03-26-2007, 10:35 AM
First thing I've posted in here for a while. I like it, for the most part. Your thoughts?
*
Laughter. She was wondering where it came from. Where are you?! she thought, looking around for the sound's origin.
It had been raining for several hours by the time Jessica made it to that point. The rain came down form above, with no discernable origin. The droplets were spread out enough that you could concentrate on one drop falling, as it quivered in the gentle breeze to eventually splash against the ground, soon to met by its cousins, yet close enough that if you looked straight ahead of you all you would see is a haze of colours caused by the houses in the distance being visible for a split second. It was not a pelting rain, but more soft, like a blanket that is continually being placed over you, eventually numbing her limbs, which was quite a relief, since she was tired having to hold her arms across her chest so tightly.
The night had started terribly well. Jessica had gotten back from an outing with her friends to the local Burger King, where they came close to being kicked out for "disorderly conduct." She was the last to be dropped off, as always, but she liked that; it gave her a chance to have some alone time with her best friend, Tyler. "It's going to start raining any second now," he said calmly, almost apathetically.
"I'd love that," Jessica said, stretching her arms out in a yawn. The rain always feels refreshing for me."
"That because your happy." They pulled up to a red light, and Jessica looked outside of her window to see a woman in another car. She was about to examine her a bit, but then a raindrop fell onto her window and blurred the vision of the woman, and before she knew it, they were off again. "For me, it's always as though the world is crying with me."
"That sounds sad," Jessica said soothingly, looking at Tyler with deep eyes. That was the first time that she noticed the stubble on his face. It looked so disorderly, with most of it being invisible against his skin, with patches of a white and dark roughhewn beard.
"Maybe because I am," Tyler said, looking over back at her, straight into her eyes. For the first time she had ever been with him, Jessica was afraid. Not of Tyler doing something to him, but because there was much more to Tyler than she thought. She had never believed the nonsense that a person's eyes are a window into their soul, but that belief was being challenged, and with vigour.
They were empty. No, that was not the word: they were lost. Wait, that was not it either, they were broken. Maybe all? "We're here," Tyler said dejectedly. Jessica did not want to give up looking at his eyes. She knew she had to go, though, so she sat up, grabbed her coat from off the chair, and began for her house. When she looked back at Tyler all she could see were his eyes, even though the rain blurred most of her vision.
"Why did I let my homework pile up all week?" That was an easy question to answer: she had a job. However, why she had a job, particularly one she disliked, she had no idea. She was a stocker at the grocery store closest to her, she she worked from six till nine every Monday through Friday. Her parents did not like that it interfered with her homework, but they also said that she needed to get a job if she wanted them to pay half for a car if she ever got her driver's licence. Parents can be so confusing, she often thought, along with, Oh, the life of a sixteen-year-old.
"Why do I need to learn about Epicureanism, anyway?" She would much rather be listening to her music, but she knew that if she did, she would end up just listening to it and not do any of her homework. "Oh, well."
Tyler had been right about it raining, but he did not foresee it being as bad as Jessica saw it being. An hour had passed between drying off, homework, and music, and still, the rain was coming down. She loved the rain, for it always refreshed her, but it only did so when it was falling over her, with her head reared up. Music did not make her happy like most other things. The rain, Italian food, cars, and clothes all made her happy, but not things like music, writing, or thinking, like most other people that she knew seemed to enjoy, but a distraction was a distraction.
She did, however, venture over to her window, which was opposite her door, and opened it. It was merely one that went out from the base by half-a-foot with a screen in the way, but it still allowed some of the water to come in. It was merely trickles of it, but it was enough for her worries of homework to wash away. The smell of it was also washing over her, but, also unlike most people she knew, she gained no satisfaction out of it.
Jessica wanted more. She knew that she would not be able to climb out her window, as she had tried before and had to call her dad for help. She would, however, be able to exit through the back door if she was able to not have her parents hear a single noise. She made way for her door; that part was easy, of course.
On her way down her stairs, Jessica's dog, Roxie, started to run towards her. She tried to make her go away, but it was no use. She continued down the stairs with her dog following behind, panting wildly. Jessica shot daggers at Roxie with her eyes, but her dog could never tell when someone was anything but happy. Roxie seemed to be fairly stupid at times, but Jessica regarded the dog's ability to be happy with toys and the such something most people should learn. Eventually she reached the kitchen. Almost there. Now I just gotta get rid of Roxie. Roxie moved toward a cupboard, and then Jessica heard a thu-chunk.
Crap.
"Jessica?" her dad called from the living room, which adjoined the kitchen at two entrances. Jessica's heart started to beat wildly, and her breathing became rapid and heavy, but she was still able to make out the slight sound of him shifting in his chair. All of a sudden, Roxie darted for the living room, which only caused Jessica's fear to heighten.
"Oh, it's just Roxie," she heard her mother say, and she let out a breath of relief. She made it toward the door, and eventually she was outside. The rain washed over her body, and a smile soon came over her for the first time since she was left in the car alone with Tyler. Then all of a sudden she was very aware that she left her coat inside, but she decided she would not need one. She was clad in a pair of old jeans that were ripped and faded at the knees, a deep purple shirt, and some bowling shoes - she loved to wear bowling shoes to practically everywhere.
