Overtime

sixteen ✧ || rainfall

A gasp from the other end of the room sent Aubrey and Colten's showers of fireworks to a blazing halt.

"Guys!" Jay's voice, as if absorbing the room's affection and emitting it through pure excitement, threw himself to his feet and swivelled to face his group. "It's raining!"

Raymond, first dismissively humoured by Jay's burst, grew stunned. "What?"

Noah, in sync with Ray, pushed himself to his feet. "How can you tell?"

Without a word, without one needed, the teen gestured to the row of windows positioned at the top of the room, clinging to where the wall and the ceiling meet. Upon them stood droplets of rain, gradually growing larger and more plentiful.

"Oh my God," Dustin's voice, breathy and in awe, lifted as he, too, hoisted himself to his feet. Colten and Aubrey followed suit, standing and staring up at the glass panes with awe at the spectacle taking place on the other side — the sight they hadn't seen in 13 years.

Colten, without a word, started for the metal doors to the group's left. It was their exit, their chance, and he wasn't about to willingly waste it. Silently sending out a prayer, the blonde placed a hand on one of the doors and pushed. It opened without hesitation.

In a fit of amazement, astonishment, thrill that a simple plan had proven effective, he turned to the rest of his group. Much like him, Jay and Raymond wore amazed, joyful expressions. The others stood wide-eyed, astonished at The Professor's lack of care for locking the door.

Something was changing in their group — something that had to do with The Professor and his sudden, almost immediate, relaxation on their strict rules.

None of them were about to complain.

The blonde held out a hand. Without needing to explain, the group knew exactly who he was gesturing to. "Let's go." His voice was soft, but his undertone was filled with excitement that tore right through her. They were crazy to venture outside — they were crazy to even venture out of the basement.

"What if someone sees us?" Despite her protests, her body disobeyed her, already starting toward the male's outstretched hand. The others scurried behind her, slipping through the other door and up the stairwell to the main floor.

Colten chuckled. "You act as if that's a bad thing."

Aubrey cowered into her shoulders, watching as the four scurried past her, up and away, eagerly pushing one another to move faster. "It is a bad thing."

"If being able to see rain again means we get busted, I'll take the fall." Colten said, his voice gentle and calming, luring her into a state of acceptance. "Especially if it's with all of you."

Her eyes grew, the sudden impact of the statement weighing on her.

This moment, them fleeing together, was a symbol. It was a statement. Rain, when free, coated the world with its beauty and value. Its presence is long-lasting and lingers for all those who missed its light show.

Maybe the rain was just like them — daring, adventurous, risky and, at the end of the day, wanting to be seen. Wanting to be exposed.

Her palm slipped into his, her fingers winding about his own, clinging to them as if they were her lifeline. "Then let's go."

With a chuckle, he pulled her toward the stairs. "I was hoping you would say that."

Colten's thrill of the sight was painfully apparent to the brunette, watching the jump and skip in his step. Reaching the top of the stairs, colliding with the others having been waiting felt the same.