Umbrella || l.h

Chapter 1

I hop anxiously into my large black limo to get my high-class private school, which is about 10 minutes away. The rain is pouring down hard, so much that I could barely see anything.

"Goodbye Ariella," my mom says, waving under a umbrella. "I hope you do great on your test today"

"Bye, and thanks," I say as I shut the door and plug in my headphones to listen to my favorite artists. The sad songs, which have me gazing out the window, make me realize that it is a disgusting day out today. There are dark gray clouds, thunderstorms, and puddles everywhere you walk on my 3 acre property I like to call home.

I have been living in my home my entire life and I could never imagine of being anywhere else. My parents are both CEOs of businesses, so I happen to get a lot of special treatment like a butler, spa treatments, a limo, and millions of presents.

Everyone wants to be friends with me, so I have many friends, but they are only using me for my wealth. I have few true friends and sadly, no true love. I don't know if it's my brown hair, because everyone in this village with a boyfriend seems to be blond. What happened to 'Don't Judge a Book by its Cover'?

As I am driven though the village, I realize that there is one great thing about rainy days - shopping. I go shopping in the village about 3 to 4 times a week, which is only because of the allowance I get everyday for doing absolutely nothing, well except doing the dishes and laundry. Thats really it. No wonder people call me spoiled.

Since we come to a red light, I take a glance at my favorite shop, Lily's, and have an excited rush going through my body about the afternoon. I don't dress like your normal rich girl, though. At Lily's I buy an everyday teenage girl's clothes. Right beside the door I spot a medium sized cardboard box. As I focus my eyes on the box, I notice there is a poor boy in it, looking around my age, 16.

The boy is sleeping in the box in the cold, rainy weather. I fail to see any food, drinks, possessions. Nothing. Nothing but his own body. My excitement about later goes away as I think of how this boy survives.

The light turns green and we pull away, but my head is still turned, trying to see the boy for as long as I can. When it is impossible to see anymore, I turn my head slowly around to Steven, my limo driver.

"Do you see that boy a lot?" I ask, holding back a tear.

"Yes, actually, he just sits in the box the whole day, and doesn't ask a single soul for money."

"How come I have never seen him then?" We never take a different route.

"He usually stays on the other side of town but decided to go here for some reason. Maybe people kicked him out. I do not know."

We pull up to Creslow High School and I pull out my black and white umbrella from my backpack. Running up the front path, I check my watch and realize I am late.

The principal blocks my entrance at the door and asks why I am late. I am probably her least favorite of the 400 students.

"I'm sorry. I didn't reali-" trying to say as sincere as possible.

"Miss Wilson go to class."

I run to my locker to get first period books and sprint even faster to class. I take a seat in the nearest desk, which happens to be next to my friend Brianna.

Brianna was always there for me in my hardest times and we practically knew each other since we were born. One time I started climbing a tall fence and got stuck at the top, so Brianna came up to help. Unfortunately, she got stuck too. It was frustrating at the moment, but pretty funny to look back on our failing attempts to help each other.

The teacher, rude like all other days, places a test on my desk and I begin. Well then. However, I am unable to focus on any work right now because all concentration is on the poor boy. I need to help him somehow, but my parents wouldn't let me. They think the poor are homeless for their own mistakes, and that others shouldn't have to fix these problems. I disagree with them. All they care about is themselves.

I wish that one time in my life, I don't have to be forced to believe what they believe. No matter how much I love them, I am my own person and they need to be okay with me making my own decisions.

Too bad for them, I am helping the boy.

• • •

"Straight home or shopping?" Steven asks in the front seat of the limo with his head turned towards me.

"Umm, take me home so I can get some money please."

I wish it was next morning so I could realize that it is a dream made in my mind that people in my own village are majorly poor. Unfortunately, no amount of amazing dreams or amazing sleeps can cure what I saw with my own two eyes. Everything was real.

The only reason I am going home is to get money. I am consistently delirious on all rainy days. Therefore, I forgot my wallet.

If I am brave enough to talk to the poor teenage boy, I will give him money, but I am afraid I will not have the strength to be unable to cry during a situation like this.

"I'll wait for you outside. I figure you are sprinting for your wallet" says Steven.

"Oka- wait, never mind. I will walk. Its fine."

He seems puzzled but suddenly figures out why I want to be soaked in the rain. A straight face turns into a proud smile. But his eyes start to worry and suddenly I figure out why. My parents. My parents would disapprove of this.

I go inside to get money and walk outside with a rain jacket on. Its bad enough I am walking in the rain. I need some protection.

I start walking down the hill, tripping over my feet, still delirious from the morning, but pick myself back up in pride.

Not only Steven, but I am proud of myself for doing such a kind act,

If I say so myself.

Thinking about it isn't too bad. Here comes the hard part - Witnessing and speaking.