A Kiss in the Rain

Chapter 1

     The rain fell like an enraged war against the defense of a tin roof hanging above her head. Kali let out a long deep sigh as she watched the neighbor kids jump in the pools of imagination along the vacant street. They squealed and laughed as their Sunday dresses and polished loafers were attacked by the droplet soilders. The porch swing creaked as she swung back and forth slowly. She loved it when it rained. The air is always fresh and clean while the sound is soft and soothing. It also made her think of romantic movies when prince charming would kiss his leading lady in the spring shower.

'Kiss me,' the girl would say. The man would lean down and tilt her chin up slightly, just enough to be able to look in her eyes. They would kiss and the movie would end with the audience cheering and crying.

 Kali ran her fingers through blonde locks of hair. It wouldn't be long before her mother would be home. Sunday was errands day for her, rain or shine. Sometimes Kali wondered if it wasn't just out of loneliness. Her father had walked out on both of them when she was just 3 years old.

Since then her mother would always make an excuse to go somewhere.

 'We're out of food,' she'd say, even if the cupboards were full of Campbell's and Hamburger Helper.

'The house needs more plants,' she'd explain before getting in the car and driving off.

    The house held about 15 different plants. Kali once joked that they should own their own green house. Her mother considered it, and now a small green shed occupied the backyard. She was happy her mother kept herself busy and well, but sometimes Kali worried that it was all an act. She vowed she would always take care of her mother. Always.

    When the rain steadied to a slow sprinkle Kali kicked off her leopard print flats and sprinted off the porch. She spun once before sinking her toes into the wet muddy grass. An electric feeling from the cold rain exhilarated her. This was her favorite feeling. She didn't care about anything else in that moment, just the feeling of her toes being engulfed with rain and mud.

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      The next morning sun glittered in from Kali's window. A patch of warmth kissed her pale face and greeted her into the new day. Yawning, she stretched and rolled over a couple times before lifting herself out of bed. Kali rehearsed her daily routine; she grabbed a bowl of frosted flakes for breakfast before going upstairs to shower and brush her teeth. Then she picked out an outfit, grabbed her books for school, and darted off to her mothers old candy apple colored 2001 dodge neon. She called her cute little car ladybug. The name fit the size of the town she lived in. Tannersville was small compared to Pennsylvania's big cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Kali loved the size however. She wasn't big on cities, so the small town fit her well.  The school was only about 10 minutes away from her home, which made it easier on her, since the traffic wasn't as small as the town.

                Kali didn't like getting to the school too early. She wasn't particularly popular; she was more of an outcast. She didn't have a best friend, just a few acquaintances that would talk to her from time to time. Kali had always been a loner, so the lack of friends never really bothered her. It was less heart break over senseless rumors.

  Once the bell rang everyone staggered through the doors and to their classrooms. Kali was seventeen and a junior this year. Eleventh had defiantly been her toughest year. She was excited it was April and school would be out in just two months.

"Everyone please open your textbooks to page 134." Her English teacher Mrs. Weston commanded. She was about 62 years old and the schools oldest teacher on staff.