Jessica raised her head, and allowed the raindrops to flow into her mouth, quenching a thirst she did not know she had. She looked around, searching, and she noticed that her little brother had finally cleaned up the backyard, which meant that it was free to be her platform. She raced over to it, and began to dance around wildly. It was not what most would call dancing, with her arms flailing about haphazardly, but it still had an unnatural elegance to it, as though she worked terribly hard to look that silly. The large, blossoming tree in the middle of the yard provided a place for her to take a rest and giggle. She reached up to grab one of the premature flowers and grabbed it from its home. Once she brought it to her face, she realised that it was actually a fully matured flower. She loved the flower; not for its fragrance nor for any metaphysical connection involving it that so many people come up with, but just because it was a beautiful, pink, fully-matured flower.
She started to walk. Not necessarily towards anywhere, but the rain just seemed so comforting that she had to let it take her. It was late at night, and traffic was always very light around where she lived, so she felt comfortable walking in the middle of the street. Everything felt much more equal from there, she could view everything to her right and to her left, as the light permitted. Eventually she realized where she was going.
Tyler had been her best friend for four years, and she was disappointed in herself for not noticing how depressed he was before. After he dropped her off, she recollected so many times where he said something passively that, in hindsight, she should not have taken passively. "I'm coming, Tyler," she said, allowing her hands to drop to her sides and a stern look to overcome her. The comfort that the rain gave her allowed he to keep on going, but it no longer filled her with the warmth it had been.
She came up to his house, but found it to be a great difficulty to actually ring the doorbell. The time of night was not concerning her, even though it was nearing midnight, but this was probably going to be the first serious conversation she would have with him, at least where it is not her pouring out her stress and heart. Eventually she pressed the bell, and a queasiness engulfed her stomach in a second. Please, let this go alright.
The door opened, and to her relief it was Tyler and not one of his parents. "Hello?" he said, surprised to see her. His eyes were opened wide, with an eyebrow perked up, and his mouth was slightly ajar.
With a sinking smile, she held out her hand, the beautiful, pink, fully-matured flower in it. "Hi," she said, as though it was the first time she had ever said it. Tyler accepted the flower with one hand and invited her in with another. As he began to close the door, Jessica looked up and she nearly burst out in laughter.
Laughter. She was wondering where it came from. Where isn't it? she thought, listening to the night laugh as the rain bounced off roof tops.
*
Laughter. She was wondering where it came from. Where are you?! she thought, looking around for the sound's origin.
It had been raining for several hours by the time Jessica made it to that point. The rain came down form above, with no discernable origin. The droplets were spread out enough that you could concentrate on one drop falling, as it quivered in the gentle breeze to eventually splash against the ground, soon to met by its cousins, yet close enough that if you looked straight ahead of you all you would see is a haze of colours caused by the houses in the distance being visible for a split second. It was not a pelting rain, but more soft, like a blanket that is continually being placed over you, eventually numbing her limbs, which was quite a relief, since she was tired having to hold her arms across her chest so tightly.
The night had started terribly well. Jessica had gotten back from an outing with her friends to the local Burger King, where they came close to being kicked out for "disorderly conduct." She was the last to be dropped off, as always, but she liked that; it gave her a chance to have some alone time with her best friend, Tyler. "It's going to start raining any second now," he said calmly, almost apathetically.
"I'd love that," Jessica said, stretching her arms out in a yawn. The rain always feels refreshing for me."
"That because your happy." They pulled up to a red light, and Jessica looked outside of her window to see a woman in another car. She was about to examine her a bit, but then a raindrop fell onto her window and blurred the vision of the woman, and before she knew it, they were off again. "For me, it's always as though the world is crying with me."
"That sounds sad," Jessica said soothingly, looking at Tyler with deep eyes. That was the first time that she noticed the stubble on his face. It looked so disorderly, with most of it being invisible against his skin, with patches of a white and dark roughhewn beard.
"Maybe because I am," Tyler said, looking over back at her, straight into her eyes. For the first time she had ever been with him, Jessica was afraid. Not of Tyler doing something to him, but because there was much more to Tyler than she thought. She had never believed the nonsense that a person's eyes are a window into their soul, but that belief was being challenged, and with vigour.
They were empty. No, that was not the word: they were lost. Wait, that was not it either, they were broken. Maybe all? "We're here," Tyler said dejectedly. Jessica did not want to give up looking at his eyes. She knew she had to go, though, so she sat up, grabbed her coat from off the chair, and began for her house. When she looked back at Tyler all she could see were his eyes, even though the rain blurred most of her vision.
"Why did I let my homework pile up all week?" That was an easy question to answer: she had a job. However, why she had a job, particularly one she disliked, she had no idea. She was a stocker at the grocery store closest to her, she she worked from six till nine every Monday through Friday. Her parents did not like that it interfered with her homework, but they also said that she needed to get a job if she wanted them to pay half for a car if she ever got her driver's licence. Parents can be so confusing, she often thought, along with, Oh, the life of a sixteen-year-old.
