Summer in the Rain (Ereri/Riren AU)

Act Two

What was it with that kid? Myabe it was the way he spoke to me...without the pitied tone used by so many others. He adressed me clearly and directly, unlike everyone else's blinding stares, hushed tones. I could feel it everywhere I went, mothers bending down to their little kids and pointing him out. Me.

Trost was supposed to be my fresh start. The perfect little town where everyone knew everyone. Except me. Exactly what I wanted. I guess so far, the white-picket-fence fresh start has worked. The heavyweighted stares from my before were nonexistent here. As were most of the residents.

The only thing unusal about Trost was it's quantity of rainfall. I would've chosen differently if I had known I would be spending my summer in the rain. The foolish paperboy from earlier was the first person that I know of, besides myself, to tread on the porch. And he didn't just tread. He stomped around it with his mud-caked sneakers.

Taking baths always helped me unwind. Silly, yes. Affective, very. The miracle a good bath can do for one, after a week of unpacking and staying under the radar, was truly miraculous. I allowed my eyes to rest for a moment, letting the water un-tense my taut muscles. I let my head fall back and my spine curve to the curve of the tub. My head bobbed at the surface for a moment, before I submerged myself completely.

As much as I as I enjoyed the moment of peace, it came to an abrupt end, like most do. This one was disturbed by my phone's incessant buzzing. I gritted my teeth and refused to have my peace interrupted by some bastard who thought he was more important than my relaxation.

I knew it couldn't be anyone good, anway. The entire damned phone is filled with numbers of what I was trying to avoid-life. Or, at least, life before. Picket-fence, I reminded myself as I breathed through my nose, the only thing above-water.

The buzzing should've stopped by now. Sure, it may have been urgent. I mentally prepared myself for the angst that came with anything from the before of my life. I lazily stuck out my middle finger to press talk and then speaker. At least I could flip the person off.

"Who the fuck is this?" I mumbled, but being underwater, it came out as blugh blugh blurble blub. I sat up, excess water cascading over the edge of the tub. I repeated myself once more, and heard crackling on the reciever. Cackling, not crackling.

"Oh, Mr. Levi, you always were a funny one. Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor!" Bellowed the instantly recognizable voice. An image of a tall blond flashed in my mind. How does cussing him out count as humor? I rolled my eyes, uncaring of the fact that yes, this was a phone call. He couldn't see me.

"Cut to the chase," I sighed. Erwin Smith, my annoying-as-hell banker who was always calling at the wrong time, was one of the few I had told about my fresh start. Huge. mistake. I gritted my teeth and reclined in the bath, phone in had. Yeah, I was taking a risk. I knew I could lose my phone if I dropped it, but part of me wanted to loose it so I wouldn't have to deal with him, or anyone who dared call me.

"It's just that, Mr. Levi, I just called to check that," I resisted the urge to crush my phone, or tell him to yet again cut to the chase, but I knew it would only lead to him stalling once more. "Do you still want to continue your thousand-dollars-a-month donation to funding cancer research? I know you've got nothing to do with the money, but-"

"Here me now, Shitbrows. The disease that claimed death to both my parents and left me in the mess I am now, I want it to fucking burn in hell as it deserves. So yes, I'd like to continue throwing away my meaningless inheritance to what some of us might think of as a meaningful fucking organization. Good afternon." Click.

I set my phone back down and took a breath to calm myself. I let my mind wander, and no surprise, it wandered back to the paperboy from this morning. Something about the kid seemed...familiar? No. In fact, he was a perfect stranger, like the rest of the poeple in this town. He seemed friendly enough, yes, but there was something more about him.

In my mind's eye I coulld picture him. His soft brown hair, sparkling green eyes. The childish grin he had on, that had faded at my harsh words. His apologetic look, his awkward leaving. He looked like the kind of person you could dance with in the rain.

Somehow, I found myself looking forward to my next delivery of the mail.

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Haha sorry for, one, the late update, and two, all the backstory stuff. It'll make sense I swear. See you guys next time!

~Faith