What If

Chapter 4 - Two Friends in the Rain

One week later...

Thomas' P.O.V.
"Finally!" I breathed, leaning back in my chair. I'd spent the last five hours editing photographs and they were finally finished. Sighing with relief, I attached the photographs to an email and forwarded them to the newspaper editor.

"You alright?" Taylor smirked at me from across the desk.

"Yeah, just finished up for the weekend now!" I grinned, running a hand through my hair, "How about you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty much done here too!" She nodded, shutting down her laptop and putting it into her bag, "Hey listen, I was going to go out for coffee after work. I was wondering if you'd like to join me? That is, if you don't have anything planned?"

"Yeah sure, that would be great! I don't have anything planned!" I grinned, whilst slipping my coat on.

"Okay cool!" She said smiling, as she wrapped her autumnal orange scarf around her neck.

After the coffee shop...

"So what was your most embarrassing moment then?" Taylor laughed, as we walked side by side along the street.

"Um, definitely when I jumped into my friend's swimming pool with my clothes on!" I grinned, shaking my head at the thought of it, "Me and my best friends decided that we were all gonna jump in on the count of three. So we got to three and I was the only one who jumped in! And seeing as I had no spare clothes, I spent the entire day soaking wet!" Taylor burst into a fit of laughter as I finished. She held a hand over her mouth as she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Oh you idiot!" She cried, "I so wish I had been there!"

"It's not as bad as yours!" I protested, "At least I didn't answer the phone thinking it was my dad, when actually it my boss! Yeah, I'm sure your boss really appreciated you saying you loved him!" Taylor poked her tongue out at me, before giggling quietly. We continued to ask each other ridiculous and funny questions as we walked towards the park. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life! Taylor was actually a very fun and bubbly person to be around, but she just seemed to hide that all when she was working.

"So how'd you get into journalism?" I asked her, sitting down on the same bench that overlooked the lake.

"Um, I studied it at university for three years," She began, sipping at her coffee, "I've always had a passion for writing, although I mainly focused on the creative side of it. I used to write and enter story competitions and stuff like that as a teenager. But then when I realised that creative writing can't really get you a career, I decided to take journalism."

"Oh cool! So you've always written then?" I smiled.

"Yeah pretty much! I found it allowed me to escape from life, you know? I could write myself as a powerful heroine, and take myself to anywhere I wanted. I had the power to control what happened to me for once." Taylor mumbled quietly, pushing the rim of her glasses up as they slipped slightly down her nose.

"Yeah, sometimes it's nice to get away from the world!" I sighed, a cloud of mist escaping my nose as I breathed out into the cold air.

"Mm," Taylor agreed, looking out at the horizon, where the sun was setting, "It was for me definitely, when I was growing up!" I turned my gaze from the sunset, and looked at her, slightly confused.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was about thirteen, people used to tease me," She began, "They would tease me about my glasses, about the fact that I was a goody two-shoes who wanted to do well in school. They said that I wasn't pretty, and that I'd never get a boyfriend when I was older because I kept my head in my books." She paused a little, "So that's why I wrote a lot. You know, to escape it all."

I didn't know what to say. I'd never been bullied myself, but my friends had and I knew it felt pretty horrible. I moved up the bench so that we were sat right next to each other, and I wrapped an arm round her shoulders. She rested her head on my shoulder and we stayed there for a while, watching the sun go down. As it began to get dark, Taylor breathed in deeply and sat up.

"Right then, I should be getting back!" She said quietly, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Yeah, same!" I mumbled, taking my own bag from the ground. The two of us left 'Benchy', and began walking down the wooded path quietly. It was Taylor who broke the silence first.

"Thank you, Thomas. For understanding." I looked down at her and grinned.

"Anytime, love! Just do me a favour?"

"Yeah?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Don't ever, answer the phone to me and call me dad!" She burst into laughter, and slightly punched me on the arm.

"Oh shut up! And don't you ever jump into a swimming pool with your clothes on, in my presence!" She laughed, pulling a strand of hair away from her face.

"Oh, would you rather I wasn't wearing clothes?" I smirked, raising my eyebrows.

"You know what I meant Sangster!" She grinned. Chuckling, I looked up at the sky as I felt a drop of rain hit my face.

"Oh brilliant!" I laughed, taking my umbrella out of my bag, "Hey, Taylor? You may wanna get under this!"

"Nah I'm good!" She smiled as the rain began hammering down on the pair of us. She titled her head up to the sky and shut her eyes.

"I love the rain! I've always loved it!" She laughed, letting it soak her through to the skin.

"But you're getting soaked!" I exclaimed, looking her up and down.

"That's kinda the idea, duh?!" And before I knew it, she was literally dancing and twirling around in the rain.

"You're one crazy girl, Taylor!" I laughed.

"I know!" She cried over the noise of the rain. Grinning, I watched her as she continued to twirl in the rain. When she wasn't looking, I reached out and grabbed her hand. I spun her round and into my chest. She looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes, rain drops covering her face and glasses. Her hair was soaked, and hung in wet curls down her back. I smiled down at her as we stood there under the umbrella.

"What did you do that for?" She whispered. Our noses were almost touching now.

"I didn't want you catching a cold!" I grinned. Smiling, she poked her tongue out at me.

"You're so cute when you do that!" I chuckled, making her blush a little. Then looking down, she realised how close we were. Clearing her throat, she took a step back from me, and took my arm in hers.

"Fine! I'll walk with you under your stupid umbrella!" She said sarcastically.

"Good girl!" I chuckled again, patting her head. Laughing yet again, the pair of us headed towards the city streets in the pouring rain.