I have to be home by Midnight. No later because my mom would worry, worry, worry. So, I make use of my time. Eh, kinda. Suppose you count sitting in an alleyway, looking at the stars, useful. But I'll admit, it's not only the stars I look at. I also look at the Girl. She's always there too, every night. But she's not sitting in the "filthy" city, like me. She's the daughter of the richest family in Eastport. So, she sits on the stone wall next to her fancy pool. I've never seen her other than at night.
Well, maybe once. I saw her when her dad -yeah, er, forgot to mention he's the mayor- made a big announcement 6 years ago about 'environmental changes'. Yeah, that never happened. But she didn't seem arrogant like the other daughters of rich families. She even barely stifled a laugh when her father introduced the matter. She knew it was stupid and that our big, and bustling city would never pursue these changes. So, I sit here now, closely examining her face, wondering if she's anything like me.
But what's the point? My parents would NEVER let me be friends with the daughter of the mayor. It's just how it's always been. The first class don't mingle with the upper middle class. It's a stupid concept, really, but it will never change. All of a sudden I hear a low and soft hum. I can't figure out where it's coming from until I look up at the girl. She strokes her cat softly while humming a beautiful tune I think is called "here without Lilly". The lyrics are:
"I'm walking down these empty streets, the silence is all I can hear. I'm missing you, my heart beats for your presence to reappear.
"Here without Lilly I'm lost, my world is incomplete without you. Here without Lilly the cost, is too high for me to go through.
"The stars above remind me of you, how they shine so bright and true. I wish you were here to see them too, I'd love to share this moment with you.
"Here without Lilly I'm lost, my world is incomplete without you. Here without Lilly, the cost, is too high for me to go through.
"But I know, that you are out there, somewhere in this big, wide world. And I'll keep searching til I find you, my beloved, my precious, girl.
"Here without Lilly I'm lost, my world is incomplete without you. Here without Lilly, the cost is too high for me to go through.
"I'll keep singing this tune, til the day we finally meet. Here without Lilly, it's too soon, for us to admit defeat".
My mom always sang this to me when I was younger. Hearing this tune causes tears to fill my eyes. I wish the girl could see me one day. But it's too big of a risk. My little spot is right underneath the rich people's neighborhood. Yeah they can't stand to be near the 'commoners'. I think the house I'm nest to is across the street from the Girl's house. So, I can hear her loud and clear. She has a beautiful voice. I just play the flute. I love music so much. It takes away lots of worry and stress, and replaces it with harmony and calm.
Ugh, if only I could play the flute along with her singing. It would be a perfect duet. I sigh out loud. I look closely at the Girl and realize that silent tears are falling down her face. I'm kind of surprised that she's never seen me here before. Or maybe she has and didn't want to get me in trouble. I can't tell. It turns 11:00 on my watch, so I decide to start heading home.
I creep along the stone path, careful to not upset any stray leaves. I have about a mile to walk before I get to the bus. After boarding the bus, I usually have to endure a 30 minute ride until I reach my neighborhood. Despite the long commute, I find the journey quite relaxing and rejuvenating. I often use this time to catch up on my favorite podcasts or simply gaze out the window, taking in the sights of the city. But today, all I do is think about the girl. Why was she crying? Why do I never see her with her parents? Will I ever get to meet her? Has she ever seen me crouching by the house adjacent to hers? Two stops until I get off. Is she lonely like me? What school does she go to, if any? Why can't I meet her?
These thoughts are still pestering my mind when suddenly, the bus jolts and the lights go out. I hear a few yelps, but I'm not one of them. This happens often. It's just electrical malfunctions. An announcement comes over the intercom stating, "Hello, passengers. Our train just entered a point where the power must have gone out so our rails de-powered. We should be moving along again very soon, as they are immediately working on the outage. We thank you for your patience". Ok, so I was right. Nothing to worry about. I shift farther into my seat and close my eyes. This might take awhile. Just before I doze off, I remember to text my mom so she know why I'll be late. I close my eyes again and fall asleep.
***
I wake to a whirring sound and a jolt as the bus gains power again. I check the time. 12:02. Ok, not too bad. Our journey comes to a halt at Pine Rd. before proceeding to my destination. Upon alighting, the flashing lights at the stop are rather annoying. I am always tempted to disconnect the wires linked to the lights to put an end to the blinking.
I walk along the stone path lining our neighborhood. My house is the fifth on down the street. I arrive at my driveway and trot towards the door. I knock three times so my mom knows it's me. She welcomes me inside, complaining about the frequent train issues. As soon as I enter the house I smell the beautiful aroma of my mom's famous pastá. "Saved some for me?" I ask. "Of course," she replied, laughing. "It's on the table". I thank her and kiss her cheek. I inhale my delicious food, then put my dishes in the sink to wash later. "I'm going to my room, mom," I tell her as I make my way up the stairs. "Ok, sweetie!" she shouted back. I hurry up to my room and then shut the door. I grab my notebook and hop onto the bed with a pencil. "Now, I will try to figure out more about that girl," I mumble to myself. I flip to a clean page and label it. So, what do I know about her? Mayor's daughter. Lonely, I think. Sad, I guess because she was crying- but that might relate to the loneliness. Blonde hair. Beautiful piercing blue eyes. A warm smile. Tan skinned. Skinny, but not like a twig. About 5'2 feet tall. Ugh, what else? Never mind, I'll finish this tomorrow. I turn off my lights and get under my covers. The last thing I think about before I drift off is the Girl and her singing.
YOU ARE READING
Midnight rain
Teen Fiction13 year-old Amber Renolia loves to look at the stars. But it's not only the stars that she looks at. She looks at the mysterious girl, who seems to have as much interest in the stars as Amber does. Amber has always wanted to be friends with the Girl...
