Tom stepped out of the station after a couple of more songs. He rode on his bicycle and pedalled furiously, the cars and people around him nothing but multicoloured blurs. Slowly the grey, red, black and blue blurs began to be replaced by different hues of green.
A smile graced his lips, as his sadness was replaced by peace. He reached a valley surrounded by slopes covered in bushes and grasses. Birds could be heard chirping somewhere. Horses were galloping nearby a big pond. He parked his bicycle on one side of the lane and breathed in the fresh air.
'You are out there,
I hear you calling from behind, the star fields.
I feel you,
Radiating energy like, eternal northern lights.'
Tom began to roam around, singing Telescope of Starset with camera in hand, clicking picture after picture of the green beauty surrounding him when suddenly....drip.
A drop of water fell on his glasses, followed by another, then another, until there was water falling all around him, soaking him completely. He didn't mind though. Instead, he grinned like a Cheshire cat and started clicking more pictures. He seldom got the chance to capture nature bathing in its own showers. His 'oh so charming' DD never let him go out when it was raining, afraid that he will catch a cold.
As he crouched and clicked the picture of droplets on the green leaves of bushes, he swore he heard screaming from somewhere. Curiously, he followed the scream sounds. He climbed up a small valley and saw, through the pouring rain, two ladies, dancing 'Puddledance' and jumping about in the rain, shouting Walt Disney song at the top of their voices on the other side.
'Zinging in the air and I don't have a care.
I'm winging from the zing that we share.
Zinging in the rain.
Now I'm feeling no pain.
It's real, time for celebrating cause you're my zing.'
Among the two ladies, the brunette sand this stanza on the top of her voice, and laughed loudly after that.
And, the latter, the blonde one, scowled. 'This one's better.' She said.
'Pouring the fuel, fanning the flames,
Breaking the habit and melting the chains.
Embracing the fear, chasing the fight,
The glow of the fire will light up the night.
The bridges are...damn forgot the song again!' She chuckled.
'The bridges are burning, the heat on my face,
Making the past an unreachable place.
Pouring the fuel, fanning the flames,
I know, this is the point of no return.' Tom sang the song from above, very loudly.
They were both extremely surprised. The more childish and cuter one of the two almost fell down on the puddle in her surprise. They both whipped heads towards him, scowling. Despite their angry glares, he kept his cool.
So that's what he did, he carefully strode right to them. They never left his gaze. So he cleared his throat.
As they were completely oblivious to the world around them while they skipped and jumped about, they had their hair sticking to their faces, and their clothes soaked through. They didn't seem to mind these things one bit.
He suddenly had the urge to click a picture of them. After all, they looked so carefree, so oblivious and so... Happy. He was just about to point the camera at them when the moralistic side of his mind spoke up. 'Shouldn't you ask their permission first, Tom?'
'Hello, ladies. Sorry to bother you. But, what are you two doing in the rain? Don't you think you'll catch a cold?' He asked slowly.
'Umm...we were just enjoying.' The one who fell in the puddle, answered slowly.
'Excuse me, Mister 'I-Am-Your-Mother' what are you doing up here? Won't you catch a cold? Or, are you immune to it?' The girl who was standing, stood protectively in front of the fallen one, shielding her from Tom.
'Now this one is some sort of snoot.' Tom thought.
'Caring for people don't need any tax. Plus, who would like to watch pretty girls with running nose?' Tom played coy with them.
'Okay. That's it. What do you want?'
'Finally 'Snoot Queen' back on the right track.' Tom stifled a laugh.
'You both look very pretty in the rain. I was wondering if you would allow me to at least take one picture. That's all I want. Hi! I am Tom.' Tom introduced him to them.
'Addy.' The cuter one grinned nervously.
'And you are?' Tom asked to the 'Snoot Queen'.
'Nobody.' She answered grumpily, glaring at Addy.
'Okay. Hey, Addy, Nobody! Would you please let me take a picture of you two...in the same jumping in the puddle pose. That'd be really wonderful.' He rambled on.
'I am so sorry Mister...Dick...is it? We are not interested in anybody taking our picture. You may leave.'
'Mayday! Mayday! Captain Thomas, Snoot Queen is getting wrong navigational signals!' Tom thought.
He sighed. 'It's Tom. You both looked so carefree that I just wanted to capture that moment, not you people. After all, you seldom see people be so oblivious and carefree in this busy world.' He said, giving his best smile.
'Seems like a nice guy. Modest.' Addy thought in her head as she exchanged a look with her friend, Olivia. Who, shook her head.
'How about, no?' Olivia said, looking at him straight in the eye with a frown. His smile dropped.
'Why not? Just one picture, I promise.' He said, persuasively.
'And what will you do with it, may I ask?' She asked.
'I'll just keep it. Photography is my passion.' He said, using his charming smile.
'I never knew someone who can talk so fluently is interested in photography. Okay, never mind. Cheerleaders can be nerds. Nerds can be jocks.' Adelaide ranted in her head.
'And why were you staring at us in the first place, may I ask?' Olivia asked sternly.
Tom denied that, 'I wasn't staring, Miss. I heard screaming. Thought somebody died. Last year, a person died because he was trampled on by a mad horse. Thought the same history's going to repeat.' Tom shrugged his shoulder.
Addy gasped and got pale all over.
'You 'think' a lot. It seems to me, you had a death wish then.' Snoot Queen narrowed her eyebrows.
'I don't have that certain so early. You just looked so happy. It reminded me of...nothing particular. That's why I decided to stay.'
'Of course, you have no reason to give to, stalker.'
'Excuse me. If I were, I would have already taken a thousand of your photos. Wouldn't have asked your permission.' Tom countered.
'I told you, no means no. We are not in the mood for sick perverts to click our picture and then drool over it later on.' Snort Queen snapped. That was it, no more nice guy Tom.
'I certainly am not a pervert. I just want to take a picture because that is what I love to do. Nothing more nothing less. What makes you think I will drool at you, Miss High and Mighty? You really have a big ego don't you? Plus, you seem very drool-worthy to me. You look just...ordinary.' Tom insulted her.
'HOW DARE HE INSULT MY FRIEND! I SWEAR! IF HE WASN'T A COMPLETE STRANGER, I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM!' Addy fumed, Olivia was taken aback.
'I am sorry to say, Mister Tom, we cant' fulfil your wish. Olivia, please don't counter. He's a stranger.' Addy politely interrupted.
'Sorry, Addy. I might have ruined your moment, but your friend is a bit guilty as charged too. If she hadn't been so, egoistic. I wouldn't have.'
'No, I do not have a big ego, you do. You sound like you are such a professional photographer or something. Listen, I'm not stupid, okay? I know what you people are like. Sweet words on the outside while you think dirty thoughts on the inside. We do not have time for you people. So, no, you do not have the permission to click our picture and no, you certainly won't click it in hiding because we are going to go now, thanks for ruining our mood.' Olivia said, grabbing Addy's hand They started walking away from him. Olivia suddenly turned around and said,
'You better shouldn't insult someone by their looks. That's pathetic, even for an already pathetic individual like you.' She then turned around and started striding away.
'Let's go, Oli.' Addy muttered to her as they stalked off.
'What knuckleheads! All I wanted was a pic! And then this "Oil" girl had to be rude. At least the other girl wasn't rude. She's actually really cute.' Tom thought mentally as he stared at Adelaide and a small smile appeared on his lips.
AAAAAAACHHHOOOO!
'Better get back home before I catch a fever.' Tom laughed.
'Far from the sun,
Where no one knows,
I've watched you from,
My telescope.' Tom sang and strode back to his bike.