It Rains

Chapter One.

    I wake up to the sound of my alarm ringing. I groan I have never really been a morning person.
I push off the blankets and I stand up from my bed, grabbing my hairbrush on my bedside table as I make my way towards the hall bathroom.

   I run the brush through my tangled hair. Unlike my sister where she gets her easy to manage straight blond hair from our mother, I got my hair from my father, red wavy hair that's very hard to control.
I want to chop it all off, but my mother says no. She has always loved long hair on her children, but when I ask her why she doesn't have long hair she said: "It's not professional Francis, and your hair isn't even that long."
I sigh, as I set the brush on the counter. I gaze at my self in the mirror.
A bridge of freckles across my nose. My brightly colored green eyes have always been something I disliked, I don't like the attention people give me for being a redhead with green eyes.

I scurry out of the bathroom and into the hallway about to turn into my room when

SLAM!

I face plant into my stepbrother, Caleb.

"Ouch..." I squeak out. He pushes me off of him gently and says "Morning Franny!" I smile sheepishly, he shakes his head laughing, his slicked-back brown hair not budging with this movement. He must of put a lot of hair gel today. Too much.I chuckle to myself.

I step back a little planning on heading into my room when he blurts out "Am I driving you to school today or are you riding your bike?" he looks at me expectantly. With his dark brown eyes and broad shoulders, he could look intimidating at first glance.

I lean forward to get a good look out the window. It's raining. It always rains in our town. I sigh and look back up at Caleb.

"I think I'll ride with you, it's raining," I say.

"Okay, be downstairs by 8:30 or I'll leave without you!" He replies, then smirks and gestures towards the clock on the wall. "Better hurry!" He shouts as he walks down the stairs chuckling to himself. I look at the clock, 8:25

Son of a b-

iscut .

I sprint into my bedroom and grab an old red t-shirt out of my closet along with some high-waisted jeans. I climb into my jeans and pull my shirt on. A piece of my hair flings into my mouth. "Gross!" I mumble I use my hands to pull it out. I quickly scan my desk for a hair tie. I find one under a stray piece of paper and use it to tie my hair into a high ponytail.

I grab my backpack and my dad's old baseball cap and run out the door. I glance at the clock, 8:29, I really, really don't want to ride my bike in the rain... I'm not in the mood for soggy shoes.

I continue to run down the stairs skipping the last three steps and landing on my feet. I smile at the fact that I didn't land on my butt like I usually do.

Mom is in the kitchen with Bailey and John is talking to Caleb by the front door.

Caleb raises his head to look at me, then at the clock.

8:31.

Crap. 

"Looks like you have to ride your bike!"Caleb announces proudly. I sigh. And start towards the garage where my bike is held. Darn it! I was so close to getting a ride!

"Not in this weather!" Mom states, I smirk and stare at Caleb.

"But-"Caleb starts but is cut off.

"No 'buts' Caleb! Drive your sister to school with you!"John interrupts.

Step-sister I correct him in my head.

"No butts...... hehe" Bailey giggles behind the counter. I glance over at Bailey and smile, she smiles back, there is a big gap where her two front teeth should be. Her hair is tied up in pigtails with two of my old pink scrunchies.

"Go to school, now." mom glares at me and Caleb.

Caleb scatters out the door gesturing for me to follow, I grab my forest green jacket, slip on my white a blue sneakers and slam the door shut.

Outside in the driveway Caleb frowns at me and looks at his brand new car, well brand new for him. His dad got it for him for an early birthday present a month ago. It's a rusty red truck that breaks down often, but Caleb still loves it. I don't hate it, but I don't love it at the same time.

"Don't put your feet up anywhere," Caleb shouts.

Caleb gets into the driver's seat and slams the door. I climb into the passenger's side and settle into the then slam the door closed.

Caleb starts the old engine and it makes a sound like vroom vrum!

I stare out the window most of the drive to school. I take about 15 minutes to get to the school by car, and 30 on a bike. Most of the scenery is trees and road.

Just trees and road going on for miles and miles.

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Suddenly Caleb speaks, jolting me upright.
"We're here!" Caleb says loudly into my ear.
I push him with little force.
"Agh! Don't yell in my ear!" I shout back.
"Get out please!" Caleb says.

Rude much?

I open the door and swing my backpack over my shoulders. I walk away slamming the door shut not bothering to look back to see if the door was closed properly. Caleb and I go to the same school, he is in 12th grade and I'm in 7th. I scan the crowd of students. A girl with milk chocolate skin and ink colored hair tied into two french braids makes eye contact with me and smiles. 

"Hey, Francis!" she walks over to me with a big grin on her face.

"Hey, Holly,"I smile back. Holly moved to our town two years ago. I remember the first day Holly came to school. She didn't look nervous one bit. She was so confident. When she approached me a lunch at sat down next to me, I was worried she was going to be like all the other girls, rude and nasty but to my surprise she was the complete opposite, friendly and nice. Me and Holly are a good match Holly loves to talk but I prefer to listen and a plus Holly came after my dad went missing so to her I'm not known as 'the girl who's dad went missing'. We have been best friends since.

"You will never guess when Liam got for his birthday!" Holly exclaims.

"Liam your cousin or little brother?" I ask.

"Liam my brother. Okay anyway, so it was his birthday on Saturday and guess what one of his rich friends bought him!" Holly pauses for dramatic effect.

"What?" I say.

"He got four freaking walkie talkies! Like the really new ones! So now we can talk whenever we want! " her eyes light up with excitement.

"That is if he let's us use them." I comment.

"And besides even if he does let us use them, aren't our houses too far away from each other for the walkie talkies to work? I add

"Well we will just have to make it work!" Holly responds. Holly is what you call an optimist, she always looks on the bright side of things.

"Okay Holly." I give in.

I turn to towards the school and start walking. I take a deep breath.

Here we go.

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Hello! I'm sorry that the first chapter was really short! I am still trying to figure things out. This is my first time writing something like this! SO critques would be very very helpful!

thanks sooo much

-Raina Rae