The Only Raindrop That Needed to Fall

The moist cemented sidewalk lined the side of the streets, with puddles of water splashing beneath the crowd's feet. The overhead clouds are dull and grey. Rain was pouring yet again. Well, of course. It always rains, anyway, Amelia thought with a sigh. And I always remember bitter memories whenever there is rain.

Such an awful, bitter reminiscence... And yet is lined with slivers of beautiful memories.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

(Amelia's POV)

I remember the last time I saw her. I was still a middle school student at that time, so I couldn't possibly recall every single detail. But every time it rained, I always remembered. Now I understand. Even if we were writing about it for a long time, it is only now that I understand. Wherever there is rain, loneliness overtakes.

◆◆FLASHBACKKSS◆◆

PART 1: SUNNY DAYS
AUGUST, YEAR 2009
(3rd person POV)

"Wow, this place is so peaceful. Especially whenever there's no clouds in the sky."

Amelia lay on the soft, green grass of the meadow, staring up at the vast sky above her and shielding her eyes from the glaring sun. Her best friend, Mary, was sitting by her side.

"Sure is. I'm glad we found this place. It's relaxing here," she replied, following her friend's gaze into the endless blue above her.

They were at the small field behind their school. Little patches of meadows like this one was pretty common, especially in the province. Slightly tall grass and a few trees littered the place (1). A gentle breeze blows by every now and then, rustling the leaves and grass. A small silence settled between the two.

---

◆A FLASHBACK WITHIN A FLASHBACK (Flashback-ception xD)◆

"Class, meet or new student"

The teacher picked up the chalk and wrote down the new girl's name on the blackboard. It read Mary Kinomoto. "This is Mary Kinomoto. She will be your classmate from now on."

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you all," she said with a smile.

Mary turned out to be a cheerful girl, but despite that, she found it hard to make any friends. She also had a passion for books, a trait shared by her best friend Amelia Sakuragawa. As they would opt to spend long afternoons in the school library, or in the empty field behind school, both of them naturally became close friends. Whenever there is fine weather, they would go and spend time in the small meadow they found before.

"Hey have you read that book about dinosaurs? The one in the library?"

"Yeah I have. What about it?"

"Look up there," Mary pointed at the sky. "If you imagine that part as the wings and that part as the head, it'd look like a pterosaur."

"Hmmm... I see... I guess it does, doesn't it?"

The two spent their quiet days like this ever since their first year of middle school. They have always been friends, and has been an inseparable pair.

◆END OF FLASHBACK WITHIN A FLASHBACK◆

"Say, it's our last year in middle school, huh... I got an idea," she said as she tried to keep calm, with a small smile curving her lips.

"What is it?" Mary asked in a plain tone, showing a faint interest.

"Let's make a book!" Amelia replied with enthusiasm, while slowly rocking into a sitting position.