Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Jun 22, 2008 13:56:29 GMT
Some people thought the rain was soothing.
Bethany had always thought so. As a little girl, she used to open the windows when it poured, and stretch her hands out, to catch the fat falling droplets. Then, triumphantly, she'd pull back into the kitchen, palms cupped, and brimming with liquid, and throw it over her baby brother. He'd cry, and their mother would groan, and reprimand her daughter; not by shouting, or by smacking her, but by using that special method all good mothers should master.
By sighing, and saying those fatal words:
"I'm very disappointed in you."
Although this had soon put a stop to Bethany's antics, it hadn't ended her love of rain. She never liked the sun, when it came, because she thought suncream a waste of time, and she claimed everything grew far too bright. Lee had always supposed that if Bethany had been raised in somewhere like Australia, her attitude would be very different. Her love of rain was thoroughly Irish; an adaption necessary to put up with living on the wet, green little island.
Lee, like his sister, found a certain comfort in the rain as it fell now. The sunny weather had disappeared as quickly as it had come, and although he, unlike Bethany, had no aversion to sunlight, was still relieved to feel the familiar, damp atomosphere pressing in on all sides. Summer was here. Soon, he had to go home and see his family. Madeleine had to go and see hers. He didn't know much about their plans, but he had the feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot of her over their brief holiday. And, with a lot of her, would there be a lot of Russ? Lee smiled to himself. Russ seemed like the type to come for the term, and over the summer, disappear, and never be heard of again by the school.
Saying that, he may not be let away with it by his mother.
The benches were all wet, so Lee stood instead. He'd wondered about going for a fly briefly, but when he heard rolls of thunder overhead, he decided that maybe it would better to stay on the ground. Instead, he stood huddled beneath his sopping hood beneath an overhanging roof which slanted forward from the wall. Small, drowning plants weaved their way in and out of the tiles of the roof, falling forward in a fringe which now blew fiercely in the wind.
Most of the students had stayed inside, today, for obvious reasons. Several hadn't, and Lee had seen them wandering across the grounds in clusters, pairs and on their own. Jude had turned around to Lee this morning and told him that there was no way in hell he was gonna let the goddam weather stop him from going riding, and had left promptly. Lee hoped it was going well, because as much as Lee liked the rain, he felt it would be a little miserable trying to move a horse across the open country fields.
Twice now, he'd considered that he was wasting his time, and that he could always head to the village and get Jude something for his upcoming birthday, and twice, he had dismissed this. The idea of Jude being 17, and leaving him behind again, depressed him. It felt like on the whole '16' front, he'd only just caught up.
But it had been months, hadn't it?
He didn't think Jude and Tameron were going home to Texas to see their family. Neither seemed particularly enthralled by the prospect of the summer, though Jude kept sighing, and saying he missed the dry, Texas winds.
There. The rain thing was just a matter of where you lived. If Jude was Irish, he'd be singing a different tune. If Jude was Irish, he'd hope the rain never stopped-
Alright. That was an exaggeration.
He would... er... appreciate it more, was all.
Over the gentle patter of the rain, Lee thought he could hear voices. People must be somewhere in a nearby garden. He listened closely for a few minutes, but soon, he heard the sound of footsteps retreating.
Then there was nothing but the rain once more.
The thunder kept growing louder. Lee had the feeling a storm was coming, and that it would be wise to get inside as soon as possible. But... honestly... he didn't want to. Not yet. Instead, he focused on the arcs of the drops of water as they bounced across the ground. Puddles were forming everywhere, and the greenery was so weighed down by the water, plants were beginning to bend over. There could be lightning.
Was he likely to be struck by lightning if he stayed here?
Maybe.
Someone else obviously had dismissed the risks Lee was now considering. From the next garden, where he'd heard the people earlier, he was surprised to hear footsteps once more.
Except this time, the footsteps were walking towards him, not away.
Bethany had always thought so. As a little girl, she used to open the windows when it poured, and stretch her hands out, to catch the fat falling droplets. Then, triumphantly, she'd pull back into the kitchen, palms cupped, and brimming with liquid, and throw it over her baby brother. He'd cry, and their mother would groan, and reprimand her daughter; not by shouting, or by smacking her, but by using that special method all good mothers should master.
By sighing, and saying those fatal words:
"I'm very disappointed in you."
Although this had soon put a stop to Bethany's antics, it hadn't ended her love of rain. She never liked the sun, when it came, because she thought suncream a waste of time, and she claimed everything grew far too bright. Lee had always supposed that if Bethany had been raised in somewhere like Australia, her attitude would be very different. Her love of rain was thoroughly Irish; an adaption necessary to put up with living on the wet, green little island.
Lee, like his sister, found a certain comfort in the rain as it fell now. The sunny weather had disappeared as quickly as it had come, and although he, unlike Bethany, had no aversion to sunlight, was still relieved to feel the familiar, damp atomosphere pressing in on all sides. Summer was here. Soon, he had to go home and see his family. Madeleine had to go and see hers. He didn't know much about their plans, but he had the feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot of her over their brief holiday. And, with a lot of her, would there be a lot of Russ? Lee smiled to himself. Russ seemed like the type to come for the term, and over the summer, disappear, and never be heard of again by the school.
Saying that, he may not be let away with it by his mother.
The benches were all wet, so Lee stood instead. He'd wondered about going for a fly briefly, but when he heard rolls of thunder overhead, he decided that maybe it would better to stay on the ground. Instead, he stood huddled beneath his sopping hood beneath an overhanging roof which slanted forward from the wall. Small, drowning plants weaved their way in and out of the tiles of the roof, falling forward in a fringe which now blew fiercely in the wind.
Most of the students had stayed inside, today, for obvious reasons. Several hadn't, and Lee had seen them wandering across the grounds in clusters, pairs and on their own. Jude had turned around to Lee this morning and told him that there was no way in hell he was gonna let the goddam weather stop him from going riding, and had left promptly. Lee hoped it was going well, because as much as Lee liked the rain, he felt it would be a little miserable trying to move a horse across the open country fields.
Twice now, he'd considered that he was wasting his time, and that he could always head to the village and get Jude something for his upcoming birthday, and twice, he had dismissed this. The idea of Jude being 17, and leaving him behind again, depressed him. It felt like on the whole '16' front, he'd only just caught up.
But it had been months, hadn't it?
He didn't think Jude and Tameron were going home to Texas to see their family. Neither seemed particularly enthralled by the prospect of the summer, though Jude kept sighing, and saying he missed the dry, Texas winds.
There. The rain thing was just a matter of where you lived. If Jude was Irish, he'd be singing a different tune. If Jude was Irish, he'd hope the rain never stopped-
Alright. That was an exaggeration.
He would... er... appreciate it more, was all.
Over the gentle patter of the rain, Lee thought he could hear voices. People must be somewhere in a nearby garden. He listened closely for a few minutes, but soon, he heard the sound of footsteps retreating.
Then there was nothing but the rain once more.
The thunder kept growing louder. Lee had the feeling a storm was coming, and that it would be wise to get inside as soon as possible. But... honestly... he didn't want to. Not yet. Instead, he focused on the arcs of the drops of water as they bounced across the ground. Puddles were forming everywhere, and the greenery was so weighed down by the water, plants were beginning to bend over. There could be lightning.
Was he likely to be struck by lightning if he stayed here?
Maybe.
Someone else obviously had dismissed the risks Lee was now considering. From the next garden, where he'd heard the people earlier, he was surprised to hear footsteps once more.
Except this time, the footsteps were walking towards him, not away.
