'Frisco.

Chapter Eighteen.

The distance between Ryan's neighborhood and mine was rather long. Jonah had driven us there and so my poor decision left me walking. Initially, the journey was fine – relaxing even. However, about a third of the way through, the sky opened up and one of the heaviest rainstorms I had experienced decided to bless my day with its presence.

"Are you kidding me?" I muttered to myself. Dressed in shorts and a vest left me prone to the rain but I decided to embrace it. In fact, I took the time and perfectly timed pathetic fallacy to reflect on the conversation with Jonah.

In my opinion, they all needed to man up and confront Matt and Joel... or as I liked to now call them the "Bark Brothers" (thanks to their lovely tone of voice used when addressing me). Whilst I perhaps shouldn't have been so forward with my attempt at sorting out the issue, Jonah's response to my actions confirmed my suspicions that they wouldn't have listened to anything I would've said.

Instead of going home, I go to Café Destino. Entering through the doors, dripping wet, I realise that my state of being 90% water made me stand out. I travelled to the bathroom and rang out as much water from my hair and clothes as I could. After, I grabbed my usual Caffe Misto and headed towards the back end of the library. The storm looked as if it wasn't going to calm easily and so I picked up a random book and I read.

Hours passed. Customers came and went. The story I was reading came to a close. The rain was still pounding on the roof of the building.

With the restaurant staff beginning to clear up tables and chairs, I decided that there was no way I'd be able to wait out the rain.

I replaced the book into its original location and ventured back into the chaos outside. Unlike the time walking home with Jonah, the route home seemed to take years. I was almost home when a 5-door car zoomed past and created a wall of water that fell down onto me.

"Isn't this just fucking great?" I bitterly mumbled as I turned to walk down my driveway.

"Well I'm not going to complain." Jonah's voice came from my porch step. He was half sheltered by the roof but this didn't stop everything knees-down from getting wet.

"Today just keeps getting better. What next; I get struck by lightning?" I asked sarcastically (whilst silently praying that my comment wouldn't anger Zeus and make him target me for the next spear of electricity).

Sitting next to Jonah laid my phone. He must've seen my eye train onto it since he picked it up and waggled it in the air.

"This thing? You're not getting it back until we talk."

"Who's messages do you think I'm going to miss, Jonah? I've only got four people in this goddamn country who know my number. Two of which I'm going to see as soon as I walk through the front door. Another one is some complete pillock who likes to stalk my porch."

Jonah tried to cover a smile with his arm that was rested on a bent knee. I raised my eyebrows, shocked that he's laughing at me.

I decided to stop wasting my breath. Does he not take anything seriously? First his band and now me; there's no getting through to him. I step up onto the porch; past him and his stupid grin before walking into my house and shutting the door behind me. I don't stop to talk to my parents as I trek upstairs in my dripping clothes.