RAINSTORM

Ch. 3

Rachel yanks the jacket away from the closet, walks to the front yard and dumps it into the trashcan. The garbage truck arrives right at that moment and Rachel watches it empty the trashcan with a satisfied smile on her face.

The next day morning when she opens her closet doors the jacket is hanging in there.

Shocked and angry Rachel once again grabs it and walks to the front of the house and throws it into trashcan. And just like before she watches it getting picked up by the garbage truck.

But it comes back the following day. Dangling down from the rod, in the middle of her closet, mocking at her.

Rachel terrifying realizes it's cursed and wants to kill her. At night, the jacket hovers above her while she's asleep. Its arms reach out for her neck.

RACHEL WAKES UP from the nightmare, startled. When she becomes aware it was only a dream she feels relieved. But soon realizes the real nightmare has just begun as it feels like tens of thousands of needles have been stabbed into her legs.

She took all the precautions last night. Like soaking in her bathtub filled with warm water and salt. She rubbed muscle relaxant all over her legs. The tube is nearly empty, and she and her room smell like eucalyptus.

Rachel was hoping her effort would pay off and she won't feel anything today. That didn't happen.

Nevertheless, she gets ready and leaves for school. As the day goes on, Rachel feels the pain come and go. Every time she sits down and stands up pain grabs onto her legs like a frightened octopus.

"YOU HAVE A partner for the Rattler Competition?" Ricky Marvin asks Rachel as she's disturbing the bottom of her locker in the hope of finding a heat patch.

Rachel looks up at Ricky cautiously. She doesn't have a partner. But if he's asking because he wants to be her partner, she's not sure how to answer.

It's not that Rachel dislikes Ricky. Ricky is a fellow A grade nerd like her. But they couldn't be more different.

Ricky is tall. Wears sharp glasses. Handsome. Uptight. Snob. Likes to correct people all the time. Is immune to being bullied since his grandfather is one of the school's board of directors. Plus, he's also a Judo champion. He's one of those rare nerds who's up in the social hierarchy.

If Rachel partners with him, she'll have to deal with his arrogant attitude, like many of his past team members have had. He'll surely want things done his way.

"Why are you asking?" Rachel says while resuming her rummaging into her locker.

"Would you like to be my partner?" He says.

See? Rachel thinks. Instead of asking if she would like to have him as her partner, he asks if she would like to be his.

"If you're competing, too, we should be in separate teams. More chance for our school to win," Rachel says, finally finding the bundle of heat patches she was looking for. She keeps them for the painful cramps.

"If we do it together then the probability of us winning is even higher," Ricky says.

"I think I'm partnering with Jessie," Rachel says. Which is not entirely a lie.

"Why?" Ricky says, "She didn't even pass the first round at the Math event."

"So? She's good at Chemistry," Rachel says and starts to leave.

Ricky blocks her way. "Just do yourself a favor and partner with me. Or are you worried I'll outperform you if we're together?" He says.

"The only thing she's worried about is if she'll end up strangling you while working together," Annie says from behind them.