The Umbrella

Meeting

Sara Moore stared at the clock in her biology class. Just a few minutes until she was finished school. For a Monday, it was a pretty good day. For the first time in almost a week, it hadn't rained. Sara sighed contentedly and cast her eyes out the window. She saw the tops of green trees littered outside her upstairs classroom.

Out of nowhere, small raindrops began to fall. "So much for not raining," Sara silently cursed the clouds. Mind you, for a midwinter's day, it really shouldn't have been a surprise.

Sara snapped back to attention as her teacher assigned homework. "Three pages in the workbook - how fun," Sara scrunched her nose, shoving books into her bag. She saw her umbrella sitting neatly beside her drink bottle and praised herself for remembering it.

"No! It can't rain today," cried Sara's best friend, Lacey, from next to her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Why?" another voice asked from the opposite end of the table.

This voice belonged to Calvin. Sara's group of friends consisted of Lacey, Calvin and herself. Biology was perfect for the group. Not only were they all in the same class, but all of the tables were placed in groups of three. This meant they could all sit together. It also meant they could talk during class, which they did constantly. 

Lacey looked up and stared at Calvin for a second or two. She blinked a few times, giving him a look that said "You are an idiot." 

"Calvin, can't you see that I've straightened my hair today? I'm going out to dinner with Damon's family for his birthday and I'm not going to look like I just climbed out a sewer!"

Damon was Lacey's boyfriend, who'd just turned 17 (only a few months behind Lacey and the rest of Sara's friends). This would be the first time Lacey would meet his parents, despite the two dating for almost a year. Damon went to a high school one town over, and occasionally hung out with the group. Sara almost didn't believe he existed until she ran into him and Lacey on a date one day. Before Damon Lacey was hard to pin down, but they seem as happy together as Sara is being single.

"Relax, Lace, I'll walk you to the bus. I've got my umbrella," Sara piped up, waving the object in question towards her friend.

The girl shot her a grateful look as the bell rang. Students bustled out of the classroom and down the metal stairs before departing in different ways. Sara and Lacey shuffled out amongst the middle of the group, loosing Calvin completely.

"Hold up, I need to go to my locker," Sara said, pointing down the hall they'd entered. Her locker was in the science block, so it made for an easy trip. The pair slipped out from the mass of people and made a beeline for their destination. Sara put her key in the lock, before shoving a few books in and taking double out. "Why do we get assigned so much homework?" she sighed, knowing she'd be up half the night trying to get all of this done.

A small voice suddenly speaks from next to Sara, but what it says is something incomprehensible. Sara turns to figure out who it's coming from and finds herself looking into wide, hazel eyes. They belonged to a girl, but they were definitely not Lacey's - her's were a bright blue. Sara politely let the stranger know she didn't hear her, all the while wondering who she was. She'd seen her before - the blonde haired girl sat directly in front of her in English. Sara couldn't recall if she'd ever heard her speak. And what was her name?

"Um, I said... excuse me please," the shorter girl stuttered a little louder.

"Oh? Oh! Sorry," Sara smiled, closing her locker and moving out of the girl's way. It was then that Sara realised there was somewhere else she'd seen the girl - they often waited near each other after school for their rides to pick them up.