Falling Warmth By: Crystal Jade
Jimmy looks out the window of his class. It's raining pretty hard and the wind is blowing but only slightly. He could hear the rain beat against the window. 'Man what a storm' he thought. 'Well better finish my test.' He's by himself after-school, except for the teacher, because he had missed school yesterday and had to take a test. About 20 minutes later, he finishes it and he gives his test to the teacher and leaves.
Jimmy gets to the double doors and notices that the rains lighten up. 'This is a good time to try out my new invention: The Rain Guard 3000.' He pushes a button on his jacket and his clothes became water and wind proof. Also a hood comes up and covers his face and hair but he could still see. 'Well if this does not work, I still have my umbrella.' He steps outside and the rain just seems to run off of him but he has one problem . . . he could not breathe. *Cough cough* "Okay enough with the hood. I cannot breathe!" He could not feel the cold wind anywhere except on his face.
Jimmy starts walking home and the shortest way is through the park. As he walks, he sees someone sitting on a park bench. "Who is crazy enough to be sitting out here on a day like today and without a jacket? They have got to be freezing." Jimmy decides to take a closer inspection. As he nears the person, he notices it's a girl about his age. He looks closer and it's none other than Cindy Vortex. 'What is she doing out here?'
Her clothes are so soaked that they just cling to her. Her hair is out of its usual ponytail. Her hair is slightly wavy and reaches half way down her back. 'She looks so beautiful with her hair down. Wait! What am I thinking?' She's looking down at the ground so she did not see Jimmy come up.
"Cindy" Cindy jumps when she heard her name. When she turns and looks at him, he notices that she looks like she has been crying but he could not tell because of the rain.
"Oh hey Neutron." She starts to look down again.
"What are you doing out here? Its cold and raining if you can't tell. Have you been out here since school because that was an hour ago?" He had notice that during class that she was not her normal self. No name calling, jokes, or pranks. "What is this Neutron, twenty questions?"
"You cannot answer a question with a question."
"Why do you care anyway?"
"Hey, I asked first. You're sitting out here in the rain and soaking wet. So, I say something is wrong."
"Don't worry about it because it does not concern you."
"True, but maybe I can help."
"No thank you. The last time you tried to help I got chocolate milk all over me. I do NOT need one of your new inventions."
Jimmy's a little hurt by that statement but had decided to not let it show or say anything. He does notices that the rain is getting harder but Cindy looks like she's not phased. Jimmy thinks about leaving but his heart will not let him nor would his head. He continues to sit beside her. "Go home, Neutron. I don't need your pity. And besides you'll get sick." But he just sits there. Jimmy thought 'oh yeah!' and pulls out his umbrella and opens it up over him and her. The water is dripping off her face. She turns and faces him asking "Why?" Jimmy just smiles back. Cindy starts to stare at the ground again looking like she's in deep thought. About five minutes later, she starts to speak.
"Yesterday, during class, Nick broke up with me. He said I wasn't 'cool' enough to date anymore. I don't how that can be. I'm the most popular and coolest girl in school. Well, maybe not the most popular and coolest but I'm pretty darn close. I'm in so many clubs and a co-captain of the cheerleading squad. I'm even class president. I make straight A's and do all kind of volunteer stuff. I have no enemies and attend church." She pauses, then continues. "Oh well, maybe it's just better this way. He was kind of starting to annoy me with all his 'coolness' stuff and especially the skateboarding tournaments every other weekend. I mean what's so cool about doing nothing but grinds and manuals. Well, that's six months come and gone."
Jimmy sits there a little surprised. They seemed like the 'perfect couple'. Kind of made him jealous, but he would never admit it. "Cindy, think of it this way: at least it happened in the beginning of your senior year and not like at graduation when you had your whole life planned. And on the subject of 'coolness', don't worry about it. You are popular and pretty too. You don't have to be a genius to figure that out. There's no use sitting in the rain, getting sick, when you can be inside with some hot chocolate."
Shocked by his sudden outburst, she asks "Do you mean that Jimmy?"
"I really do."
Jimmy looks at Cindy and smiles. She smiles back her award-winning smile.
While sitting there, staring at each other, the wind starts to pick up and whips Cindy's hair into her face. Jimmy slowly reaches up and pulls it back behind her ear. Cindy breaks eye contact to stand up. "Lets go home. I'm wet and freezing." Jimmy takes off his rain guard jacket and gives it to her. Before she can decline, he says "Don't worry about it. I still have the umbrella. The jacket has built in heaters to keep you warm."
"Thanks Jimmy."
They walk home together just talking about school and Jimmy's new inventions. As Jimmy and Cindy walk up to the door, she says "Thanks for the ear and the talk. Also, for the smile and the jacket. It really warmed me up."
"It was probably mainly the jacket."
"Maybe, but I think it was the smile more. I know we have not always got along but thank you for everything."
"You're welcome. Well I better leave or mom will ground me for being late."
"See ya, Neutron" she says with a smile. They both continue to stare until her mom calls out Cindy's name. Cindy turns toward the voice to yell back a 'yeah mom'. She turns back around and says "Bye Jimmy and thanks again."
Waving, "Goodbye Cindy."
Jimmy leaves her front porch to cross the street to his house. He has a lot to think about and find some clothes to change into.
Cindy climbs the stairs to her room, changes her clothes, and jumps on her bed. Smiling, she pulls out her diary from between the mattresses and begins to write...
'Dear Diary, Today, excluding yesterday, I finally put my plan into action. I was . . .'