The way the rain falls.

-A one-shot by doomflower (me).

Ana walked to school, the murmur of the rain blocked out by the music in her headphones. The hood on her black sweater covered her golden hair. Her black cut-offs and checkered high-tops were getting more wet by the second. But she strode on, not caring whether she was a little wet. She wouldn't melt or anything stupid like that.

She got into school when the warning bell rang and quickened her pace as she approached her locker, to stick her discman in and get her English books out.

She sat at her desk in the back of the class, flipped open her textbook and absent-mindedly scrawled some form of artwork into her open sketchbook.

"Not even class yet and she's flaking already. Wonder what her problem is." One of the girls in her class whispered, as if Ana couldn't hear her.

"Which one? You'll have to be specific and then we can try to figure it out, but I doubt it. " One of the class goof-offs, Tyson laughed.

"I'm not deaf you know." Ana snapped. "Just because I don take part in your little reindeer games doesn't give you the right to criticize me."

Half the class stared. And she glared at every single student. Including Kai….

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

One year ago...

A smile graced her pretty face. Kai gazed lovingly in her direction, not that she noticed at the moment... Ana was the girl of his dreams. She could play sports, Beyblade, sing, draw… and so many other things. And she understood him, loved him, cared for him. That was all he needed. But at the moment, with everyone around… Kai was still not open in front of them. Nobody really knew how much he loved her. Not even her.

Now, with her hair parted to the side and the way she grinned at him... she was damn near irresistible. And the school bus on the way to the swimming pool with the rest of their class was not the best place for him to be thinking this. Especially when she was soon going to be gliding through the water in a swimsuit.

He tried to shake those thoughts from his mind. He too, would soon be in a swimming suit.

And then it happened. The accident that changed everything. A logging truck was up ahead and a quick jerk on the brakes loosened the logs. The machine was about to be sent to the junkyard, and here it was, transporting tree trunks. The sudden acceleration sent the logs flying from the back of the eighteen-wheeler, and the shift of weight sent that sideways.

The school bus had not chance. It swerved sideways and toppled over, rolling several times. By the time it landed on its side, there were three mortalities and a mere few were left un-injured. One of the mortalities was Ana's twin sister, Raelyn, and Ana was thrown into a coma.

Kai had been devastated. His love had been thrown into a coma and there was nothing he could do to help her. Nothing he could do could make it go away. Nothing the doctors could do either.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

7 months after the accident…

Ana woke up. The last thing remembered was the logging truck… and the horrified look on Kai's face.

After, when her parents were called in, she didn't understand why Raelyn was gone. She didn't understand why everyone was so happy. She'd only been out a few hours, right?

'No!' she screamed in her head when they told her. She had been out for a long 7 months. They explained Raelyn's death. She was mortified. She needed to talk to Kai.

The call was a real slap in the face.

Ring…

…

ring…

("hello?") A feminine voice answered.

Ana was confused. "Who the hell is this?" She asked, not too politely.

("His girlfriend! Who's this?") Ana could swear she felt her heart stop then and there. Her nerves no longer seemed to sense touch, her mouth was dry. Her eyes perceived darkness, her ears deceived her.

"Girlfriend?" She replied hollowly.

("That's right. Who are you?")

Click.

Ana hung up the phone. How could Kai do this to her? Only seven months after an accident like this? She couldn't believe it… she wouldn't.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ana returned to high school a week later. The teachers didn't expect much from her, but she didn't expect much either. The anti-depressants they had her on had her as mellow as a jellyfish. She had needed them, through the shock, the loss of her sister and boyfriend, and life.

The moment Kai saw her he froze. Kaleigh had told him about a weird call from someone, but he hadn't expected this. His heart screamed joy but his mind slowed him down. 'Kaleigh is you girl now. Be true to Kaleigh… Just because you never officially broke up with her doesn't mean it's not over.' He told himself.

Yes it does… is what his heart said. And he chose to ignore it. Ignore her, it would all go away. It would be like it never happened. Like he never loved her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Now…

Her cold, steely green eyes met his crimson ones. The glare she gave him was more potent than the others. He felt bad. Kaleigh was seated delicately on the desk with one of his arms draped over her shoulders. He suddenly felt ashamed. This wasn't right. But it had to be. He didn't know what else to do. He thought for a second he saw a glint of a tear in Ana's eyes, but she looked away, out the window.

He was disappointed. This was the longest she'd held his gaze for about five months. Since she'd woken up.

He let out a sigh. "Kai sweetie? What's wrong?" Kaleigh asked him gently.

"Nothing.." he replied, slowly taking one last glance at her shoulder length pigtails, tied beautifully with black ribbon. It broke his heart to see her so unhappy. It had for five months. He couldn't shake the feeling inside of him. He loved her, as well as Kaleigh.

'That life is gone,' he told himself, 'It's over Kai, just get over it and you'll turn out fine.'

It's more complicated than that… he heard.

"What are you talking about? Of course it isn't! It's so simple. It just happens!"

"I'm telling you Serenity, it's more complicated than that." Kaleigh fought.

"If you say so, Kay." Serenity rolled her blue eyes. Her pretty, platinum hair shone all the way to the middle of her back where it ended.

"Alright, alright class. Simmer down. I'll take attendance and we'll begin studying the Shakespearean era, so you can fully understand what was going on when he wrote such plays as Hamlet and A midsummer's night dream, which we'll be studying.

