rain pours and closet doors • River Phoenix

Ditch for the risk

"What is that?" Saturn says, taking his parka off his shoulders.

"Oh, uh, it's a letter from Berklee." River shrugs, handing her the soggy inky paper.

She grabs it, gently opened it, and read the first sentence before it started to smudge. "Your going to Berklee College of Music? and you didn't tell me!" She says enthusiastically.

"Well, I didn't actually think I was going to get in, you know, with the amazing luck I've been having." He says nervously.

"God, what do you do?" She asks, going into the kitchen to make him some hot tea.

He follows her, "Um, piano." He said as he sits at the table.

"Oh well then! We have to get you a piano!" She says, pouring hot water into a mug.

"Okay," he breaths. A smile on his face, while leaning on his elbows with his hands intertwined.

"So uh, what's the mail girls name?" He said softly, watching his hands.

Saturn laughs to herself, bringing the hot mug to him, and sitting next to him at the table. "Weather, Weather Morn Dew."

He took a sip of the hot beverage, letting it warm up his insides before he spoke. "That's a strange name."

"Yeah, well she is a strange girl." She nodded snickering.

River suddenly felt a need to defend the girl, even though he started the conversation.

"Uh, how?" He said, staring at Saturn, keeping the mug in between his hands.

"Well, her family has lived here since she was born, i went to her moms baby shower. Man, their house reminds me of my teenage years, the 60's." She shivered as if it gave her the creeps, "They took her out of grade school before she could even hit junior high. Poor girl couldn't make any friends, just her family."

He looked down at his brown tea, letting the steam hit his face.

Homeschooled, he thought to himself in disbelief.

"Is she uh," he cleared his throat. "My age?"

Saturn raised an eyebrow, pleased with how much he was talking to her, but skeptical on the subject.

What was so interesting about this girl? She thought to herself.

"Yeah, I'd say about sixteen." She nodded, getting up and walking to the kitchen.

River slumped down in the chair, bringing the cup to his lips. Thinking about the way she spun around, and the way she laughed when he jumped in excitement.

He smiled to himself, sipping the last of his tea.

☂

River awoke to a scratching sound.

"God dammit Rob! You're ruining the wood floors!" Saturn yells, loud enough for River to hear.

River sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes, and running his fingers through his hair.

He looked up at the time, 8:12 am.

An hour and three minutes till school starts. He sighed, getting out of bed, and heading strait to the window. The ground looked wet, but it wasn't raining.

It must of rained last night, he thought to himself.

"Robert!" She wined, "Look what you did!"

"Is it where you want it?" He panted.

"Yeah sure, now go to work will yah?" She joked, kissing him on the lips, before he left out the door.