Storms Don't Last Forever- Miniminter FF

Chapter 5

Explaining the next few days was difficult. Everything seemed to blur together. It wasn't the best of times. Family matters occurred that were far beyond our reach. Something we couldn't control. It was hard for everyone to cope with. Any attempt at talking with my brother or I was a risky one. Family was were our hearts needed to be.

I sniffled while sitting on the couch under covers. Storm walked in with a bowl of popcorn, handing it to me. Sad movies and music were how I dealt with my sadness. So it was how Storm was doing the same. Our parents were out dealing with the tragedy that was the past few days.
"Little Raine Cloud?" Storm said as he curled up under the covers with me.
"Hm?" I said quietly looking over at him.
"I know it's sad. But I don't think this is how she would want us to be. We need to go about living our lives. You need to go back to school. I know you hate it but you need to go so you can finally be done. You're almost there."
"Can't I just sit here and sulk in sadness forever?"
"No. Because Nan wouldn't want us to be like this. So after the next movie were going out and doing something."
"How do you handle this shit so well?"
Storm sighed. Instant sadness filed his face. "On adventures and journeys things happen Raine. The job I do isn't the easiest. It also isn't the safest. You know that. Things happen and it's out of everyone's control. You learn to become numb to it. Not that it had happened a lot but all the stories you hear and seeing it happen. You just learn to cope." He pulled me in for a comforting side hug. I took it.
At no better timing my phone lit up.
Miniminter7: Cheater, you've seemed to disappear off the face of the Earth. I've missed seeing your ugly photos with your brother.
RaineCloud: Life is a shitty thing. What are you up to right now?
Miniminter7: I'm editing up a few videos for tomorrow and you?
RaineCloud: I've been crying on the couch for a few days eating popcorn watching sad movies with Storm. He thinks I need get out. Well that him and I do. You down for something? I could use some comforting plane conversation.
Miniminter7: Tell me where and when and I shall give you some comforting plane conversation.
"You are finally talking to someone. I'm proud of you Raine Cloud."
"I'm going to meet a friend for dinner later. I'm taking your brotherly advice." I sighed.
"Who is it?"
I ignored his question. I acted as though I didn't even hear him.
"So I'm going to finish the popcorn and movie and I'm going to get ready."
"I'm not invited I assume?"
"I feel like if I'm with you all I'll want to do is keep crying. I'm doing this to forget what's going on. It's what you've been telling me to do."
"I was just making sure. I'll be leaving for the night then. I'll be back tomorrow." He kissed the top of my head. "Have fun."
"Are you going to see her?"
"I'll see you tomorrow night my little Raine Cloud. Love you sis." He disappeared up to his room. I didn't even want to finish my movie at that point. I placed a practically full bowl of popcorn in the kitchen and went to my room.
RaineCloud: Dinner in 3 hours. Can you get me? Über sucks and Storm's taking the only car we have here.
Miniminter7: Send your address I'll be there.
RaineCloud: See you sore loser.
I got ready. I didn't do anything fancy. I wasn't in the mood for actually caring. I just wanted to look presentable. Make up done, hair natural, a causal outfit. While getting ready Storm left. I was alone in my house for the first time since Storm had come home. I tried my hardest to not get upset. I kept thinking of being alone and the past few days. Memories and images just flooded my head. I was close to a break down when the dinging of our doorbell pulled me from the spinning downward spiral of my brain. I walked down to the front door and opened it.
"Hello!" It was Simon himself.
"Hi." I grabbed my jacket from by the front door and walked outside with him. We got in his car and headed to a little restaurant in town.
"Do you want to talk about what's been going on or do you want to strictly keep it plane talk?"
"Depends. Do you want to see a girl cry?"
"Not particularly."
"Plane talk then."
We ordered our food and it was just down to conversation. It was all about feeling comfort again. I needed comfort without being comforted. That's what Simon did.
"So you're 22 right?" He asked me. I don't remember ever telling him that. I was confused how he knew.
"Yeah?" I answered him in a confused tone.
"You said it at the party. I was just making sure I heard you right."
"Oh I don't remember." Must have been the tipsy part of my brain speaking. "What about you?"
"24."
"A year younger than my brother." He nodded his head. "A 24 year old who plays video games all day. You are just living the ultimate childhood dream of anyone."
"You a gamer too?" I shook my head.
"When I was little my dad and I used to have games we would play together. Our family is extremely competitive. But since I was like 12 or something I haven't really played. It turned more into Storm's thing."
"You two are each other's lives aren't you? You seem to always have him on your mind."
"It's a long story." Plane talk was not so much plane talk. We were actually getting to know each other.
"We have all night." He actually wanted to know things. Most people wouldn't actually care and he did. He felt the need to learn about someone who he wished to have an actual friendship with.
"When I was 15 Storm left for Uni. He didn't return until the day I met you. I didn't hear from him for 6 years." I shook my head trying not to get emotional. "That's all I'm going to say."
"I know what it's like to be close with siblings. I've got 2 of them. Both older as well."
"Really?" He nodded.
"Jon and Nick. I don't know what I would do if they just disappeared pretty much."
"I clung to my best friend until Uni happened. Then I learned to fend for myself. After that I traveled to the States. I thought I had finally become my own person and then Storm appeared again."
"You know you are your own person. Even if you seem to rely on someone else. Soon enough you will find the person who I met the first time. You just have to get used to having someone you didn't have around."
"I know. I'm finally separated from him. You should be proud. I'm making steps to being cheater plane Raine."
"So you admit you did cheat!"
"No I totally won fair and square. You will never win."
"We should have played it with our menus. See who could have won then."
"Hey! You're miniminter!" I heard from across the restaurant. A figure came walking over to our table. "It really is you!"
