Warm Sand

Chapter 3 - 'Ryan'

Lea opens the school's front door. It's raining. She stops running and just walks slowly down the stairs. Her tears merge with the rain drops. She's feeling so lonely and betrayed by the only person who she fully trusted. First, her parents issue, and now, why this? How could she move on? She sits on the bench outside. There's a few students running to school, late for class. Everyone is just trying not to get wet and they don't even care about Lea being sat there, alone in the rain.

She stays like this for a while. It's so silent. There's no people talking, no drama happening, no bells ringing. There's just the rain falling on the trees and Lea can smell the wet grass. With a sight, she looks up and closes her eyes. She lets herself feel the rain. She lets herself cry.

"Lea?!" A familiar voice breaks the silence.

Lea looks around and sees Ryan walking towards her with an umbrella. "Ryan? What are you doing here? You should be working..."

"I saw someone sitting here under the rain, so I asked my colleague to cover me. And... it was you..." He gets close to her. He slowly covers her with the umbrella. It's too small for both. The rain starts falling on his back. "Why are you under the rain?"

"Ethan.... and... Ashley..." She can't talk about it. As she remembers that moment, her tears fall even faster.

"It's okay. Let me take you home. Or you'll get sick"

He gently grabs her arm and Lea follows. Ryan doesn't say a word the whole way home. Even though he is worried about Lea, he wants to give her space. She unlocks the door and her mom comes to check who is arriving home. She's surprised to see Lea like this.

"Lea, why are you home?! And all wet?!"

Lea can't even talk. She just walks up the stairs and gets a towel from the bathroom.

"I think she's sick Mrs Jones" Ryan sighs.

"Thanks for bringing her home, Ryan. Do you want a warm drink? Maybe a towel?"

"Actually, that would be lovely. Thanks"

Ryan and Lea's mom go to the kitchen while hes drying his hair. They both are chit chatting. Her mom calls the school, saying Lea isn't going to class, as she is sick.

Lea changes her clothes for her pyjamas. She just wants to disappear under her bedsheets. She leaves all her wet clothes on the floor of her room. She doesn't care. Someone knocks on the door.

"Mom, I don't wanna talk right now..."

The door opens a little bit. Without entering the room, Ryan speaks.

"It's not your mom. Can I come in?"

"Yeah..." Lea uncovers her head from the bedsheets.

"I brought you some hot chocolate." He leaves the drink at the bedside table. "You should drink while it's warm. It'll make you feel better." Ryan sits at her desk chair.

Lea sits on her bed. She looks at the mug. It's her favourite one. She grabs it slowly and blows the hot drink to cool it down. She sips the warm and tasty chocolate.

"Thanks, Ryan. You didn't have to..." She keeps drinking.

"How are you feeling?" He rolls with the chair slightly closer to her.

"Mmm, I'm not sure..." She tries not to cry. "But my head is aching..."

"Well, drink it all and try to rest. Hopefully tomorrow you will feel better." He pauses for a second. "I'm gonna go now. I should go back to work..." He gets up and walks to the door. "If you need anything, let me know!"

"Yeah... Thanks again, Ryan."

Ryan closes the door and Lea puts the mug back. She then looks outside through the window. It's still raining. Ryan is walking fast on the sidewalk. Lea is thinking to herself: "I hope he doesn't get in trouble at work because of me..." She leans back and grabs a small pillow. The house is quiet and all she can hear is the rain again. She falls asleep.

_______________________________________________

*All the places, names and characters are fictional.*