"Why do I need to learn about Epicureanism, anyway?" She would much rather be listening to her music, but she knew that if she did, she would end up just listening to it and not do any of her homework. "Oh, well."
Tyler had been right about it raining, but he did not foresee it being as bad as Jessica saw it being. An hour had passed between drying off, homework, and music, and still, the rain was coming down. She loved the rain, for it always refreshed her, but it only did so when it was falling over her, with her head reared up. Music did not make her happy like most other things. The rain, Italian food, cars, and clothes all made her happy, but not things like music, writing, or thinking, like most other people that she knew seemed to enjoy, but a distraction was a distraction.
She did, however, venture over to her window, which was opposite her door, and opened it. It was merely one that went out from the base by half-a-foot with a screen in the way, but it still allowed some of the water to come in. It was merely trickles of it, but it was enough for her worries of homework to wash away. The smell of it was also washing over her, but, also unlike most people she knew, she gained no satisfaction out of it.
Jessica wanted more. She knew that she would not be able to climb out her window, as she had tried before and had to call her dad for help. She would, however, be able to exit through the back door if she was able to not have her parents hear a single noise. She made way for her door; that part was easy, of course.
On her way down her stairs, Jessica's dog, Roxie, started to run towards her. She tried to make her go away, but it was no use. She continued down the stairs with her dog following behind, panting wildly. Jessica shot daggers at Roxie with her eyes, but her dog could never tell when someone was anything but happy. Roxie seemed to be fairly stupid at times, but Jessica regarded the dog's ability to be happy with toys and the such something most people should learn. Eventually she reached the kitchen. Almost there. Now I just gotta get rid of Roxie. Roxie moved toward a cupboard, and then Jessica heard a thu-chunk.
Crap.
"Jessica?" her dad called from the living room, which adjoined the kitchen at two entrances. Jessica's heart started to beat wildly, and her breathing became rapid and heavy, but she was still able to make out the slight sound of him shifting in his chair. All of a sudden, Roxie darted for the living room, which only caused Jessica's fear to heighten.
"Oh, it's just Roxie," she heard her mother say, and she let out a breath of relief. She made it toward the door, and eventually she was outside. The rain washed over her body, and a smile soon came over her for the first time since she was left in the car alone with Tyler. Then all of a sudden she was very aware that she left her coat inside, but she decided she would not need one. She was clad in a pair of old jeans that were ripped and faded at the knees, a deep purple shirt, and some bowling shoes - she loved to wear bowling shoes to practically everywhere.
Jessica raised her head, and allowed the raindrops to flow into her mouth, quenching a thirst she did not know she had. She looked around, searching, and she noticed that her little brother had finally cleaned up the backyard, which meant that it was free to be her platform. She raced over to it, and began to dance around wildly. It was not what most would call dancing, with her arms flailing about haphazardly, but it still had an unnatural elegance to it, as though she worked terribly hard to look that silly. The large, blossoming tree in the middle of the yard provided a place for her to take a rest and giggle. She reached up to grab one of the premature flowers and grabbed it from its home. Once she brought it to her face, she realised that it was actually a fully matured flower. She loved the flower; not for its fragrance nor for any metaphysical connection involving it that so many people come up with, but just because it was a beautiful, pink, fully-matured flower.
She started to walk. Not necessarily towards anywhere, but the rain just seemed so comforting that she had to let it take her. It was late at night, and traffic was always very light around where she lived, so she felt comfortable walking in the middle of the street. Everything felt much more equal from there, she could view everything to her right and to her left, as the light permitted. Eventually she realized where she was going.
Tyler had been her best friend for four years, and she was disappointed in herself for not noticing how depressed he was before. After he dropped her off, she recollected so many times where he said something passively that, in hindsight, she should not have taken passively. "I'm coming, Tyler," she said, allowing her hands to drop to her sides and a stern look to overcome her. The comfort that the rain gave her allowed he to keep on going, but it no longer filled her with the warmth it had been.
She came up to his house, but found it to be a great difficulty to actually ring the doorbell. The time of night was not concerning her, even though it was nearing midnight, but this was probably going to be the first serious conversation she would have with him, at least where it is not her pouring out her stress and heart. Eventually she pressed the bell, and a queasiness engulfed her stomach in a second. Please, let this go alright.
The door opened, and to her relief it was Tyler and not one of his parents. "Hello?" he said, surprised to see her. His eyes were opened wide, with an eyebrow perked up, and his mouth was slightly ajar.
With a sinking smile, she held out her hand, the beautiful, pink, fully-matured flower in it. "Hi," she said, as though it was the first time she had ever said it. Tyler accepted the flower with one hand and invited her in with another. As he began to close the door, Jessica looked up and she nearly burst out in laughter.
Laughter. She was wondering where it came from. Where isn't it? she thought, listening to the night laugh as the rain bounced off roof tops.
"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl."
![[Image: HFSeventeen.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/hf17/HFSeventeen.jpg)