Thunder and Lightning || Dodie Clark

Prologue: Comfort In A Storm

Murphy had only lived in London for a week, but she already picked up the tendency to carry around an umbrella. The red thing was propped against her chair. It was the brightest thing in the room. Or it was until a bright yellow dress joined the platte of café colors, but Murphy paid no attention to the new color. She was too distracted by the strange taste in her mouth and the thoughts clouding her brain. She had never been a fan of tea, much less the sugar-free kind.

Giving up, she order again, this time ordering a coffee. Coffee was more of a comfort food more than anything for Murphy. In that moment, that's all she really needed - comfort. Although she had only recently moved to the rainy city, she has known people who lived there for years. One in particular, was one of the main reasons for Murphy's move.

Murphy had three:
1. Change of scenery
2. She was accepted into university
3. Lance

Moving for one person was idiotic and Murphy knew that. She also wanted to move to get a change of scenery, but she could do that anywhere. She didn't have to cross the ocean for a change of scenery, or as her mother stated. But when Murphy was accepted into one of the universities her mother had a sudden change of heart. That covers reason one and two.

Reason three was a much longer story. So much happened in the week of Murphy's move. Lance. She had been friends with him for years over the internet, and they even took summers to visit each other. And they had been dating for the past year. Until the day she was sitting in that café in much need of some comfort food.

Quietly, she drank her coffee in thought. She was so distracted that she didn't realize it was raining until it came down in torrents and lightning decorated the sky. The café was suddenly bustling with sound and color.

"Dodie," One of the louder people called, "play us a song, please!"

"I don't know, Evan," the girl in the yellow dress said.

"Please?" Asked another person. Murphy sudden found herself listening in on the conversation.

"Play Absolutely Smitten!" Suggested Evan, "I would be smitten if you did so." Everyone, including Murphy, groaned.

"Okay, okay," Dodie smiled, "but only if you stop with the puns."

"Don't punish me!" Evan said between bursts of laugher. Again, everyone groaned. The girl in the bright yellow dress gathered a black case in which Murphy automatically recognized as a ukulele case. She had one very similar. The man who had taken Murphy's order placed a stool on a wooden platform. A fast paced strumming pattern graced Dodie's fingers.

"She knows this feeling all to well..." she sang. The song filled the café and all remaining voices died out. Murphy closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to drift away as the melodic voice sang away. It almost felt like she could drift away.

Little did Murphy know that a stranger dressed in the brightest yellow, would leave her feeling absolutely smitten.