DAY 1
You know something is about to happen when a thing occurs unexpectedly. It is in the middle of June, when the sun is the hottest and the weather is driest. The people of Chandler, Arizona are busy with their usual activities when a gray cloud looms over the town, enveloping it in an unexpected darkness. This is an unusual sight for most of them because 1) it rarely rains in the city and 2) rain record is at its lowest during June.
Nicomaine, or Nico to her loved ones, Mendoza returns from her visit to the town's public library when she feels the sudden change in the air. She looks up and a smile slowly forms when she feels the first rain drop on her face. Despite living in a city that barely experiences rain for almost five years now, her love for the rain never disappeared. She seizes every opportunity to enjoy the rain that falls in their town occasionally by either playing under it, enjoying a hot coffee on their den or by camping out at the back of their house, enjoying the pitter-patter sounds the rain makes against the roof or windows. Rain is one of the many things she misses about home, the Philippines. She lived there until she was 15. The country has only two seasons, and one of them brings the rain she loves the most.
Nico runs to the cafe next to the library and buys herself a banana bread slice and a hot Caramel Macchiato with two shots of espresso. She walks to one of the covered benches in the park overlooking the city. She takes in her surroundings before eating her food, relishing every bite and sip as she listened to the calming sound of raindrops.
"This feels nice." A voice suddenly says, making her jump. Nico turns around abruptly, eyes wide while clutching her chest. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry." The guy says when he sees how she looks.
"Don't do that again." She says, breathing heavily. It is lucky she was not holding her cup of coffee or else she will be going home with a serious burn.
"I'm sorry." He again says. Nico nods at him and brings her attention back to where her eyes were wandering earlier. It is really weird how comforted she feels whenever she smells the scent of the rain and the sound it makes against the roof and the road.
"Uhm..." The guy, whom Nico didn't realize was still there, says. She turns to look at him and gives him a questioning look. "Do you mind if I sit beside you?" He asks, gesturing to the empty space on the other side of the bench. She looks at the space he is pointing at and then, at him, trying to think if she wants his presence disturbing her peace. She looks at him again and gave him a curt nod. The guy smiles, showing his set of perfect white teeth and a mesmerizing dimple on his left cheek. He walks towards the empty space and is about sit when he saw the cigarette butt lying on it. Brows furrowing, he picks it up and looks at her, as if asking if that was hers. Nico chuckles in disbelief at what he is trying to get at. He shrugs his shoulders and throws the butt in the nearby trash bin and sat next to her.
"Long time, no see, Nico." He says after a while, snapping Nico out of her daze. "Yeah, it's been a while." She answers and returns her gaze to the now wet road, admiring the beauty before her.
Richard Faulkerson Jr. smiles too and follows her gaze, embracing the serenity the weather is giving them.
5 years ago
Nico was running late. Again.
She just got out of Apple's Cafe, hot grande coffee in hand, in a rush to get to school for her first class that morning when she felt the ground shake as she bumped into something incredibly hard and watch as the hot liquid poured out of its container in a slow motion towards a chest clothed in white t-shirt.
"Mother fuck---!" The person exclaimed, pulling his shirt away from his body. He looked at the girl standing in front of him, an almost empty cup of coffee in her hands, fear and guilt in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. Oh my... I didn't see you, I was in a hurry. I'm really sorry." She said, and took her handkerchief to wipe the stain off his shirt.
