This is my first attempt at writing a Stargirl fanfic. Hope this oneshot is decent (I know it's short)---and please review, even if you hated every single word. Oh, and I know the rating is K+, but there is one swear word. Sorry.
Disclaimer: I did not write Stargirl. But I wish I did. Does that count? :)
Of Stars & Umbrellas
Leo had always disliked rain, though he was never sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with growing up mostly in the arid deserts of Arizona. Perhaps it had something to do with the gray, depressing gloominess that came with it. Perhaps, perhaps....whatever the reason, Leo was not especially grateful for the tiny fragments of water pounding on his umbrella on this chilly April evening.
He was on his way to meet a prospective colleague: a reasonably famous movie director who had heard of his small successes in the field of set design. The instant excitement and enthusiasm that Leo had initially met this offer with was slightly dampened when the director insisted the young designer come to his apartment in New York.
Usually, a trip from Leo's current abode in Baltimore, Maryland to the Big Apple would merely be a hop, skip, and jump in an airplane or car. However, Leo's car was currently under maintenance, and the airplane fare was ridiculously high. So, thinking economically (or so he believed), Leo decided to take a bus. It seemed a splendid enough idea until the fabled April showers came pouring down. If that wasn't bad enough, the only umbrella he owned was as ancient as one of Archie's skulls, liable to be lashed around and eventually snapped by the howling wind.
Clutching the handle of his umbrella for dear life, Leo silently cursed himself for his stupidity as he rounded the block. A monster SUV whizzed by, creating a wave of muddy brown water that narrowly missed Leo's shivering body. And of course I decided to wear my best suit and new shoes, he reflected bitterly, glancing down at the sodden black footwear. He'd saved up for months to buy those shoes, and now they looked like something yanked out of a trash bin.
"Shit!" The faulty umbrella whipped out of his hands, flapping in the air like a deformed bird. The wind wasted no time in carrying it away until it was merely a dark dot among a sea of bleak, rumbling clouds. Stuffing his freezing hands in his pockets, Leo cringed and ran the rest of the way to the sheltered bus stop. Once safely there, he shook the raindrops out of his hair like a dog (panting like one as well), not noticing the young brown-haired woman perched on the bench near him.
She cried out in surprise as he sprinkled her with a small amount of water. Hearing her exclamation, Leo turned around and, upon seeing what he had done, immediately blurted out a string of embarrassed apologies. To Leo's increasing humiliation, he actually felt a blush burning on his cheeks, which wasn't helped by the fact that the woman was decidedly attractive.
Luckily, she didn't scream or yell or even ignore him. Laughing, she clapped her hands in delight. "I was hoping you'd make it. At first, mind you, I wasn't sure whether to root for you or the rain, because rain is so delightful. But then your umbrella was snatched out of your hands so cruelly, and I said to myself, 'That man deserves a little sympathy'. And here you are."
For a moment Leo wondered if the woman was mentally retarded. Was she lost? She was simply dressed in a bright yellow raincoat, with a plain black umbrella resting at her feet. Yet when he saw the teasing gleam in her eyes, he relaxed, realizing she was just fooling around with him. Managing a half-hearted chuckle, he stuck out his hand to properly introduce himself. "My name is Leo Borlock."
"Leo." She savored them name on her tongue like a sweet morsel of chocolate, but didn't give any name in return. "Leo. Lion. Do you think of yourself as a lion much, Mr. Leo?"
Leo was caught off-guard. "Well, I never really...."
"Won't you sit down?" The woman patted the spot next to her on the bench. It was more of a friendly command than a question, so he complied. "Well?"
After thinking for a few moments, Leo replied carefully, "I wouldn't truly describe myself as a lion. I'm much too quiet and shy. Sometimes, though, I'd like to growl at my bosses and show them I know what I'm doing, but I can't." He hadn't meant to add the last part, but something about the warm, open expression on the woman's face prompted him to say more.
Judging from her smile, this was an acceptable answer. "What is it that you know how to do so well?"
"I'm a set designer," Leo responded, unable to speak without a touch of pride. "I'm going to New York to meet with a director, to see if my style is right for his next movie. What about you? What do you do?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, a bunch of little things here and there. Believe it or not, I'm still going to school. Still trying to 'find myself', as they say." Lowering her voice, she continued, "To tell you the truth, I don't envy you one bit. I never liked directors or actors or any of those movie business people. They spend there whole lives trying to be people they aren't. What's the fun in that?"
"But that's their job. Haven't you ever pretended to be something you weren't? Wasn't that the whole point of high school?" Leo pointed out jokingly, feeling it was about time he put some humor of his own in this conversation.
It was an epic fail. A sort of transformation transpired on the woman's face. The light in her eyes rapidly dimmed; her small pink lips pressed together until they turned white. Her shoulders sagged; her chin dropped until it rested lightly on her chest. It was obvious Leo had conjured up some painful memory, but what? He was about to break out in another torrent of apologies when she spoke, so softly he strained to hear.
"I did. Once. But I promised myself I'd never do it again."
In that instant, Leo suddenly was aware of the funny feeling of recognition springing up in his mind. It was almost as if he had seen, or met, this odd woman somewhere before. Be that as it may, for the life of him he couldn't figure out when, or where. Or was he just refusing to remember?
Unexpectedly, the deafening whirr of the bus' engine drew near and an earsplitting screech echoed as it halted in front of the stop. As the doors retracted, groaning at their torture, the burly bus driver yelled, "Get yerselves up here, I'm in a hurry! C'mon, c'mon, don't take all day!"
"What friendly service," Leo muttered dryly. His remark was the perfect medicine for the woman's depression; she sprung out of her shell, laughing and grinning widely at Leo. It wasn't all that funny, but the look on her face motivated him to laugh along with her.
Standing up, he offered his hand to the young woman. She shook her head, still smiling. "I'm not here for the bus. I just like being in the rain. Have a good trip, Leo."
Leo didn't recoil at the informal way she addressed him. It was all coming back to him, slowly....the doe eyes...the sandy-brown hair....the sprightly voice....but if it was her, why was she earnestly waving him towards the sopping gray bus? As he boarded it, he turned around and asked, because he still wasn't certain. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Perfectly. Oh, and I almost forgot." She turned around and pulled out a green-and-white umbrella, tossing it to him. "I had a feeling you'd need this."
He automatically caught the umbrella in his arms. Leo's next question was unspoken, though, for the doors creaked shut in front of him. However, he wasn't entirely disappointed: as he opened his "gift", a smile spread across his face.
A thousand green stars decorated the top of the milky white umbrella.
Say it with me: AWWWWWW!
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