AURORA ☾ Leah Clearwater ✔

Chapter 20... Shock

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Leah

The sky was splotchy and purple, like a fresh bruise. I stared up at it, watching the clouds from the living room window. Electricity was coursing through the air. Drops were splattering against the window. 

A storm was coming. 

I welcomed it.

I used to hate the rain. I had hated how the damp seemed to dig beneath my skin and settle in my bones. I hated the way it interrupted my plans for the weekend, or how it seemed inevitable, inescapable in this little piece of nowhere...

Now, I liked the rain's constant presence. It felt reliable, the one thing in my life that wouldn't change. Even when I couldn't trust anyone else, at least I could trust the stupid rain to fall.

It helped that recently, that chill no longer bothered me. It was like I had grown immune to it's touch. No matter how cold and rainy it got, I felt fine. Maybe all this bullshit in my life had started toughening me up, or maybe I was just being heated by the angry coals that seemed to be constantly smouldering inside of me.

"Aw man," Seth moaned from behind me as came into the living room. "We were gonna go to the beach today!"

"Oh, how sad," I replied, turning back to the window. I meant it to come out as a sarcastic jab, but there was a deeper, angrier tone there that even I was surprised to hear.

I could see Seth in the window's reflection; his face was crumpled up with disgust. "What is your problem, Leah? Can't I complain about the stupid weather?"

A placeless fury began to build inside me, the coals glowing, the fire building. There was a brief thought of restraint, but it was too late. The spark had caught and the fire was growing inside me, licking at my skin from within. 

"No, you can't," I snapped back. "Because it's freaking annoying! Are you really surprised that it's raining in this piece of crap town? It's always raining!"

My brother glared at me and huffed with exasperation. I knew that sound well.I had heard that same sigh from so many people, people who were fed up with my sob-story life. 

Didn't they know I was fed up with it too?

Seth sulked away and I turned back to watch the darkening clouds. Maybe I should go for a run, I thought. It wasn't like the rain would bother me... And maybe—if I was lucky—I'd get struck by lightning and be put out of my misery.

I climbed off the couch, stretched my muscles out and then turned to head upstairs to grab my running gear.

But Mom and Dad there, blocking the door.

I waited, expecting them to move, but they didn't. They were just watching me with solemn expressions. Had they caught my fight with Seth? I groaned inwardly. Great... They had already expressed concern over my "moods" as they called them.

"What?" I challenged, wanting to get the conversation over with. I already knew how it would go: they'd tell me I needed help, I'd refuse, they'd beg, I'd scream. Same old story. I didn't know why they bothered.

"Leah, we need to talk to you," Mom started, the typical way... carefully.

"About what?" I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest.

They just looked at each other, like they weren't sure. Then, before saying anything, they moved to each take a seat in the arm chairs across from the couch.

"Maybe you should sit down," Mom suggested.

I narrowed my eyes at them as I sat on the edge of the couch cushion. This was different. This wasn't the way it usually went. They were being too quiet. Usually they launched right into their lecture. Their eyes darted around the room, unwilling to look at me for more than a second.