RAINSTORM

Ch. 39

Rachel steps into the school, making up her mind to apologize to Hector no matter what. She decides to find him at lunch. However, during a bathroom break, Rachel hears Hector's name right when she's about to open the stall door.

Rachel's hand slowly lowers as she focuses on what the girls' voices are saying.

"Seriously, I can't believe you're going with Hector to the dance," one of them says.

"Shhh," Sabrina's voice says. "No one can know about it yet. You know how he's like. Even though he tries to act like he doesn't care, I know he likes me."

The girls talk a little more before leaving the bathroom.

Rachel is still inside the stall. Her eyes tear up in spite of her best effort.

Later, when she sees Hector at the cafeteria, she doesn't approach him like she had planned to. Instead sits with her friends quietly.

"You okay?" Annie asks.

"Yeah, I just have a headache," Rachel says.

At the end of the lunch, when Rachel notices Hector leave, a part of her wants to swiftly go to him and say sorry, like pulling a band-aid off. The other wants to stop caring about him at all.

Later, after school, Rachel heads to one of her favorite book shops, hoping to take her mind off of Hector.

But it's proving hard to be. Rachel is surprised at herself for being this affected by him. It scares her, too.

"You are just going to keep staring at the cover?" Ricky's voice snaps Rachel out from her thought.

She looks up and he's opposite her behind the book shelf.

Rachel puts back the book. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know," Rachel says, before her eyes begin to tear up unexpectedly.

She quickly turns away from Ricky and heads for the exit, but Ricky catches her before she could leave.

"What happened?" Ricky says.

"Nothing. I just... I'm not feeling well."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Is it about your college application? Did you have a fight with your parents?"

"No. Please don't ask me anything, Ricky."

Ricky breathes out. "Fine. Then, come with me," he says and pulls her out by her wrist.

"What? Where?"

"You'll see."

During the drive, Ricky puts on the radio. The funny woman taking the song requests makes Rachel laugh, and the upbeat pop songs help lift her mood.

When the car stops, it's at the planetarium. Rachel chuckles. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Ricky says.

Inside the planetarium, there's only a handful of visitors.

Rachel and Ricky take two seats at the center. A video about the planets is playing on the screen while a voiceover talks about the origin of each one.

When the intro is over, Ricky asks Rachel if she's feeling better. It reminds her of the time when Hector took her to the movie.

"I'm feeling better," Rachel quietly says.

"You still are not cheerful enough. Will a date to the dance make you happy?"

Rachel looks at him. Ricky shyly scratches his neck. "It doesn't have to be like a date-date. I uhm... We can go as friends. I don't ha—"

"Yes," Rachel says.

Ricky looks at her surprised. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"You will go to the dance with me?"

"Yes."

Ricky happily grins. "That's great!"

Rachel smiles at him before turning her attention to the screen. Her smile slowly fades, and she becomes expressionless.