The Calm Before the Storm

Peace, Love, and....

"Achoo!" I sneezed, the light drizzle that began at the beginning of the story turned into a heavy rain. Lightning lite up the dark sky and Thunder shook my truck. We all knew we needed to get out of there, fast.

I shoved my notebook back into the jean messenger bag before we all jumped out of the truck bed, Lucy made a break for her little lime green truck and Mark made a break for his bike.

"Mark, are you out of your freaking mind? You're getting a ride from me. I will not let you risk a wreck in this storm." I yelled at him over the storm, my face said 'I'm not asking you, I'm telling you' look.

"Fine. But I really do not want to leave my bike in this rain." Mark pouted.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his bike from his hands. I looked around, I was drenched in the rain by now and I could barely see through the rain it was so thick and heavy. I saw the biggest tree around us and I rolled the bike over to it and leaned it against the tree. I picked up and threw Marks dark blue bikers helmet at him and went to the bed of my truck. I hopped up on the back bumper, bent over, reached in, and grabbed a blue tarp that I keep for emergencies. I jogged back to the bike and covered it with my blue tarp. Mark went to the passenger side of my truck and got in.

I stood by my door once I got to it and just....stood there, letting myself become even more drenched. I closed my eyes and just breathed, releasing some of my tears.

Mark knocked on my door, yelling at me to get in. I opened my eyes and opened the door to my cab and got inside. I slammed the door shut quickly.

Lucy pulled her truck next to mine and honked at me. She waved at us, mouthing that she would meet us at my house, and drove out of the abandoned cherry orchard.

Mark and I sat in my truck for a few minutes, letting us warm up a little bit, even though my engine wasn't running. We sat in silence, the only noise was that of the beating rain and the thunder.

"Jude....how bad do you hurt? Does it kill you....or do you know you'll be okay?" Mark asked quietly.

I turned the key to the on position, the engine roared to life. I did not even look at Mark, I couldn't bare too after that kind of question, I'm the kind of person who want's to appear strong, because I AM the strong one to all my friends. I never cry, I never show weakness.

I pulled the gearshift to reverse and backed out of my spot till I could shift it back into drive and drive out of the cherry orchard. I put the windshield whippers on, the squeaking unbearable in the silence. I picked up the remote out of my jean bag and placed it into the middle seat that the top lifted up and turned into a little compartment. I turned on the radio, nothing good was on and I really didn't want to listen to country or hip hop anymore. I lifted the top up on the middle seat and inside was a big black c.d case. I zipped open it and flipped through it, keeping my eyes on the road, I picked out a black colored c.d and put it into the c.d player after removing the red c.d that was inside.

The first song that played was a very soft and depressing song, it made my want to cry because it reminded my of him. He filled my life with pure happiness at one point, but no longer did he fill my mind with happy or warm or good thoughts, only depressing and pain filled aches.

I glanced at Mark through my hair that I kept in front of my face so Mark couldn't see the pain in on my face. I could see his uneasy expression and the hurt in his eyes over what happened to me and what was done to me.

Mark changed the song on my c.d, normally I would have punched him and told him driver chooses music, passenger shuts his pie hole but I really did not care right now, my mind was so preoccupied with a whirlwind of thoughts, that I hardly noticed.