3.

Six hours later and school was finally over. Although it was still very much raining outside, I was able to secure an umbrella from the school's student supply, same with a few other students who hadn't brought umbrellas of their own. I was standing in front of the school's main building, a little over to the side of the entrance So as to not obstruct the other staffs and students who were pouring out of the building. The time on my wrist watch red 5:30, but the weather outside could have easily fooled anyone into thinking it was well past 6 pm.

I reached for my phone inside of my backpack and was horrified when I discovered that it was switched off. The battery had ran out. While in class, I could feel it constantly vibrating as Teenyma left me multiple missed calls and voicemails most likely wanting to find out why I hadn't arrived at her apartment two hours past the time I said I would. After the generators were powered on, the school issued an additional two hours to every class in order to make up for lost time while the power was out. I quietly cursed myself for not charging my phone before going to bed the night before, then I stuffed my phone into my pocket and lifted the umbrella I was holding above my head and prepared to leave. However, as I began moving down the small flight of stairs in front of me, the sound of rapid approaching footsteps coming from the main hall behind me caused me to hesitate and stop for a moment.

"Excuse me!"

It was a girl's voice.

"Please! Wait up!" she said, running to catch up with me.

I was momentarily stunned by the situation. I still had my back towards this person, as I wasn't entirely sure whether they were talking to me. Even though I was the only one left standing just outside the school's main building, there was no chance She was actually trying to get my attention. It was most likely since my back was to her and she couldn't see my face, she must have been mistaking me for some random student.

The footsteps finally came to a stop just behind me. Whoever the girl was, she had caught up to me but was now speechless as she took a second to catch her breath. I still held the umbrella over my head, as I wasn't ready for her to recognize who I was just yet. I wanted to see if she had an idea of who she was talking to.

"Hey. Thanks for holding up." she said, still trying to catch her breath. “I just checked the student supply closet, and they are no umbrellas left. “She finally was able to somewhat steady her breathing, before she continued speaking. "I'm glad there was still someone left on campus, I honestly thought I'd have to run under the rain to get home." There was a little pause as she waited for me to say something, but I chose to remain quiet. "So," she said. "I was wondering if perhaps, we could walk home together."

I was quiet for a little while longer, allowing her question to linger in the air as the sound of rainfall filled the void around us. Just as I thought, she had no idea I was the one she was talking to, otherwise if she did, I doubt she would even be willing to approach me to begin with.

"I promise I don't live very far from here." she said, suddenly thinking that I was probably contemplating on declining her offer to share the umbrella which, was the last thing I was thinking of. In truth, I was actually thinking of a way we could share the thing without her ever seeing enough of my face to recognize me. But the more time I spent trying to think of a solution, the more the poor girl became convinced I was stalling with the silent treatment as a sign that I didn't want to share the umbrella.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

So, she apologized.

"I'm sorry." she said. "It was a terrible idea; I'm just going to wait here for the rain to stop. I'm sorry for wasting your time." The sound of receding footsteps told me she had turned around and was now walking away. And not wanting to potentially give her an even worse impression of me, I quickly spoke up

"Hey, wait." I said, finally deciding on what to do to help her. I turned around with my gaze to the ground, then went back up the flight of stairs to stand beside her. I took in a deep breath as I mentally prepared myself for her reaction at seeing my face. Then, as I turned around to face her, I lowered the umbrella and collapsed its canopy, handing it over to her.

"Here." I said, giving her the umbrella.

For a second, everything was right with the world. As I had my hand stretched out waiting for her to take the umbrella for me, I got a good look at the mystery girl who wanted to walk home from school with me.

She was cute.

Extremely cute.

She had thick, curly, caramel hair, and her large eyes were wide and expressive. She was pale in complexion, and she was dressed in the standard blazer and skirt all girls at our school dressed in. She was a little smaller than me in terms of our height difference, but I recognize her from being in the same grade as I was, just not in my class.

In that moment, so many things went through my head. How we were eventually going to become friends, How I was eventually going to ask her out on a date. How I was going to eventually propose to her just as we were about to finish college, and how we were going to start a family with kids that hopefully took after her in terms of beauty and mannerisms. I was like this for what felt like a lifetime. Stuck in my head and daydreaming about a girl I only just met. But I didn't want to stop. Imagining a future for myself that was filled with so much happiness and joy, it was just so intoxicating I never wanted it to end. But then my arm started to get tired, and to my horror, I realized something. She hadn't taken the umbrella from me.

I had been holding it out towards her for quite some time but she didn't so much as budge, let alone reach out to take it from me. She could clearly see my face now, and the second she recognized me as the guy everyone at school considered to be a psycho killer freak, her eyes lit up in shock, and she started to slowly back away from me.

"Wait, no. it's okay. “I hastily said, trying to take control of the situation and possibly get her to calm down. But she didn't stop moving away from me, and the more I tried, the more she panicked and kept on backing away from me.

It wasn't until her back was pressed against a wall that she finally stopped, having nowhere else to go. Even so, the fear in her eyes were raw and primal, and her entire body was shaking like a leaf. She looked like she was about to break at the slightest touch, And I hated that I made her feel that way. She was also mumbling something. "Stay back. Stay away from me." she said, her voice trembling with fear.

I stopped trying to move closer to her and instead took a couple steps back. I wanted to show I meant no harm, so I slowly and gradually set the umbrella on the ground in front of me, before slowly and gradually lifting my hands up in the air as if I was being arrested.

"Look. “I said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just please, take the umbrella and leave. You can have it."

I waited for some kind of response but she did not reply. She just remained standing in the corner, body still violently vibrating as if she was staring at the devil himself.

"My sister doesn't live far from here at all." I continued, still trying to get her to trust me enough to grab the umbrella and leave. "So, I should be able to make it to her house without getting soaked if I run really fast."

I waited for her to come pick up the umbrella, but she still wasn't moving. Suddenly, I had the bright and dumb idea to kick it over to her, and the second I did so, she took off screaming like a banshee and running into the rain, never once looking over her shoulder in fear that the psycho killer freak, me, might be right behind her.

Standing there and watching her leave, some part of me wished that she was hopefully running the right way home and wouldn't get lost. The other part of me, as I bent down to pick up the umbrella, felt a little deflated. I already knew most people didn't like me, and absolutely wanted nothing to do with me. That for the most part, was glaringly obvious. But I never knew the public disdain towards me went so far, that a person would rather choose potentially falling sick by running unprotected in the rain, over accepting a helping hand from me.