The Boots [ON HOLD]

Chapter Four

Dylan.

Three minutes and twenty-four seconds. That's how long it took me to catch up to her, a full three minutes and twenty-four seconds too long. Every second away from her was a second wasted, a second too long. But that didn't matter anymore because I was here behind her, maybe three big steps from her. Though it felt like a whole sea was separating us I knew I could easily increase my strides so that I was walking right next to her. So I did just that.

So now here I am, walking beside my very own water goddess on the way to school, our school. Yet I am not satisfied, I never am. The sea is still there between us. We could be shoulder to shoulder and still all she would feel would be the rain. That thought of infinite ignorance might have been the reason I chose to do what I did next, or maybe it was the rain emphasizing the brilliance of her; the way it increased her soul. Either way she was radiant and I couldn't stay a silent bystander any longer.

"It's alluring isn't it? The rain I mean." As I first spoke she didn't seem to hear me but as soon as I said the word rain her head snapped in my direction, her eyes locking with mine as her lips part into a silent gasp. Both of us were frozen to the spot, unwilling to move a step forward or back.  It was then that I realized that maybe she had noticed me, but never saw me as anything more that a fellow classmate who happened to live in the house next door. And if that were to be true then I was partly to blame as I had lived at a distance from her, always hidden figuratively in the shadows, afraid of revealing myself lest she run. Maybe we would have had more time if I had been braver.

After a few moments of her staring, taking me in I suppose she blinked a few times as if to clear her head then spoke, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I just said that that rain is alluring." I smiled at her. She offered me a small smile back. I think that was the first time I have seen her smile at something (or someone) that's not rain, though we were talking about rain so perhaps it doesn't count. Now I have a new goal to strive for, a replacement goal for talking to Lily; I have to make her smile about something not involving rain at all.

"Oh what a lovely thought." Lily whispered in her lilting voice. When I didn't respond right away she smoothly ducked her head to the ground so that her hair fell over her shoulders creating a dark wet curtain over her face. I take this as a sign that I missed my cue in our painfully polite conversation.

"Just a lovely thought? Do you not find the rain alluring enough? Is this saturated weather drowning you?" My tone was harsher than intended, but it still got the reaction I aimed for. Lily's head snapped up again, though this time out of anger than confusion.

"How dare you assume how I feel and insinuate that the rain is savagely miserable. If you must know, I find the rain to be quite enchanting. " She hissed at me. She was furious and far from done, "And If I truly felt the way you suggested I would be safely in my car out of this 'saturated weather'. Instead here I am in my sodden dress and shoes while you are dry under your umbrella..." Her words faded as she looked at me, truly looked at me and saw me dripping wet without an umbrella- it was obvious I didn't have a problem with the rain as she had assumed. For a moment confusion seemed to cloud her eyes, then my grin widened and I shook my shaggy hair, sending droplets flying at her. This seemed to change something in her and she turned her head so that she was looking straight ahead. Without a word she began walking at a furiously fast pace. I watched her speed walk away, after a few seconds I ran after her.