Acid Gems

Chapter 1

-Meg-

I sit, back against the window glass, listening to the thrum of rain drops as they begin to pursue their way into my house. I watch the leaks, water dripping steadily, droplets flitting to the floor every three seconds. The ceiling is weeping, water pooling on the wood floor steadily, just to be disturbed by another falling drop.

"Meg?" A deep voice calls to me, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps ascending the stairs.

I don't answer.

Alexander, my best friend, walks into the room, stopping momentarily to examine the leaks. He looks at me, his green eyes traveling back to the leaks as every drop strikes the already wet floors.

I look away quickly, my gaze drifting to one of the many puddles on the floor, which had increasingly developed into a sort of lake on the uneven wood floorboards of the room, water extending throughout, reaching every wall and seeping through every corner, crack and crevice-

"Why are you moping up here alone? Moping when you should be mopping...." He grins at his pun, which I roll my eyes at. Leave it to him to be cheesy when there are more important matters at hand. I ignore his attempts at starting conversation and turn back to the window.

It's storming more frequently these days, each drop eroding bits and pieces of our fragile home and washing them away, down to the river and down the drain pipe, along with all my once precious memories.

Alex leans against the sill next to me, his hands in his faded jean pockets. He glances at me as I watch the raindrops slide down the glass until they fall the remaining two stories to the ground. The once bright pink roses on the sill outside are now a limp gray, drooping down to the soil box they are planted in. Water pools in the box, making it more liquid than it is soil. Even the plants are in an awful mood.

I sigh and turn to face my best friend. "What?" I say, my voice quiet under the loud patter of rain on the rooftops.

He just stares at me, giving me this look I know all too well. "Don't 'what' me, Meggie Olivia Hunt. I know why you're blue, but that's no excuse. C'mon. Let's go."

"Go where? Where do you expect us to go? There's nothing for miles. And it's raining, if you didn't notice. I'm not putting on the suit anytime soon, thanks," I tell him. Mom would call my attitude hostile if she was here.

I miss her more than anything. Her and Carson, my little brother. I wanted them back. Losing them had taken its toll on me. Big time.

I sigh and direct my gaze back towards the storms. I watch as the billowy, cotton-ball clouds roll in, sweeping over every dot of once bright blue sky, leaving darkness in its place. Rain continues to fall as the ominous clouds make their way towards my house, spraying the window. Drops of pale brown-yellow water spill down my window, making the view beyond look distorted and wavy.

Alex looks at me as I wait for him to respond. I eye him through my peripheral vision, refusing to peer directly into his. Sometimes I hated him. Sometimes I hated how good of a friend he could be, how loyal he was. Always trying to help 'get me back on my feet,' as Mom would've said. But, I didn't need help getting back on my feet. I was fine where I was, on my feet or not.

He plops down next to me on the white-painted wooden sill, kicking his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles. I don't look at him- I can't. Not when I know he can make me smile, just by giving me one of those old grins that I haven't seen in awhile. I don't want to smile. I'm stubborn like that.

He pokes me. "Can I help you with something?" I drawl sarcastically, putting on my poker face. I don't need him to make me laugh. I don't want to laugh. The weather matches my mood perfectly as lightning strikes outside the window in the yard, illuminating my peripherals with white energy.