The rest of the day went by swiftly, it being less of a formal school day and more one where students could relax and slack off a bit as the Protectorate heroes and Wards went from class to class to do their talk... and yet, as I looked out the windows now and then, I discovered to my sorrow that the heavens had delivered what they had promised at the start of the day.
Heavy drops of liquid that fell from the dark clouds above.
Roaring as they struck the ground and roof.
My heart went out momentarily to where Dragon was, before I remembered that she was safely ensconced within her dragon suit. Why the weather was but as nothing to her.
Nope, the ones to pity were the ones who weren't prepared for the magnitude of the rain. This was not a light drizzle, but an actual torrent of rain that resembled more a waterfall than the normal rain that one encountered frequently in Brockton Bay.
As the final bell rang to announce the end of the school day, I found myself standing at the doors to the school and looking out and then at the umbrella in my hand. It would work, but I would need to run out into the rain with it and pop it open. Which was risky in and of itself.
This was when I noticed that Madison to the side of the door looking miserable as she looked at the rain. It was clear from her dress and rather conspicuous lack of umbrella that she had been one of those who had distrusted the weather man and had gone dressed for looks and not the weather. I had to shake my head at this.
Being the benevolent and forgiving person that I was, and seeing as Sophia had already apologized. And that she and Madison hadn't done anything to me since then... I wasn't mean enough to let her walk into the rain and be soaked within a moment. People could catch pneumonia that way, you know.
Naturally, she was unprepared when I hooked my arm around hers and dragged her along behind me as I charged into the rain. With my umbrella angled right, as I stepped out the door, I hit the button and trusted that the spring in the umbrella had sufficient tension to open in the face of the rain.
"Ta... Taylor?!" The squawk from the brown haired girl dragged by me wasn't the normal petulant childish tone of voice she normally used.
I pulled her fully under my umbrella. "Come on, Madison. I'll walk you to the bus stop. You'll be able to stay dry for your bus ride home."
She certainly seemed surprised that I was helping her walk to the bus stop that we both used. There was a hint of nervousness as if she was unsure of why I was helping her.
With only the rain pounding hard on everything, we had all the privacy in the world. It seemed like one of those moments you saw in movies and TV shows. And we kept it that way as we walked to the bus stop in silence.
Sadly, the moment ended when we got to the bus stop, given that it had a roof, and walls to keep the rain out. The intimate privacy ended as the two of us stepped into the bus stop shelter.
"Taylor, this changes nothing," It was clear to me that she was sulky as she didn't like to owe anyone anything.
I just smiled at her. "I don't expect it to."
The bus ride home didn't take too long, not with the world washed in grey and the droning rumble of water against everything, bus included. It was odd, but I found myself zoning out, the sensations of the insects in my range hiding away from the rain or resting might have had an impact on me.
Dad wasn't home when I got home. Which wasn't unusual given that school let us out before he got off work. It helped me a little bit with my cooking as it meant that I could prepare dinner before he got home.
I didn't profess to possessing some hidden skill at cooking, that would be silly. Which was why I put a pot of water to boil on the stove as I did the dishes, and took out some frozen peas to thaw while I did other stuff.
Making tuna casserole was easy, even if I did prefer to use macaroni instead of noodles as was suggested by the various recipes I had run into.
Eventually, I put the casserole into the oven, and something odd happened to time as it split... I put a kettle of water on the stove to make tea, and I didn't.
It was when I was done and had just put the dish into the oven that there was a knock on the door. I had been planning on making tea.
I settled down to work on my homework.
I blinked and went to the door, there shouldn't have been anyone who would come to see dad. Most of his friends knew the time he got off. Perhaps, it was a salesman?
I started with my math homework, while I kept an ear open to the sound of the kettle's whistle to announce that the water was done boiling.
Miss Militia stood at my door, accompanied by a PRT official. At least I hoped he was a PRT official. A rather slender, no an almost skeleton thin, man. Dressed as he was professionally, with a PRT pin on his collar, it's clear that he was a PRT employee or at least affiliated with them. I blinked and tilted my head.
"M- Miss Militia, ah... can I help you?" The surprise was clear in my voice.
"Miss Hebert, may we come in?" There was a hint of a smile in her voice as she spoke.
"We have some things to discuss with you." The cadaverous man in the suit spoke up following the silence from me at Miss Militia's question.
"Please, come in," I stepped aside and expanded my awareness, hooking my senses into the insects in range as I did so.
It was a good thing that the rain was dying down, as it allowed my insects to wander about without worry about being drowned.
Here and there, I saw vehicles one wouldn't normally expect to find in an urban area; such as a truck with a trailer. Or those vans with tinted windows.
There were men in uniforms and plainclothes arrayed everywhere. How spy thriller-like. Well.
As I did my homework, I slowly expanded my senses, hooking my awareness into the insects within my range.
It was a good thing that the rain was dying down, as it allowed my insects to wander about without worry about being drowned.
Here and there, I saw vehicles one wouldn't normally expect to find in an urban area; such as a truck with a trailer. Or those vans with tinted windows.
There were men in uniforms and plainclothes arrayed everywhere. How spy thriller-like. Well.
The whistle of the kettle eventually came, and I went to make my tea. As I did so, I discover something terrible.
Still, I couldn't say I was too surprised at the situation. Truly, I couldn't. Admittedly, I had to admit some displeasure at being forced into this. But one supposes that reality was like that, typically inconsiderate to the needs of those within it. We were out of honey for tea and I was forced to go with sugar.
"Would you like some tea, coffee, or something to drink?" I looked at the two as I cleared the coffee table in the living room. "I'm sorry about the mess, I wasn't expecting anyone."
"Water will be fine," Miss Militia replied with a smile.
With a hum on my lips, I made my tea, and went about tidying the living room. Just because I didn't have any guest at the moment, didn't mean that they wouldn't come, after all.
One just can't tell with things.
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Goblin Queen | Games should be fun
Worm / Exalted