A short story written by
DNM & DH
Tully, the wettest place in Australia. It would be fine if people who lived here love the cold and rain. But this girl, she would rather going to the hottest place ever in earth. Chloe Valentine, a very gifted ballerina who has serious ambition to leave this town.
“Chloe, don't forget the umbrella!” Nina, Chloe’s roommate cried from their room.
“Never! It's always in my bag, bye nina” said Chloe, in a rush to go to the bus station.
She never forgets to bring her umbrella. She really hates the rain and anything about cold or wet thing. But for that moment, the reason is waiting for the bus under the rain with Kyle Anderson. The stranger who changed her life.
“So, cat and dog were falling from the sky again huh?” shouted Kyle.
“Come over here! You can get wet” said Chloe.
“Where is your boots? Lost in the puddle?” asked Kyle. He was under the umbrella with Chloe.
“Well, where is your umbrella Mr. Rain lover?” said Chloe.
“You hold it” Kyle shrugged.
“Really? As always, you have no idea what the function of the umbrella, aren’t you?”
Kyle just giggled. Unlike Chloe, Kyle is really in love with this town. He loves everything. The cloud, the sound, the smell, the air, and especially the rain.
Chloe met Kyle Anderson in the middle of the rain, he was completely a stranger. That was her first year in school, she stood in the bus station waiting with her umbrella. She was staring at the street that she used to cross for the rest of her life. Suddenly, a guy join her in her umbrella.
“Sup’ ?” He said to Chloe. “Waiting alone is suck”
Chloe ignored him.
Who’s this crazy guy? What are you doing here stranger? She said in her mind.
“It’s raining buckets the whole day today, what a beautiful day”.
He said again annoyed Chloe.
Chloe almost choked up. What did he just said?
“Excuse me, I’m freezing and standing here, waiting for almost two hours for the bus to come because of this rain, and you said it's a beautiful day? What a strange mind” She couldn’t stand for what he said.
Great, now I’m completely talk to the stranger.
“What? That’s the truth, that’s what Tully known for, and also the rain is beautiful and everything is beautiful in the rain.” said Kyle.
“Are you rain lover?” asked Chloe.
“No, I think I’m in love with the rain”
“You’re crazy..”
“No, I’m Kyle. Kyle Anderson. A guy who loves rain.” He gave his hand.
Chloe hesitated for a second, but then she shook his hand.
“Chloe Valentine. A girl who hates rain.”
Kyle didn’t surprise at that time, he already knew that Chloe doesn’t like the rain. Her big boots, thick jacket, the way she stared at the sky and the way she stood like the freezing statue showed that Chloe doesn’t enjoy the weather at all. He’s been carrying the torch for her since their first met. That is why he always keep an eye for Chloe and keep the conversation continue
“I don’t understand, why there’s people in the world hate rain? It’s the most beautiful gift from our Lord” Kyle said to Chloe.
“I love another gift from the Lord, okay?” said Chloe
“But, you live here pumpkin. Why don’t you try to love instead of hating?“
Chloe rolled her eyes “I’m not the only one in the world who hate rain, what is the matter anyway! How dare you called me pumpkin”
“You’ll love rain, I’ll make it” said Kyle
“Later Mr. Rain Lover”
Chloe had passion in ballet. She learned ballet for the first time from her mother. Her mother was a ballerina. She had really hard time after her mother’s death, she was only ten back then. Everything’s changed. As the only child, she felt sorrowful living in her house alone while her father work until late at night. She rarely seeing her father.
She hates the night when the rain came and she must went to her bed alone without her mom neither her father. Since she entered senior high school, she moved to the student dorm. Chloe gave her all to her study, her ambition to leave her hometown gave her strength.
She sick of this town before Kyle filled her life with love and joy. She always walking in the rain by herself but then Kyle came and gave a hand to walk together. Kyle always asked her out in the middle of the rain. To show her all the beautiful places in the rain. Looking at the bus beautifully reflected in a large water puddle, doing some crazy things like dancing in the rain, cried out loud at the top of their lungs when the heavy rain came and waiting for the rainbow showed up after the rain. Doing all those little things make her heart sparkling. Rainy days seemed nothing when she was with him. She thanked Kyle for making rainy days as happy as sunshine.
“Don’t you have a friend?” Kyle asked to Chloe when they were chilling out in the old library.
“My roommate” Chloe said without looking at Kyle, her eyes focused on her book. “Why did you ask anyway? Nina and you are enough for me, I don’t need anyone else” Kyle gave Chloe a soft smile though a little sad.
“What? Don’t give me that look, Kyle”
“You know what, if you ever feeling blue, just walk in the rain and let the rain wash away all your pain of yesterday”
Chloe said nothing. There are a lot of puzzles in her mind. But she always remembers those words like a mantra for her.
Kyle was a tall guy, with a beautiful hazel eyes. His hair was brown and messy. He was like a box of mystery, Chloe couldn’t said what was in his mind. He full of surprises, a little bit goofy sometimes. But he could be really sweet. As a guy who joined the music club in their school, Kyle played some of music to Chloe. He is really talented.
Next day, the sky was overcast. Kyle was waiting for Chloe in a bus station as always, but she wasn’t visible. Kyle thought maybe she was late for school. A few minutes later, she came as calm as toad in the sun. Kyle raised his eyebrows and asked.
“Hey pumpkin, don’t you late for school?”
“No, I skipped school today and relax for a moment in the calm before the storm” said Chloe
“What does it mean?” Kyle confused
“I prepare for an audition in three days away”
“What kind of audition?”
“Opera Australia audition”
“Is that outside of town? In Sydney?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know you know something like that”
“You want to leave this town?” Kyle was a little bit shocked
“Of course, I rush my study for the audition so I could leave”
The sky starts raining heavily— Both of them stood still there
“Is it because of the rain? It’s a rain city Chloe, get used to it!” Kyle snapped with high voice
“Holy crab! What is your problem? This is my dream!” shouted Chloe.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Do you think if you leave this town you’ll be happy there?”
“I will! I will never get freeze or scare because of thunder” Chloe almost cried
“Open your eyes Chloe! This town isn’t as bad as you think! Rainy days don’t have to get you down! You don’t have to runaway”
“Shut up! I don’t want to live in this town anymore! And I don’t need your permission”
The thunder was rumble out--
“Whatever, seems like everything is up to you now” said Kyle with disappointment in his eyes.
Kyle directly went away, as well as Chloe. They decided to clam up. Chloe still going to join the audition whereas Kyle is unseen until the announcement day of the audition. A broken friendship can be a comma or a full stop, that’s when Chloe must choose. She was so relieved has been accepted in Opera Australia. But deep down in her heart, she feels empty if she had to leave Kyle. She faced the window which filled with dew rain. She realized that wherever she goes, the rain will always fall and the rain reminded her of Kyle. All of a sudden, she changed her mind. She ripped her golden ticket and ran under the rain without umbrella into Kyle’s dorm.
“I want to stay” she said it over and over under her breath.
Kyle’s roommate opened the door and said,
“Kyle wasn’t lived here anymore, he moved to Sydney” –-for the sake of Chloe.