"Nice to meet you." He was so kind to his fans. I mean I got to see it at the event but that was something that he had set up. This was not. He had a full on conversation with the fan. He talked to him and got to know him just as he had been doing with me.
"I'm so sorry for interrupting." The fan said to the both of us.
"Don't worry about it." We both seemed to say at the same time. It caused us to quietly laugh. With that the fan ran back over to his family.
"Well if that wasn't the cutest thing I've ever did see." I was pulling the most joking tone I could no matter how true the statement was.
"Oh fuck you. I'm not cute. I'm bad ass."
"You're right you aren't cute. But you aren't bad ass either."
"Then what am I?" I pondered in my head trying to figure out what to say. The witty comments just weren't coming to me in time. "Can't come up with a response. Look who's the winner now."
"The only winner there will ever be is me. Because," the waitress brought the food to the table, "I get to eat this yummy food." I began to eat instantly. It would be the first real meal I had since my world had come crashing down.
"But I get to eat too. Doesn't that make us both winners."
"No because we didn't order the same thing and what you got is poop. What I got is greatness."
"You got chicken nuggets Raine."
"Yeah dinosaur ones! No one beats dinosaur chicken nuggets."
"Were you the child that played with the chicken nuggets Raine?"
"Of course and I still do." I pointed at one of the nuggets. "That's Bobby. And that's," I pointed to another, "Jill. And they want to make babies." I picked them both up and pretended to make them kiss. "But I won't allow it!" I bit both the heads off the nuggets.
"And you are the one who eats the head first. You are such a devil."
"Child at heart." I placed my hand to my chest. "You honestly are just jealous of my dino chicken. I am so much cooler than you."
"I am so jealous of your dino chicken! You are so right!" He said in the most sarcastic tone he could. After the sarcastic comment left his mouth he pulled out his phone and leaned over the table. He was taking a photo of my food.
"Hey now!" I taped his hands. It almost made his phone fall from his hands. "My food is shy. Don't be taking photos of it." In that moment he took a photo of me. At least I didn't look like a fool. That is all I cared about.
"@miniminter7: I'm having dinner with a dino chicken nugget killer." With that he attached the two photos he had taken. I figured it would happen but I just made sure he didn't tag me. I didn't particularly want to be found by a bunch of people. I already had enough people following me from our few interactions on Twitter. That was enough for me.
"You know what? Dino killer or not I'm still cooler than you."
"How so Miss Raine?" He looked at me.
"I don't know Mister Simon. I just am."
"Well I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure I'm cooler because I get to have dinner with a dino killer. The plus one is always better."
"Oh really now? So you are only cool because you're out with me? Meaning I am the reason for the coolness."
"You're only cool for your dinos. Your killing makes you less cool. Making me the coolest."
"My brain is lost. You win."
"This is another pity fake win isn't it? That's all I ever seem to get from you."
"You are starting to learn me now! I'm proud."
The entire dinner consisted of conversation like this. It was constant banter back and forth. Simon was doing just as harsh picking as I was. We were making each other happy. Well I didn't know if he was happy but I knew I was. He had completely changed my mood around. I didn't think about everything that was going on. My mind was focused on us. He was a good distraction. One I definitely needed.
"Maybe instead of conversing over DMs on Twitter we should have each other's number." He looked at me. I knew in the back of his mind he was thinking about what my brother would think. But at the same time he didn't care and I didn't want him too.
I handed him my phone and he did the same. From our previous times spent on each other's phones lock codes were already memorized. We put in our numbers and exchanged phones back. "The most handsome man in the whole world aka plane boy. Really Simon?"
"The master of all masters aka plane girl really rubbing it in huh?"
"You will be changed to just the plane emoji. You deserve no name."
"Oh that's how this is going to go? I guess you're going to be the shit emoji. That's it."
"I'm the sweetest shit you'll ever meet."
"I concur."
Our dinner officially came to an end. It was time for me to go home and spend the night alone. It was something I wasn't used to. I didn't know whether it would send me into a downward spiral or if I could cope with it. It was going to be an experience either way. As we pulled up outside I fought the inevitable. I took as long as possible to get out of the car. The more time spent with him was less time spent alone.
"We will have to do this again Raine." He smiled at me.
"I had a very good time. I mean I had an awful time what am I kidding. You are an awful dinner buddy." I smiled shyly.
"But I am the best plane buddy so either way I am number one at something."
"I did have a good time though. You definitely took my mind off things." I looked over at my house not wanting to get out. "Definitely better than sitting in there alone." I let out a sigh. "But it only beats it by a smidgen." I looked at him poking his buttons one last time.
"Better than not at all. At least I'm good company. You on the other hand. You're a boring person. Your company is lame."
"I know right? You learn stuff about me. You'll learn to hate me! I'm sure of it!"
"Nah hate is a strong word. I could never hate anyone."
"Of course. Mister nice guy over here. Better than everyone else."
"I mean you did call me a big shot."
"Your memory. It's on point."
"I have a reason to remember it. You're a memorable person. Clearly. Your name is Raine for goodness sake."
"Your forgettable until I remember that like 3 million people know who you are and then I'm like yeah no he's not forgettable."
"Looks like neither of us will be forgotten then." His eyes glanced toward my house but quickly looked back at me.
"I should let you get back to doing your job. It's been hours. I think your friends might think I killed you or something. You've got things to do."
"I don't think they would think you killed me. It would definitely be something else, but have a nice rest of your night Raine."
"See you later Simon." I gave him a small hug and went into my house.
As I shut the front door behind me I heard his car take off. I went straight to my room and tried to call my brother. I was instantly ignored. It was sign I didn't want to see. Last time he left the same thing happened. I had a feeling he wasn't coming back.