Chapter Three

"Tears"

It was a peaceful day. There weren't many people around, and the storm from last night had created a cold, soothing atmosphere. A calm breeze blew all around, and as Alex walked out of class towards the exit. He was smiling bleakly, thinking of how quick his hopes had been aroused last night, and how quick they were crushed this very morning.

"Alex!" He looked behind as he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

Her hair today was tightly pulled back and made into a bun. She had a huge grin on her face and her dark brown eyes sparkled. Holding her bag on her right hand, she was staring at him. "Wow, I look away for one second and you disappear from the class!" She laughed in between her heavy breaths.

"Well, the class was over, I think," he replied, a little surprised at what she said. Then he added, "Are...you okay?" as he saw her panting heavily.

"No way! I ran so fast!" she blurted out, still breathing heavily as she looked at him and said, "You are like a ninja, how do you walk so fast?"

"A ninja?" he questioned with a confused tone. "Who told you to run after me in the first place?"

She stood up straight and looked him directly in the eye. Her face was calmer now, and with her head tilted a little to the side with a small smile, she asked, "You gonna return that?" as she pointed at the head of the umbrella that was bumping out of his school bag.

"Yes, I couldn't go yesterday…I should return this," he said, a smile crossing his face.

Rhea's smile grew wider into a grin and she said "Oh, look...you can smile!"

"Erm, yeah?" He turned around and started walking.

Rhea smiled and followed behind him. She walked a little faster to Alex's side and stared at him with a serious expression on her face. Ignore her, just pretend you don't notice her, he told himself, What the hell? He noticed her now smiling, still staring at his face. "What...what are you doing?" he asked her with a bit of irritation on his face.

"I get it!" she announced, as if she had made a great discovery.

"What?" He was a little taken aback by her sudden declaration.

"You are always gloomy! You must be an emo, right?" Rhea playfully winked at him as she said so. "I solved the mystery!"

"Huh?" He stared at her with a weird look and then decided to say nothing more.

"I've been thinking why you're always so quiet. I've finally realized it; I'm a genius!"

He was looking at her; her face was all childish as she kept laughing and glancing at him. She made weird faces and there was a slight jump to her steps. She seemed different, though; at school whenever he saw her, she wasn't this excited. It was as if someone set fire to her hair... Alex thought, looking at her jumping around. He didn't notice it himself, but he was smiling too.

Rhea was wondering what was wrong with her. She remembered being in class; the teacher had just gone out, and the lesson was over. She had seen him getting off his chair and packing his bag.

"Hey, are you coming today?" Amalia asked, as she gestured at the others. "We're planning to go to the ice cream parlour down the road."

"Yeah, I..." her eyes fell on the tip of the umbrella in Alex's bag "I..."

"Rhea?"

Rhea looked at Amalia, smiling softly.

"So you're coming, right?" a boy named Max asked her from behind Amalia.

"Yeah..." she said as she turned around "Huh?"

He's gone! she thought to herself as she immediately picked up her bag and ran out of class. She thought she had heard her name being called out a few times, but she was more interested in intercepting him.

Alex was now walking beside her. He barely talks, I didn't even talk to him much, she thought, as she noticed him smiling at her and she gave a genuine smile back. He has a very quiet face, and now that I look closely, his eyes have a certain depth in them. I wonder why he is like this? An emo! she thought.

They were standing in front of the shop.

"It's closed?" Alex said out loud, looking at the locked door.

"Yeah..." Rhea replied, "But why is it closed today?"

"Who knows?" He began to look around. "But I guess we won't be returning the umbrella today."

She walked towards a door at the other end of the shop. "Maybe she lives here, let's just ask." She smiled a little and knocked the door.

It had been a few minutes since the lady who opened the door had been speaking while both of them were staring at her. Alex felt like he was paralyzed, and he was sure Rhea was too. She didn't speak, and that light aura coming from her was all but gone now.

"When?" he slowly whispered.

"The day before yesterday…Aunt Maulie was in the shop during the night…"

The words were floating inside his mind. Day before yesterday...heart attack...found in the morning... He was now there, in that shop, as the rain drops hit the glass windows, and he could see that middle aged woman walking to him. Are you okay, dear? You are all soaked…

The streets were quiet, and the cold breeze didn't seem to touch his soul…it merely chilled the warmth.

Both of them were now walking away from the house.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah...?"

"Open the umbrella...it's raining." Her voice broke as soon as she was done with the sentence.

"It's not..." he stopped trying to correct her as his gaze landed on her face. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

He opened the umbrella and said, "Yeah, it's raining."

"Hmm..." She merely leaned against him, her eyes momentarily closed.

They walked on in silence, Alex carefully holding the light blue umbrella, and thinking of the conversation with the lady. The funeral had taken place yesterday, and he thought of her grave at the cemetery. He wondered if anyone was mourning for her.

The night was warm, in contrast to the morning, and Rhea found herself unable to sleep, even with her earphones on, and the soothing music trying to lull her, but even that wasn't working. The house, at this late time of the night, was quiet, and she appreciated the hush, but not tonight. Her mind was too much on the lady, that warm smile, that stranger.

Alex rolled around his bed for a few uncomfortable minutes until he decided to stop trying. Slumber didn't want to visit him tonight, and so he didn't try to invite it, either. He just sat down on his bed, staring out the window, right there at the moon.

It was a dark night. The dead were sleeping and the clouds occasionally hid the moon. The graveyard was empty; maybe one could see the souls of the deceased. At a corner was a gravestone, engraved on it, Maulie Niche, loving mother, beloved wife…and the rest was hidden amongst the shadows. The grave was covered with flowers…and as the clouds subsided, and the moonlight shone upon the resting place, right there, lying amongst the flowers, it lit up a light blue umbrella.

Author's Note: I don't mean any offense to emo people, it's their own choice of lifestyle. Either way, this story is actually co-written, and my friend and I would love to know your opinion on this.

Please leave a review...:3