In the Palm of My Hand

Chapter 10

January 7, 2012

"How cheesy can someone get?" I asked with one eyebrow raised. 

"Oh come on! This could be your first boyfriend, and you are totally blowing it!!!" Skylar whined as she handed me the balloons and placed her hands on her waist. 

I shook my head at her, looked at Tyler, then back at her. "Okay." I said quietly. 

"What?" Skylar asked. 

"Okay." I repeated. She ran up to me, handed me the balloons, and hugged me tightly. 

"AHHH! OH. MY. GOD. You finally have your first boyfriend. I'm so proud!" she squealed. 

January 8, 2012

There was no sun today. The sky was gray, and clouds were rolling in. 

"It's going to rain." I said quietly to myself. I stood there for a while, then walked upstairs into my bedroom to take a nap, only to wake up thirty-eight minutes later to the thunder. It reminded me of that one night with my father. 

"The skies are crying! The lightning daddy! I'm scared!" 

He'd smiled then, and looked me in the eyes. "There's nothing to be afraid of pumpkin."

He'd brought me outside, and we danced in the rain together, me on his toes. 

I hadn't thought about that until now... All that was many years ago. When we were actually close. I stepped into the kitchen and made myself a cut of hot cocoa. But I didn't drink it. I set it on the table, sat on my couch, and stirred it. Then, I got up and walked to the window. 

Smiling slightly, I stared outside. "The skies are crying," I murmured quietly, recalling the memory. Then I opened the front door, to find Tyler with his finger to the doorbell, about to ring it. 

Surprised, I stared at him. "What are you doing here?" 

He smiled, and shook his head lightly. 

"Well... I'm going outside. So... yeah.." I said awkwardly before stepping out the door. 

"Rain." he says and follows me out. 

"I know." 

"Well then why?" he asked.

"Mmm... because I was inside. Taking a nap. Then I woke up. And felt like going outside." I replied.

"No really," he says sarcastically.

I smiled at him, then kept walking until I reached the rock. "It's 'cause I remembered something that happened with my dad. We danced in the rain. There was lightning. Like today."

"You... danced in the rain?" 

"Yup!" 

"How cliche." 

"What are you talking about?" 

He laughs, "Like in the movies. There's always a scene where the girl dances with the guy in the rain. And then they fall madly in love and all that." 

I stare blankly at him. "Dude this is my dad you're talking about." 

"Yeah well." he says and reaches out his hand. "Will you dance with me in the rain?" 

I look at him, think about it, walk over to him, look into his eyes, touch his cheek. "No," I say and then run away. 

"Why not?" he calls after me. 

"I don't like to dance. Why? Problem?" 

"No." he says and runs up to me. 

I smile, "Good." and then walk back to the rock to sit in the snowy grass.