Not Even The Rain (jardougall) [DISCONTINUED]

Six

I apologize in advance.

**Tay's POV**

To say the least, school was hell. Rumours travel fast.

"You're dating the Jenna McDougall?" I got asked this question about forty times this morning. I sighed and sat down at my usual lunch table in the cafeteria with Kellin, Jordan, Alex, and Hayley.

"Hey." I mumbled. They all nodded and then continued their conversations, discluding me.

"Tay, darling!" I heard the familiar shriek of Jenna McDougall. I cringed and glanced at my friends around the table for help. They all just shrugged.

"Yes?" I said, irritated.

"What are you doing with these? Come sit with me." She said quietly and angrily.

"Fuck off, these are my friends. You are nothing to me but a manipulator and a reputation-focused airhead blonde." I snapped. I don't know what came over me, but everyone at my table heard including Jenna, who looked shocked.

"Tsk tsk Tay. Don't be a little shit and cause your boyfriend to come out a little bit early, do you? I could also just embarrass the living shit out of you this instant if you do not come with me to my table right now and sit your ass down and kiss my fucking cheek like you love me." She said quickly and quietly. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it before anything came out. I sighed and stood up, glancing at my friends who sat there with their mouths open and their eyes wide. 'I'll explain later', I mouthed. Jenna grabbed my hand and towed me to her table.

"Hey guys! You know Tay." Jenna said, grinning. She sat me down and kissed my cheek. I refrained from rolling my eyes. I saw Matt Best, Jenna's ex-boyfriend and star quarterback, glance at Jenna. His eyes danced with amusement. He smirked slightly as he glanced at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"So, Jenna," Matt started saying. but Jenna cut him off.

"Matt would you please go get me a fork?" She snapped, glaring at him.

"No, I would rather fork you." He said loudly. The chattering in the room stopped, everyone seemed to be staring at us.

"Don't start any shit you cant finish." Jenna warned.

"Hey Taylor, did Jenna tell you about last night when she came over and we f-"

I didn't want to hear any more. I covered my ears and ran from the table, out of the cafeteria and outside. I didn't want to hear anymore of anything. Ever.

I slowed to a walk once I got onto the street. Vic told me he wouldn't be home until late tonight, so I would be alone until then. I walked to the apartment and went inside. I glanced in the mirror on the wall beside the door, and saw I was crying. I chuckled slightly, and went slowly to my room.

"I'm a joke, literally." I said to myself, laughing sadly. "I'm Jenna's big joke." I sighed and sat on my bed. I looked out the window and realized it was raining now. When I was younger, I had a theory that the weather always corresponded to my emotions. Whenever I was sad, it would rain. When I was happy, it was sunny. When I was angry, it stormed.

But now I knew it was coincidental, just like me dating the girl I've had a crush on since I was twelve, and knowing it's all fake. I wish I had been more observant; if I had been, I would've noticed I was crying, I would've noticed that the things my dad did to my mom and I were wrong. If I had been more observant, I would've noticed the face in my window, but I just wasn't.

I continued crying, feeling sorry for myself, until I decided to take out the blade I had used for sharpening my pencil; maybe I could sharpen my feelings until they were pointy and sharp, threatening to stab anyone who got too close.

I slashed one deep cut into my upper wrist, and then threw the blade onto the floor with fury. I stared at it for a few minutes before I looked up and flinched back at the face of Jenna in the window.

Her hair was sopping wet and stuck to her face, her makeup was running down her face in what seemed like an attempt to get free. She tapped on the window, signifying she wanted to get in. Over my judgment, I let her.

"I always loved the rain, it was like all the pressure was falling down from the sky, leaving it blue. You cant have blue sky until all the rain has fallen, you know? It's like sadness." She said after I had let her in. She stood beside my bed, looking down at me. She smiled. Her clothes were disheveled and she was a mess, but she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on.

"What really keeps you here, Taylor Jardine?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Not the rain." I said quietly. "Not even the rain," My voice got louder with every word. "Nothing can keep me here."

"I can." She said indefinitely, like I didn't have a choice. She walked out of my room through the door. I sighed, thinking she left. She didn't.

Jenna McDougall came back into my room with a box of band-aids and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

"Let me clean it for you." She said sweetly.

"No. You caused it." I shot back. She rolled her eyes and sat on the bed, grabbing my arm. She rolled up a bunch of tissue paper she had also brought, and poured the peroxide onto it. She wiped it clean and put a band-aid onto it.

"There, all better." She smiled.

"You forgot to kiss it." I said quietly, hoping she didn't hear. She did, and bent down to kiss the top of the band-aid.

"See you later." She said, glancing at me one last time and climbing out my window, disappearing.

*~*