Lighting a Match in the Rain

Chapter Four

In my freshman year of high school, someone walked up to me and told me that I carried myself well. I didn't know this girl and had never seen her walking the same halls as me. At the moment, I didn't completely understand what she meant, and honestly, I still don't. Nonetheless, I took it as a great compliment, thanked her, and watched her as she left me with a smile on both of our faces. I never learned even just her name.

Maybe I looked confident and happy? Maybe my steps were light, and my expression was glowing? I don't know. And I'll never know exactly what she meant because I didn't ask, and I'll most likely never see her again. Even if I do see her again, I doubt she'd remember the occurrence because it wasn't as significant to her as it was to me. But some things are fun left to wonder about.

I don't think everyone we encounter is necessarily supposed to last in our lives forever, whether we speak only a few words to them, or we build a type of relationship with them. Actually, I think most people we meet are supposed to only be in our lives for a brief moment and I'll tell you why. People teach you, whether you realize it or not. They teach you rights and wrongs, show you doors of opportunities, make you feel better for a little while, show you how to love others and yourself, how to take care of yourself, and even how to handle yourself. And sometimes, they are just with you for one night so you can spill all your thoughts, and burdens and they can advise you through it.

Not everyone stays with you forever. And that's okay. Just make sure you thank them for what they've given you before you move too far along without them. I didn't thank that girl, but ever since, I've tried to carry myself the exact same way I was in that brief moment I knew her.

I sat down in my empty seat in front of Julian. Kinsley and Dante had yet to arrive, so I went ahead and greeted him with a smile as I pushed my bag under my desk. "Hey."

"Hey," he grinned a little too brightly. "So, I was wondering if you could stay after school with me...to start our project of course," he added.

"The project?" I repeated though I had heard him clearly. "The deadline isn't for another two weeks. It'll only take us one or two evenings to finish." I reached into my backpack and grabbed my small black notebook and my pen.

Julian took a breath, sitting up straighter in his seat. "I know, but we haven't even discussed a topic yet, and I was kind of hoping we could go ahead and get it all done as soon as possible," he mentioned. "I'm the kind of person who will just stress about it if I know it isn't ready to turn in." His pale hand reached up and pushed a piece of his brown hair out of his face, though it was pointless because it fell right back into place.

I didn't miss the worry that was planted in his nervous stare. Taking a deep breath, I nodded, not wanting to be the reason for this guy's anxiety attack just because I refused to start a project early. That would surely be on my guilty conscience for the rest of my life, and that adding something else was something I couldn't handle. "Okay. We can go ahead and get it over with then."

Julian exhaled air of relief. "Great. So, library? Right after school?"

I rhythmically tapped my fingers on the table. "Actually, no, I have to take my sister home after school."

"Oh, okay. Can we work on it at your house then? I can just follow you there," he suggested.

I hummed. Did I want this guy at my house? No. I haven't had a guy over since Owen and my parents would for sure tease me about it for months on end. "My mom's an artist and working on a big project in my living room. There's no room. And it'll be distracting."

Julian leaned back in his metal seat, an odd look for an expression that I was unable to read. "My house it is then," he decided. "Though I'll warn you, my brother can be annoying."