It was raining cats and dogs. The wind howled, a long, long, screeching cry. The thunder rumbled and roared while the lightning sparked continuously every few minutes with a piercing scream.
Emma walked out of her room with a small towel draped over her shoulder to prevent her tee shirt from getting soaked from her wet hair. She peeked out of the curtains of the glass window in the living room. One ceramic pot had smashed as it fell to the grown, blown by the strong howling wind. It's a miracle that only one fell, she had expected that most of them would be blown and smashed as they hit the ground. Miraculously, they stood still. As if they were not a single bit moved by the wind.
The satellite was strong. Shine or rain, the flatscreen TV would still be playing MTV's music. Emma never left the television off, well, occasionally, she would. Sometimes, she would fall asleep on the couch watching music videos until the next day when she woke up and got herself ready for school. Her father had taught her to leave the television on all day even when you're out for the sake of fooling burglars who would assume that someone is still at home, watching and listening to music on MTV. Emma nearly smiled at the thought of it. Funny daddy. Always the joker of the family.
Now, MTV was playing Jutin Bieber's latest song 'Boyfriend'.
Emma remembered Cath recalling the music video and song itself "Cheesy" and "Suckish".
Emma didn't like anything to do with Justin Bieber, she loved EVERYTHING to do with him. Somehow, she didn't know why, listening to his songs always lifted up her moods. But this time, and for the very first time, it didn't.
The heavy rain had subsided. Now, it only drizzled softly outside.
Emma heard soft sounds of a guy talking outside, but the drizzling had made her heard little of the conversation. Talking to the phone, I suppose? Emma wore her Totoro cotton slippers as she walked slowly towards the window. She pulled the curtains and outside at the sheltered bus-stop located right in front of her house, stood a guy. Broad shoulders, brown eyes. Attractive. Muscular too. His hair was like Zayn's from One direction, but this guy's hair was brown. An attractive brown that completely matched his looks. Emma imagined a scenario if her four girls caught her eyes drawn to this guy, they would creep behind her, grab her by surprise, and "Ooooh!" all the way, and from that day onwards, they wouldn't stop saying "Ooooh!" Oh, no they won't. Emma had experienced it twice. Once, in Grade Six where she fell for her seat mate, a blue-eye with cute red dorky Playboy specs. The second time was less than two years ago when Emma started to feel attracted towards Davis. That, Krissy didn't know. She immediately forced herself to 'let go' of him when Krissy announced to literally the whole world that they were officially love birds.
Seeing that the guy was still rooted to the same spot, Emma slipped into her black tight jeans and 'Music Never Sleeps' jersey she had ordered online. Making sure she looked trendy, she opened the door and walked out.
Emma, this is stupider than I expected it would turn out to be...Emma thought to herself. Go back, go back! Emma descended the stairs from her verandah and leaned against the fence.
"Excuse me...?" She said timidly.
"Well, no! I don't care what you're talking about!" He was shouting, angry.
Then, Emma realised he was talking on his cell phone all the while. She bit her lip and continued to look at him through a wide gap between each fence. It seemed to her that the guy hadn't even noticed her presence. He was busy argueing on the phone.
Perhaps he already has a girlfriend? Emma blinked. Is she the one he is argueing with one the phone? Just then, Emma turned back and decided that she would leave this guy in 'peace',
"Oh, hey." Emma's heart skipped a beat. She felt a jolt of surprise as she turned around.
He was smiling broadly. Charming. Mesmerizing eyes. Yes, he was smiling at her!
"H-H-Hi..." Emma staggered forward, feeling rather bashful.
"Sorry, must've disturbed you," He still smiled.
"Oh-h, no you didn't. It's alright. I just wanted to..." Emma's lip trembled a little.
"Go out for a short stroll?" How did he know what was running in Emma's mind? Perhaps he had already came across scenarios like this, judging from his looks. He's eyes are killing.
Emma smiled back shyly, "Well, yeah."
"Good! Let's have a chat! By the way, let's be friends. I'm Dean." Dean reached out his right hand.
"Call me Emma." They shook hands.
Emma opened the front gate and joined Dean for a short stroll on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, the drizzling had come to a complete stop.
"I suppose ou go to the highschool just round the corner?" Asked Dean, acting casual. The way hot guys do. Emma's heart skipped a beat, again. Should she tell her friends about this guy with such an amazing smile and killing eyes?