Now, Miss Bates… Miss Blanch… Mister Boyle…" He continued on until he got down to… "Miss Prosser… Miss Prosser?" He looked at her empty seat. He could have sworn he'd seen her earlier…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ana tried desperately to get the egg out of her hair. She whimpered with despair in the lonely, empty girls washroom. It was whitewashed and too spacey. The immense ring that was a sink was in the middle of an odd-shaped vestibule, with stalls around almost every side. Two had long mirrors running the length above the counters.

She pressed her foot on the bar below the sink to increase the water flow. She dragged her fingers through her hair frantically, rinsing her face and sweater as well. All it seemed to accomplish was molding the sticky thicket together more firmly.

Her hot tears rolled down her ruby red cheeks, her eyes were reddening as well. The only thing that was good for was making her green eyes stand out even more, which, in this case, wasn't a good thing.

'How could they have gotten me? Oh yeah…' she thought, 'Baseball jocks. Really good aim. The window was only open a little bit! I can't believe this.'

She rinsed her face and checked her complexion in the mirror.

"Fuck it…" she said to herself. "Fuck the whole thing."

She walked out of the bathroom as calmly as she could, even though she was shaking.

The torrent of trembling became almost unbearable as she walked into the class to retrieve her book bag.

She ignored the teacher's frantic calls. "Miss. Prosser!" He called. "What is the meaning of this?" She walked straight by and picked up her book bag. She took a last glance out the window, then back to Kai.

"I hope you're happy." She said quietly.

He was in shock. He didn't know what to think, what to say…

She remained silent as she ignored the teacher once more and walked from the classroom, holding one strap of her light book bag. She stopped at her locker briefly and retrieved her discman as fast as she could.

She then sped up towards the doors leading outside, to the darkness and pouring rain.

She arrived home a soggy mess, but most of the egg was gone.

She shut the door behind her and slid to the floor. She saw, but didn't note, that the clock read 9.00. She pulled her knees to her chest as she began to weep, laying her head on her arms.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The sunlight shone through the window. Ana sat up and looked around. She was tucked into her bed, changed into her pajamas, with a towel under her head, over her pillow.

She looked next to her bed where a picture of two identical girls gazed back at her happily.

Her clock read 4.32. That meant she must have been out for several hours, and her mom had gotten home to find her leant up against the door.

Ana sighed. 'Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't I have been out until tonight?'

She pushed up the blankets and padded in her bare feet, down the stairs to the landing near the doorway.

She glanced into the living-room. Pure silence. She kept walking into the kitchen when she noticed a note on the fridge.

'Hey hon.

Hope you had a good rest. I know you've needed recently. There's some coffee brewing, it will be kept hot for you until you wake up. If you want, you can tell me what happened later.

I love you honey.

Yours,

Mom.'

Ana smirked after seeing the coffee pot was full. She also noticed her favourite mug and some brown sugar, along with a spoon.

'She knows me so well.' She thought, pouring herself a cup of coffee and heading back upstairs.

She flipped her laptop open and logged onto her messenger. A conversation window opened. It read…

Draciel208: I missed you at school today 

She smirked. "Hi Max," she said out loud. She typed a response.

The mysterious non-mystery: Hey max. I missed you too, but I had to go home.

Max had been her best friend ever since she woke up. He had lost Raelyn, his girlfriend of over a year and a half.

Draciel208: had to?

The mysterious non-mystery: I… had a problem.

Draciel208: Ana.. open up already!

The mysterious non-mystery: Look, I got egged through a window right before class.

Draciel208: ouch…

The mysterious non-mystery: I know, right? How stupid is that?

Draciel208: Ana…

The mysterious non mystery sighs.

The mysterious non-mystery: I know Max.. I know. I don't think the class noticed me until I came in covered in goo to get my book bag though.

Draciel208: I will get a group and pound them all until they tell me who did it.

The mysterious non-mystery: Max, don't get too excited, okay? I can handle it.

Draciel208: alright. If you think so.

The mysterious non-mystery: I know so 

Draciel208: Well, I have to go. I'll see you, Ana.

Draciel208 has signed off.

Ana sighed and sipped her coffee. She doodled some art on her tablet for a while, and then was about to log off when…

Dark phoenix: Ana? …are you there?

She narrowed her eyes.

The mysterious non-mystery: I am. Who is this, and what do you want?

Dark phoenix: It's Kai.

The mysterious non-mystery: I'm jumping with joy.

Dark phoenix: Oh.. well.. I wanted to apologise for what happened this morning.

The mysterious non-mystery: So it was your fault?

Dark phoenix: That's not what I said.

The mysterious non-mystery: Then say what you mean for once.

Dark phoenix: I meant that.. oh forget it. I'll see you around.

Ana snorted. "Yeah, that'll happen."

Dark phoenix has signed off.

"Good riddance!" She logged off and shut the laptop.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kai sighed. How could he ever tell her that he'd known the boys who'd done it, and had seriously harshed them for it? He couldn't. She was impossible.

'No, you're impossible,' he thought.

With a sigh, he headed downstairs where Kaleigh was waiting for him.

They were going out for dinner.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Honey, I have a surprise for you!" Ana's mom called as she walked through the doorway.

She looked up from her sketchbook in the next room.

"We're going out for dinner!" Her voice rang.

"Sounds like a good idea mum. I'll go get ready."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-xxx.ooo.xxx-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Review please! I had written this to get rid of writer's block and be a oneshot. But it didn't work. I just kept writing myself further in, and I couldn't end it right anywhere. I hope I get some reviews to rev up my energy for writing thr next chapter. It will prolly be a short story, but it's here. Enjoy!