Youthful Wrath

2 - rain

By the end of the school day, it was raining cats and dogs. She was perfectly fine with walking home in the rain, even if there was a storm, but she didn't want the water to damage her supplies. She searched everywhere for the notebooks, and she had to go to three different stores to find the right pens.

She had to walk, anyway. She brought her bag to the front of her body and hugged it, hoping the water wouldn't reach it as quickly. She raced out of the school with a light jog, but the jog quickly turned into a sprint as she felt the cold rain soak her shirt.

She watched the older kid's cars race past, swerving in an attempt to splash her or other people with water. She was drenched from head to toe, dripping the water of puddles and fat droplets.

A black and red car drove by, this time swerving away from the puddle and pulling up to the sidewalk. She continued her run home, only until the person slowly followed her and rolled the windows down. "Need a ride?" They asked.

She replied with a shake of a head and a quick "thanks anyway," but the boy continued on. "Looks like you could use some help." She stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the car. She hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath and nodding. The car door swung open and she stepped in, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Finally she could be warm and dry, out of that horrible rain!

She silently thanked the boy for his kindness and persistence. Being in a stranger's car was better than being stuck in the rain.

Allison struck up a small conversation with the boy, enjoying the one-on-one company. There was nobody there to watch her, to make sure she was in line. It was just her and a boy she'd never lay eyes on again. It wasn't just relief she felt, there was happiness there, too. She felt lucky to finally be around a person that won't judge her. Except she wasn't sure how she came to the conclusion of safety with the boy, she simply accepted it.

Her street was approaching quickly, so she pointed her finger out of the window and muttered, "There's my house." The boy must not have heard her, she thought, so she repeated what she had said, only louder. When the boy didn't respond, Allison began to worry. Had he really not heard her? Was she still being too quiet? Or maybe he just didn't see her finger when she pointed. So she pointed again.

She stared at his facial expression as she pointed toward her house. She watched as his face contorted and stretched to a grimace. She watched his body; he was tense, his foot pushing further down on the gas pedal. She watched his finger click a button on the side of the door. The button had a sticker on it, or maybe some paint. She squinted at the button, when she suddenly realized.

They passed her house at such a quick speed it made everything blur past. Allison glanced at the tab in the door. If only she could get it out of that hole, then she could open the door and throw herself out. Instead of thinking logically, though, all she could do was panic and grab at the door handle.

"Stop!" He shouted, reaching his hand and groping for her wrists. "Stop it!"

All she could think about was what a character would have done in one of those action movies she watched. Despite her disliking for the genre, she was capable of remembering the majority of what the girl from the movie did.

She turned her head sharply to the boy, staring at the steering wheel. This would be a stupid decision, yes, but it's the only option that she could come up with.

Allison dives toward the wheel, gripping it as tightly as she could and pulling it toward herself. The car swerves, the side of it scratching against other cars lined along the road. She felt a scream bubble in her throat, but she couldn't let it out.

It was as though she could feel the ground under her, burning her and leaving loose rock embedded in her skin. She felt the world spinning, the air around her a suffocating fog. She felt her body jerk left and right as she continued pulling at the steering wheel.

The boy reached up, grabbing and ripping at her arms. She felt the pressure of his nails, leaving red crescent marks along her bumpy skin. The searing pain made her wince, but she wouldn't let up. There was no way Allison would let go of the wheel, not until there was a clear way out of the car.

___

Allison sat on her uncomfortable, green sofa with a blanket wrapped tightly around her body. All she could possibly think of is the boy; how relieved and happy she was, how comfortable his seats were, how the seat belt rubbed against her skin and left red lines. How was she supposed to prepare for a situation like that? They never showed that on the television, or put it inside of a random news article about fashion trends. She never heard of situations like that, and that upset her. Why wouldn't someone tell her if her life was in danger? Why didn't people tell her to be more careful?

She could still see the red and blue lights, and hear the sirens chasing after her. It made her nervous, her skin scratchy and cold. Allison couldn't help but question her decisions. If she had walked home and ignored the boy, this would never have happened. If she had just dealt with the cold rain, she wouldn't be in trouble with the police or her school.

If only she was smart enough. If only she looked pretty enough. If only she looked confident enough, he wouldn't have chosen her. If only Allison wasn't Allison, but a different girl in a different town, that's beautiful and smart and confident enough, but not too much, so she wouldn't gain the attention of the unwanted eye.