"Yeah!" Replied Emma, trying to sound cool and casual.
"I used to go there. Great school and teachers." Dean smiled again, this time, more broadly.
"Oh, and you are...?"
"I'm eighteen next Friday. What that your question?" Dean grinned.
Emma gasped, her eyes wide open this time. This guy can't simply outsmart girls.
"It was." She managed a small, shy smile. "So where do you school now? Are you in colledge?"
A dark shadow immediately casted upon Dean's clean-cut face. Something about that shadow upon his face made Emma wish that life had a backspace key when you spoke.
"I..." Dean muttered softly, but loud enough for Emma to hear. Dean tried not to look straight at Emma's curious and anxious face.
"...haven't been to school for three years." Emma staggered backwards, a bombshell aimed straight for her heart dropped. Three years? She couldn't accept that fact. It was truely unbelievable. Everyone in this town has been to school. No one was poor, everyone treated here was fairly equal.
The two stood under a dim lamp post, insects fluttering their wings around and about to receive the warmth of the yellow light. Emma realized that Dean was even more good-looking than she had thought at the beginning, with his face more visible under the light of the lamp post. An awkward silence broke through the both of them. Emma felt butterflies lurch around in her tummy. This seems embarrassing... She shyly tilted her head to her right shoulder and look at the grey pavement, dully. At the same time, she abruptly thought of how she could react to Dean's words, to finally start a conversation between her and a guy, in real life. And this time, not via chats.
"Sorry if that suprised you." Dean killed the silence, with his head hung low, as if he felt guilty of something that he had kept within.
"It's fine." Emma let out a delightful smile, if it could take it just to cheer him up. Whatever the reason Dean felt guilty for, she had no viewpoint of it, neither did she have a single clue why he looked like a guilty little pup that has just stolen his owner's food.
Dean shook his head from side to side, "Nah. I'm steady." I like that, Emma wanted to smile at his answer.
As they strolled for a few more metres, Emma stopped at her tracks, and suddenly, she urged herself to say this one eager question out loud, "But why did you leave school?"
Something about that question, Emma just knew easily from the sadness and guilt flashing in his eyes, that something was definitely wrong. She had to know why, even if they were just two new friends starting from scratch. But her mind pressed her to stop being a bossypant. And so she stopped.
"That..." Dean retorted, "...I cannot answer."
Emma nodded in aknowledgement, acting as if she understood everyone elses' feelings. But she didn't. In a matter of fact, she never did.
"Anyway, I guess it's time, well you know, right?" Dean gestured a "farewell-for-now" sign.
Emma nodded abruptly, and shyly, "Y-Yeah, nice meeting you..." She stopped, and tensely, "...Dean."
She sounded cold and formal, and too straightforward to this young gentleman. She wished they could know each other more deeper, and better.
To Emma, it conveyed the impression to her that Dean purposely wanted to get away and skip the topic about highschool life. Or if there was another reason, was she unattractive, ugly, weird or just some random, strange girl who resembles Ugly Betty running up to him to say hello? But he was the one who started to greet her back then when she wanted to turn her back and walk straight back into her house.
"Hey, I almost forgot!" Emma reached to her pocket eagerly, and realized she had placed her IPhone on the table in the living room. "Oh, I forgot my cell phone, sorry."
"Don't you remember it, naturally?" Dean let out a bright, attarctive beam, revealing a tiny dimple on the left. It seemed that all guilt and "I'm-at-fault" facial expressions had faded in a snap of a finger.
"I'm a forgetful teen." Emma replied.
"Ah, I see," Dean chuckled.
Dean watched Emma wave to him as a sign of farewell as she walked back to her home, up the stairs to her veranda, and shut the door behind her. Then, he took out a pack of cigarettes, smoked as he walked down Collins street before disappearing into one of the narrow, empty alleyways.
Emma slumped lazily against the couch, with two decisions circling around her mind.
Should she tell Krissy about this guy- Dean?
Or should she leave the topic until she and Dean got to know each other better, if that day would ever arrive at her doorstep.
Part of Me by Katy Perry was playing on MTV right now.
Emma enjoyed indulging into laziness and the life of a couch potato as she slowly snozed off, while the music continued to play. And play it did throughout the night.