Chapter 2: Rainy Days and Footsteps

At four o’clock, a sudden cool breeze blew in, bringing heavy rain. The gem-like raindrops splattered against Zoe’s window, making small splashes of silver blossoms.

“Ugh, the weather forecast is never correct.” Chloe placed her warm hand on the cool, transparent windowpane, making it foggy, like clouds. “Miserable. I don’t like rainy days.”

“I’m meh with rain,” I said as I braided my hair.

Zoe’s hand hovered above her bandage, coming close, then backing up, and coming close again. She bit her dry lips, which were now blooming with tiny, dark red drops. Her patience and endurance were about to break like a twig. The itchiness was clearly making her frustrated, which was not quite a terrifying disaster.

“For the four hundred and sixty-seventh time, stop FUSSING!”

I blinked and leaned toward the genius girl.

“Counting,” Zoe said sharply.

“Just saying. Here, Katina, I’m sorry for snapping at you. I’m a bit—”

“Itchy?”

“Exactly.”

“Umm, are you actually okay?” Chloe retorted, hiding her worried tone.

“I’m perfectly fine. How about we watch today’s news? I heard Wellington University has been developing a new type of robot that can instantly suck up three thousand tons of dead bugs.”

“What’s that for?” Chloe asked curiously.

“To clean up the bug bodies after spraying bug killer on them.”

“Gross,” I moaned.

Zoe opened her iPad and then opened Newsround, which was loading like a snail trying to cross a river.

“Duh. The internet is so slow. Let me check my Wi-Fi; give me a minute. Or Kat, do you mind checking the connection for me?”

“Sure,” I said.

I quickly checked the settings. The iPad seemed pretty normal, and the whole setting had nearly no problems, but the Wi-Fi kept going out.

“What happened to your Wi-Fi dispenser?” I asked.

The light of the lamp illuminated Zoe’s puzzled face. “I dunno.”

“Well, it seems clear we can’t watch Newsround. I might as well go home. I think my aunt has nearly finished her Latin dance class; better go now.”

“But it’s still raining buckets out there,” said Chloe.

I looked out the window and saw those tiny silver knives torturing the ground.

I swore. My aunt will go crazy when she finds out I sneaked out. She’ll not only lock the door but also my room, which is more annoying when you can’t get the hell out of there.

“You can steal the keys,” Chloe advised.

“It’s hard,” I said dully.

“Dummies, do you know there’s something in this world called an umbrella?” snapped Zoe. “I can lend you one.”

“Thanks,” I said gratefully.

“My mama said that I can stay longer.” Chloe stood up. “But I wanna go home.”

“You can share one and pass it on, but you need to remember to bring it back tomorrow,” said Zoe, who was now passing me a dappled indigo umbrella.

I ran down the stairs, said “Goodbye!” to Zoe and her mother, then stepped out with Zoe from the cozy, dry inside and was welcomed by a heavy blast of water bullets. I felt Chloe wince.

I gave her a comforting nudge. “It’s just some water,” I said cheerfully.

“True,” Chloe mumbled.

When Chloe and I got to my home, the rain was so heavy and overwhelming that you couldn’t even see the drops. It was pouring water from the sky. There was no way Chloe could make it to her house on her own.

“Chloe!” I shouted in the deafening rain. “Come into my house! The rain is too heavy!!!”

“What did you just say?!” I heard a faint voice in the super loud rain.

“JUST COME IN!” I shouted into Chloe’s ears.

We both stumbled into my house. “No way you can make it to your house in this weather,” I explained.

“Thanks, Kat,” Chloe huffed.

Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of bright pink in the distance outside the window. My aunt was back. My terrible, mean aunt.

“Chloe, get under my bed. The smaller one,” I said harshly.

Chloe blinked in confusion. “Why?”

“We will both be dead if she finds out that I broke out.” I started to push Chloe into my tiny bedroom. I was pretty sure I saw the pink shadow closing in.

Chloe rolled under the bed, and I closed the door. I saw my aunt outside the bedroom window in the mist of rain.

Click.

I locked the door.

Chloe kept silent.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

I heard the footsteps of my aunt storming outside the house.