she'd been talking to-Jet. "Oh... um...."

"Hey." He smiled back at me, obviously pleased with himself that he'd caught me off guard.

"I'll... be right back." I jumped up and gave Verity a stern look from behind the screen as I mouthed, "Do not say anything to embarrass me," through gritted teeth.

I ran back into my bathroom, jerked the towel off my head, and dropped it to the floor as I looked for my brush. I viciously yanked on my tangles, either breaking them off, or if they didn't cooperate, ripping them out from the roots. Once I had my hair tamed, I tackled my eyes, which still had black marks under them from left-over mascara that hadn't come off in the shower. I sighed out loud at the fact that Jet Brogan just saw me at my worst.

I heard laughter at the door. "What's wrong, Kali?" Obviously they'd been talking longer than I'd thought.

"Don't call me that."

"But he does."

"Well, I don't mind it when he does it, but I don't want you doing it."

"Whatever, Kali. You better hurry. He said he ain't got all day," she added before she walked out, mimicking his country accent.

"Tell him I'll be there in a sec."

"You tell him," she yelled back at me as she walked down the hall. I loved her to pieces, but she could really get on my nerves sometimes.

As I walked back into my room, I suddenly became nervous, not wanting to sit back down on my pod.

"What are you doin'?" I heard him say. "No need to get all snazzied up on my account." When I sat down and looked up at my screen, he was leaned back on a pillow with his hands behind his head and his eyes shut. He was beautiful. His jawline was strong, contrasting with his full, soft lips; I imagine they're soft, anyway. "Well, it's about time." And his smile... it was just too much.

"I could say the same thing, seeing as how it's past my bedtime." I could feel his stare, which made my cool skin suddenly warm.

"Hmm."

"What?"

His dimples sank in again. "Nothing."

I suddenly got self-conscious and reached up to make sure I had my night shirt on, which, thankfully, I did. I'd almost walked out of a dressing room one time with no pants on, only to be stopped by Verity as I opened the door. As book smart as I may be, I was a bit forgetful at times. My brother preferred to call it being ditsy.