The Perks of Being Too Beautiful

Ch11; The Rain

Chapter Eleven

James and I were out longer than we planned and it became the best night I've had in the longest time. He took me out for dinner. I offered to pay because he already paid for lunch and we weren't expecting to go out for dinner. He refused to let me do so, saying he wanted to be a gentleman for me.

The rain didn't stop pouring, but that didn't stop us from having so much fun. I never had this much fun in a long time. Even though Cullen knew everything about me, and being with him was so comfortable, there was really never any excitement. We always did things safe. There was nothing wild. Nothing reckless. But being with James, I realized I missed all of that.

Once we walk out of the restaurant, the rain began to splatter on my face. I look out, seeing the beauty of the rain and how much lonelier everything felt. James took my hand and pulled me to his chest. He grasps both of my hands in his, and we began swaying to the faint piano music from inside the bakery beside the restaurant. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the rain patter on my face for a little while until James unexpectedly spins me. I barely hold on to his hand when he does but he successfully spins me back. He holds me carefully, my back against his chest, swaying gently. The rain begins pouring more and

more, and I can't help but compare this to a movie. I always thought this seemed cliché but now it feels fun, and romantic. I release from James' grasp and I throw my arms in the air, kicking the rushing water on the ground, splashing James. He looks stunned, and kicks water back at me. He chases me around and the rain keeps falling harder and harder, almost to the point where I can barely see James so I stop running. "James?" I call out for him. "James, where ar--" and he suddenly picks me up bridal style and I wrap my arms around his neck. He spins, still holding me, but he loses balance and falls into the water, which has already came up to half our calves. Our fall makes a big splash, and drenches us even more than we already were but by now, I don't care. Even though my clothes, including my jeans, is all wet, I don't care. Because right now, in my heart, I can feel it thumping so fast, and my blood is rushing and I just feel... so happy. And for once in my life, I feel free.

So I look at James, and even though the rain is striking between us and I can barely make out his facial

features, I can see him smile. He holds me closer to him, and I look up at him and I place my lips on his. He kisses me back gently, placing his hand on the side of my neck. We don't kiss for a long time, but just enough for it to linger.

Unlike the movies where the two characters stay in the rain and get drenched, I tell James that we better get out or else we might get sick. He nods, and takes me back to the diner where we had lunch. He tells me to stay under the roof until he gets his car so I wouldn't have to be in the rain as much. He squeezes my hands once before he leaves.

I close my eyes, listening to the sound of the pitter patters.

"Aria?" A familiar voice calls my name.

Oh no.

I open my eyes and see the last person I wanted to see.

"Marge," I whisper her name.

She gives me a smile, no teeth showing, but it looks sad. She's not looking at me. She can't look at me. Just like that day. I shake my head, taking that thought out of my mind. I can't think about that now. My day was going good. I don't want it to be ruined. But she remains smiling and I know she's only like that because she's being kind but deep inside, she's keeping in a million things that she wants to tell me. Though, some days,

I think it's better that they will never be spoken and things are just kept inside because I wouldn't know how what to say.

In someplace in the very bottom of my heart, I wish that we could go back to how things were. No... that's not true.. I wish that everything that happened between us would vanish completely. Everything, even all the good memories so that we could just meet each other as if it's the very first time. But that would never come true. There will always be the memories. The pain. And even if we did become friends again, there's no escaping the scars.