When it rains

Rainy season. It was raining when I first saw him. I was at the shed, waiting for my brother to pick me up. I sat on the bench when someone with the yellow umbrella took shelter on the shed like I did. I simply glanced at him on my peripheral vision. He was wearing a school uniform from my school as I saw the logo of our university. He glanced at my side probably noticed that I was looking at him, so I immediately stare in front. He sat on the bench with a meter-space in our between.

I’m in ninth grade and I think this is the first time that I saw him. I mean, I am the representative of our batch so many students knew me and I knew a lot of students too because I attended numerous activities, meetings and seminars. Maybe he was in senior year or sophomore or in freshman year.

I glanced at him again and I got surprised when he was already glancing at my side too. I hold my chest because of the sudden act. And then he talked, “Um. Here”, he said not looking at me and giving a maroon hoodie he brought from his bag. I gave a confused expression because I’m literally confused of why is he giving me his hoodie.

“Uh? Do you have a crush on me?”, I asked with the hint of confusion and slight arrogance in my voice.

“What?! No, no,”, he suddenly blushed, swaying his both hands telling that it is not his intention.

“So why are you giving me this?”, I questioned holding the hoodie that he got for me.

“Your… uh…”

*“ how can I say this to a girl?”*, he whispers

“What?”, I still asked because he seems having some discomfort

“Your… your uniform is… is wet”,

Awkward silence filled the atmosphere…

Oh my goshhh!!! I immediately wore his hoodie. It was embarrassing argh, did he saw my uuhh my bra?! And what makes it worst was I’m wearing my spongebob pink bra. Huhuhu, it was my sister’s gift for me in my birthday, she had it customized and I love spongebob but I did not expect that she will give me a spongebob bra, my gashhh. I know that she was just teasing me and I did not wear this until today because I had no choice, my entire bra was on laundry and this was what left. Oh man, just kill me now. I’m doomed…

*beep beep*

“Hey, Chels! Sorry I’m late, got stranded on my way. Who’s hoodie are you wearing, anyways?”

Yes! Saved by my brother…

I did not answer him and just hop on the car and did not even look at the yellow-umbrella guy. Well, did not catch his name but probably not to coz’ it would be so embarrassing. Hope we could not bumped each other on school.

But do you know the saying, “What you wish not to happen will happen with ninety-nine percent accuracy”? Well, probably not, because I just made it haha…

I was making my way at the teacher’s office to pass the activities that they left us. I was hugging the papers with my both arms. While walking, some male students in the hallway were teasing each other like what boys usually do. When I was near in their location, I bow my head and said, “Excuse me. Please, excuse me”. But I think they did not heard me or they were just dumb and don’t care with their surroundings. One of them accidentally bumped my shoulder and so, expectedly the papers threw in the air. Aish, my blood boiled up but I composed myself because I’m the ninth grade representative, alright.

I just get the papers on the floor but someone talked and I knew that voice even though I just heard it in a short period of time.

“Hey, are you not going to help and say sorry to her?”

“Oh, Brandon did it dude. Hey Brandon, go help the junior girl”, the boy told that ‘Brandon guy’ whom I supposed the one who bumped on me.

When I get up, that ‘Brandon’ apologized and help me to get all the papers, they left me and the yellow-umbrella guy.

“Hi, you alright?”, he asked

“Yeah”, I just said and I was going to walk again but he grabbed my arm.

“Uh?”, he scratch his head like he was shy to talk but decided to ask, “Do you mind”, he was referring to the papers that I was holding.

“Yeah, sure”, I don’t know but I did not rejected his offer.

On our way to the teacher’s office he started a conversation, “So, you are in ninth-grade?”

“Yeah, and you?”

“I’m at senior year”

“Oh, I do always walked passed here in your hall and I think the first time that I saw you was on the shed”, I said getting comfortable

“Maybe because I usually skipped class”, he smirked

And then, my eyes got wide when I suddenly remember his hoodie and my bra, argh, erased that Chelsea, I was talking to myself

“I suddenly remember your hoodie, it’s not with me, and it’s still in the laundry sorry”

“That’s fine”, he gave me all the papers because we’re now in front of the teacher’s office entrance

“How ‘bout give it to me at the same place tomorrow? At the shed? After class?”, he asked smiling at me

“alright, that’s fine with me. Thank you for this”

“No problem, see you tomorrow”, he was waving like a little kid while making his way going back in their classroom.

I’m now here at the shed, waiting for him…

While waiting, rain started to drop…

And I saw his yellow umbrella again…

“Hey, sorry that I made you wait”, that’s what he said first when he came to the place

“That’s alright, here”, I gave him the hoodie back but he did not took it from my hands and said,

“No, you could take it”

“Huh? So what’s the purpose of meeting up here, mister?”, I said sarcastically but smiling

“Well, I also don’t know”, he said while looking at me

We gave our names to each other. And I learned that his name is “Claude”, what a unique name he got there

And then we talked as the rain pours by…

It was not the last time because every time it rains, we’re at our usual spot. It was like the rain was our signal to meet up…

Then, summer comes…

I still came in that shed whenever I missed him but he was not there… I walked several times in the senior’s hallway, but I cannot see him…

And I got tired… of missing him

I stopped searching for him at their classroom

I stopped waiting for him at the shed

I hope that it will rain right now, that’s what I always think but it did not…

I am now in tenth-grade, senior year. My life comes so slowly but has progress step by step.

I still think of him but maybe we cannot see each other again because probably he graduated last year and now in his college.

The rainy season comes and it made me smile. I don’t know but my feet led me in our usual spot, hoping that he was there waiting for me…

But… he did not…

Maybe, he forgot about me…

I decided just to go home. I did not eat dinner as I’m not feeling well, I just… I just wanted to sleep…

Claude’s POV

We migrated in America after my graduation. I did not attend the graduation ceremony as the fact that I did not have an award and it was also the day of our flight, so my father just contacted my Uncle Ben who’s the dean of our university to just get my certificate and diploma.

I missed her… Yes, I was talking to Chelsea. Every single day I’m praying to rain but I knew that it was impossible, I wanted to see her but I knew that he was not there. I came at our usual spot before our flight, waiting for her until midnight but she did not come, I wanted to bid my goodbye, I wanted to say how awesome she was and that… I like her… I just left a note in the part of the bench where she usually sits; I hope she can read this.

My life was a messed, my parents decided to have an annulment and I’m going with my father on States as my mother have a new family. I do not want to leave the country, I do not want to leave her but I need to… because I need to grow, we need to grow.

Chelsea’s POV

The sun is in its peak today which tells how good to start the day but it’s the opposite for me, it always was. I wonder how he is, I wonder where he was.

It is my graduation day as a college student. As I received my awards, certificate and diploma, I said to my family that I need some time to do something and that I’ll go home after to celebrate my graduation as they threw a party for me.

I walked to the shed… feeling nervous… I hope he was here with me even if it’s not raining…

I sat at the bench, in my usual spot… and I noticed a small paper stuck in the side of the bench. I get the paper and started to open it… I was curious

When I opened the paper, my tears suddenly flow as I read the words… “I love you”

Hugging the small paper, I prayed, I prayed to rain…

I stopped crying when I heard the drops of the rain… I lifted my head and I saw the yellow umbrella again…