Heart Key (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 16: Set Fire To The Rain

Song: Set Fire To The Rain

By: Adele

I stare out the window as clouds start to move in and you can practically feel the impending storm. I let out a sigh as I spoon another scoop of ice cream into my mouth and glance back to Chris who is cheerfully devouring what little ice cream is left in his cup.

"It's about to rain." I tell him as I nod towards the window. Chris looks up and frowns at the view before letting out a sigh and setting his, now empty, cup on the small table in front of him.

We're at the ice cream parlor and have been for the last hour. I look down at my phone as it buzzes and raise an eyebrow in surprise.

Chloe: Heeeeeeeeeey................ Has your future husband called you yet?!??! ;)

I roll my eyes before looking up at Chris as he gives me a curious look. "It's Chloe being weird." I explain with a sigh as I turn my phone off to save the dwindling battery life. I'll text her back later. I tell myself as I finish up my ice cream.

"Do you wanna do something after this?" Chris asks hopefully and I let out a tired groan before an idea pops in my head. "How about we run by the Red Box and rent a movie to watch at home?" This is a hopeful suggestion which I cross my fingers for as I wait for his answer.

He thinks on it for a good two minutes before finally nodding in agreement. "Sounds good to me." He answers as we both stand to walk back downstairs. He throws away his ice cream cup along with me as we walk out the door and into the drizzling rain.

I frown as I look up at the sky and the rain stings my eyes. "Let's hurry before it picks up." Chris suggests and I quickly nod in agreement before running after him as we make our way to the nearest Red Box.

We find it and I stand under the overhang as the rain starts to pick up around us. I watch as Chris picks the movie and I hand over my money to him as he checks out to pay for it. I look out into the rain just as I feel a buzzing in my pocket.

I look down to see an unknown number and debate answering it. I let out a sigh, knowing that if it happened to be Blake, Chloe would kill me if I didn't answer. I click the accept button before holding the phone an inch away from my ear as I brush my wet hair over my shoulder.

"Hello?" I ask nervously as I glance back at Chris, who doesn't even notice that I'm on the phone. I hear a slight intake of breath on the other end before I get an answer. "Marcy, I didn't expect you to actually answer." Blake's voice is surprised and I let myself smile before quickly pushing my frown back on my face.

"Yeah, well Chloe would have murdered me if I didn't." I answer nonchalantly as I lean against the side of the Red Box. I hear him laugh softly along with the sound of movement and rain. "Well, from what I can tell about her so far, it seems like that's something she'd actually do." He says and I nod to myself in agreement.

"Yeah, sadly I always make crazy friends." I tell him and he chuckles softly before falling silent once more. There's quiet on the line for a moment before I ask, "So why are you calling? I just saw you this morning if I do remember correctly."

You can almost feel him smile through the phone as the sound of rain grows louder from his side. "Well, you see, I got home and threw my stuff in my room only to realize, home is boring, so I decided to visit my grandma at work, and now I'm walking in the rain." He tells me as I hear a splash and quickly turn just in time to see a wave of water hit me as a car flies through a huge puddle.

I let out a gasp of surprise as my phone is knocked out of my hand and I'm left soaked to the bone and freezing as well. I shiver as I reach down and pick my phone up only to find it wet with a cracked screen. I stare at it in despair as I turn back to look at where Chris is doubled over laughing.

My eyes narrow and I glare at him furiously as I start forward to shout at him. My mouth is open to scream when a familiar voice stops me in my tracks. I slowly turn to see Blake standing behind me with his phone slowly pulling away from his ear.

I watch as he shuts it off and slips it into his pocket before giving me a curious look as I do the same with my, now ruined, phone. "What are y-you doing h-here?" I stutter with cold as I look at him curiously.

He takes in my shivering figure before answering hesitantly, "I'm on my way back home from my grandma's work. What are you two doing here, and why are you soaked to the bone?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I quickly wrap my arms around myself to conserve heat.

I have my mouth open to answer him when I'm cut of once more. "Well, you see," Chris shoots me an evil grin as he explains and I feel my heart sink. "my dear cousin here and I were coming to rent a fantabulous movie from this magic box of the color red. Well, to do this I was forced to battle the cold and use my brain power to select a movie that would benefit the both of us while my lazy cousin was supposed to stand watch." Chris takes a dramatic pause before continuing, "Sadly, Marcy was not able to fulfill her duty and a vehicle came barreling along in the distance, straight towards," he points at the puddle, "this treacherous liquid."

He looks up in the sky as if the next part pains him as he says, "Now, I saw this car as it was a mere ten feet away and thought to myself, I will never have time to warn my dear cousin AND save myself along with the precious moving pictures contained within this disk'. So, I made the hard choice and saved the disk so that me and my dear cousin would be able to nourish our learning further than my intellect has already."

He ends his story and I stare at him angrily as I ball my hands into fists with a strong glare fixed on his face. I can hear Blake chuckle and turn to look at him just as warmth engulfs my torso. I jump in surprise before looking over to see Blake wrapping his jacket around me with a small, amused smile on his face.

"W-what are you doing?" I stutter in surprise as I look up at him with wide eyes. His smile widens in return and he replies, "Well, I can't have my newest friend freezing to death, now can I?" He winks at me and I feel my face redden as he attempts to rub some warmth back into my shoulders.

"Are you two on your way home now?" Blake asks my cousin and he nods with a mischievous smile as he looks between me and Blake. I feel dread fill me as Chris opens his mouth to say something just as Blake tells us to wait as he runs into the store.

I watch him go and when the doors close I turn back to Chris in fury. He smiles at me sweetly as I stomp towards him. "How DARE you let me get SOAKING wet in this STINKING RAIN!" I scream at him as I poke my finger at his chest to get my point across.

"Was that your boyfriend?" I stop in my tracks as I look at him surprise while he grins down at me. I feel my face redden even more as I turn my back on him and cross my arms while I walk away. "Well is he?" Chris asks stubbornly and I quickly shake my head in response, sending water droplets spraying everywhere.

"I bet he will be." Chris jokes as he grins at me. I roll my eyes at him and slowly shake my head as the heart key pops back into mind. I let out a sigh at the thought before slumping my shoulders and leaning against the wall.

Chris tilts his head at me and is about to say something when Blake walks back out of the store with an umbrella in hand. Chris closes his mouth but shoots me a look that means, this isn't over, as Blake opens the umbrella.

"I'll walk you home." He tells me as he motions for me to join him. I look between him and the pouring rain before swallowing my pride and joining him under the umbrella. We both step out into the rain without a drop getting on us as we leave Chris to follow behind us.

I hear him complain as he's forced to walk out into the rain with no protection and make the mile walk back to my house. Let's see whose soaking wet by the time we get home. I think with an evil smirk.