Jeff groaned as he watched the rain batter against the window. It had been raining for two days and showed no signs of letting up. Through the rain, he saw a girl wearing a purple dress dancing in the middle of the road. He was entranced by her movement and the swaying of her arms.
"Christ, she'll get soaked," he mumbled as he came back to reality. Getting up, he ran to the front porch.
"Hey," he yelled to her. "Are you crazy?"
The girl spun round and faced him, still dancing. "You know it. Care to join me?"
Jeff stood watching her, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
He ran forward into the downpour and grabbed the girl by the waist. Without saying a word, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her into his house.
"What're you doing?" She asked as he dropped her onto the couch.
Through her limp hair, Jeff saw a bruise that ran from her right eye down to her jaw.
"How'd you get that?" He asked, trying to touch it.
"I fell." She stated, as she wriggled away from his hand. "Listen, I'm soaking wet and I don't want to ruin your furniture, so could I have a towel please?"
Jeff wandered through to his bedroom and got a towel and some clothes for her to wear. Back in the livingroom, he handled the bundle to her and sat down. He watched as she ran the towel over her body and dried her hair. Then, with no warning, the girl stripped to her underwear and put on Jeff's clothes, leaving her wet dress on the floor.
"What's your name?" He asked, blushing slightly.
"Taylor."
"Well, I'm Je..."
"I know," she interrupted. "You and Matt are only Cameron's most famous exports, and I'm only a huge fan."
Jeff smiled, happy (and slightly embarrassed) by the compliment.
"What's your story Taylor?" He asked. "Where are you from?"
Taylor explained that she'd moved to Cameron a few months earlier with her mother, stepfather and her younger sister.
"Why were you out in the rain?"
"It relaxes me," she lowered her eyes. "And besides, no one can see me cry out there."
Jeff took her hands in his. "Why were you crying?"
Taylor gestured to her bruise and explained that her mother and stepfather had gotten very drunk and had laid into her. She added that it wasn't the first time.
"What?!" Jeff exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"I asked them where they'd been, and they accused me of being nosey and decided to teach me a lesson."
"You're not going home." Jeff declared. "Stay here and let them sober up."
"I don't want to be a bother." She insisted. "They've probably passed out by now."
Jeff assured her it would be okay and asked her if her sister would be safe.
"Steffi will be fine. She's the gifted child so they won't harm her."
Jeff got her a blanket and pillow and left her to sleep.
That is such a shame, he thought to himself. She's a really nice girl.