I based this story on a poem I wrote a really long time back... so... just tell me what you think!

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In the Rain

“Why, in the name of all that was good and holy, is she smiling?” he wondered as he looked out on the girl standing in the pouring rain. Her clothes were soaked and clung to her frame. Her hair was stringy, dark, and dripping. She looked terrible. And yet, she smiled up at the clouds, enjoying the rain. He frowned. Rain wasn’t good weather. It was cold and uncomfortable and depressing. How could she find it so pleasant?

She walked towards him, her feet splashing in every deep puddle. She was still smiling. She looked at him and held out her hand. “Come on. Come out and enjoy the rain.” She laughed a little.

He still frowned. “Why? What’s so enjoyable about it?”

She slipped her cold, wet hand into his warm, dry one. “Just come on, oh skeptic.” She grinned, grabbed his hand a bit tighter, and dragged him out into the rain. It felt like being in a hot tub with the bubble jets on, except with less force, and a heck of a lot colder. He shivered.

“What? I don’t see what’s so great about it yet,” he muttered.

She shook her head and chuckled. “Have you ever been kissed in the rain?”

He started to blush. “…No…” He looked down awkwardly and shuffled his feet.

She tilted his head back up and kissed him soundly. “There. Now you have.” She smiled at him, almost condescendingly. Almost.

He blinked several times. “…I don’t even know your name.”

She shrugged. “And I don’t know yours. So I guess we’re even.” She grinned mischievously.

“Are you even my age?” he challenged her.

She challenged him back. “Are you mine?”

He huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Why am I even having this discussion with you?”

She smiled gently, threw an arm around his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, “Because I knew from the moment I saw you standing under cover from the rain that I was going to change you whether you liked it or not.”

He scoffed. “Oh really?”

She grinned, withdrawing her arm. “Yes really.”

He took out his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms. “Well, do you think you’ve succeeded, whatever your name is?”

“I don’t see you going back to your little hide-away, good sir.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. “So yes, I do think I’m on the winning side.”

“Well, you’re wrong. I don’t like the rain.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Or do you?”

He threw his hands up in the air. “What sense does that make?!”

“What sense does anything make when it’s being washes away by the rain?”

He shook his head slowly. “You make no sense.”

She grinned. “Neither do you. That makes us even.”

“So what’s your point?” He frowned stubbornly.

She settled back down into her calm, hypnotizing smile. “You ask way too many questions, you know that, Godfrey?”

He took a step back, slightly offended. “My name isn’t Godfrey! Who names their kid a stupid name like that!”

Her smile disappeared for once. “I like the name Godfrey.” She crossed her arms disapprovingly and took a slight step away from him, clearly hurt.

He looked down, ashamed at his words, and trying to think of something to say next. “I…” He took a half step closer. “I’m sorry… Godfrey’s not such a bad name… I s’pose…”

She shrugged. “It’s no big deal.” She smiled curiously at him. “What is your name, anyways?”

He smiled ever so slightly. “Zack.”

She chuckled. “Zachary, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“No, it’s just Zack.”

“Does it say that on your birth certificate?”

He paused. “Actually, yes.” He smiled a full smile. “So what’s your name?”

“Well, some people call me Prancer- like the reindeer, some people call me Child, some people call me Evie or Angie, but my real full name is Evangeline. I’m fourteen years old and I’m going to die today at 5:02 PM because a car won’t see me when I cross the road. They can’t call my parents because my mom left when I was four and my dad died when I was seven, so they’ll call my great-aunt Clarice instead, who was the only relative who was living and not in prison, overseas, missing, or in college. She won’t much care- I’ve been too much of a burden anyways.” Evangeline smiled. “Or at least, that could happen.”

Zack stared at Evangeline like she was crazy. “…What?”

“Haven’t you ever thought about what could happen to you? You know, like what’s going to happen in the next fifteen minutes or…fifteen years?”

Zack blinked, but then found himself shaking his head “no”. “Um… no…”

“Wise choice… some people may get too worried about the future. And we don’t want that happening now, do we?” Evangeline winked.

Zack smiled weakly. “Uh… yeah…” He looked upwards. “It’s not raining so hard now.”

Evangeline smiled. “It’s the calm before the storm. Not too soon after I die, a tornado’s going to form. You might want to be heading home, Zack.”

Zack looked at his watch and paled. “Oh… crap! I gotta baby-sit my younger sister and brother…” He looked back up at Evangeline. “D’you… wanna come and help?”

Evangeline started to blush. “Y’know, Zack, I would. Let’s go then, shall we?” She offered her arm to Zack and he linked arms with her, smiling a genuine smile. “So, Zack… do you like the rain now?”

Zack grinned. “You know what, Evangeline… I think I do.”

The End

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(A/N: This is the poem the story is based on)

Rain

Rain

Raindrops fall, fall from the sky
Way up high
Makes me wanna fly

And you, you stay down
On the ground
Cuz you won’t look around
See the magic that surrounds

Why
Why can’t you see
Why can’t you see the way I look at you
When you look at me

When rain comes down from above
Can you feel it carry love
Or does it just turn your world to gray
Rain washes away the pain from yesteryears
From yestermonths
From yesterdays
Never faltering, never leading you astray

But you don’t see that
I can tell by your eyes
You can’t see so many things
Can’t see the magic in the rain
As it falls from the sky
Can you hear-can you hear the thunder sing?
No...you can’t.

Sorry about that.

Sorry you can’t see the magic
Sorry you can’t feel the love
Sorry you can’t hear the songs
Sorry you can’t see love
When it’s staring at you right in the face.

(I’m staring at you right in the face.)

When rain falls in the storm
And you’re standing in the rain
Alone
I’ll come out with you, keep you warm
Just take my hand…I understand.

Let the tears fall now
With the rain
You might havehelped saved my life once
So now I’ll help you
Let out the pain
Let it flow out…
Let it all flow out…
With the

Rain.

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Reviews are returned if possible...