Beyond Yesterday

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

One thing I never liked about March was the false warmth of its sunshine. Just when you get your hopes high, the temperature started to drop, followed by a week of rain and sometimes, snow.

Today was just one of those days with the false sunshine. We were finally done with Shakespeare, and now we were moving on to Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. To some people Charles Dickens was just another torture, but to me, at least we didn't have to talk in iambic pentameter anymore.

Halfway through English class it started to rain. I looked at the window and watched the rain splattering on the glass. Someone in the room sighed and Mr. Cooney stopped reading.

"Class," he said, his high-pitched voice echoed in the small, closed classroom. "I would like to remind you, that as I had said previously, your final exam will consist of a large portion of questions based on works of Dickens, and I had expected you to behave better than letting the changing of weather distract you!"

As if replying to his angry rant, thunder and lighting clashed loudly, and for a moment the lights flickered. A few girls screamed.

Mr. Cooney looked irritated. "If I catch anyone not paying attention, that person would get double homework!"

Silence returned to the classroom and Mr. Cooney picked up his book and started reading again. Estelle muffled a yawn as she followed the conversation Mr. Lorry and Jerry the messenger. Once she looked at me and we exchanged a look and a nod.

We had jumped out of sunny Venice, and into rainy London.

***

It was still raining when school hours ended. I walked to the main entrance, having a hard time because most people didn't have their umbrellas or raincoats and so they stayed inside the building. I looked around for Melissa; maybe she remembered her umbrella this morning. But she was nowhere in sight.

I sighed and opened the door, ready to get soaked. But before I could step out, I heard someone calling my name behind me. Mulder hurried to my side, clutching an umbrella. "Here you go. You don't got one do you?"

"No, but I'm going--"

"See you tomorrow, then." He pulled the hood of his thin jacket over his head, and dashed into the rain. I stared at his retreating back, wanting to call him back, but also afraid that he'd look and sound like an idiot to other people.

Estelle showed up next to me with an umbrella in her hand. "Did you tell him that you're coming over to my house to finish the English project?"

"I tried!" I protested, looking down on the umbrella. "But he didn't even bother to listen."

"Yep. You won't believe how stupid he is sometimes," Estelle said, looking up at the sky. "He'd be soaked when he gets home. Stupid."

"He's not stupid," Ellie said from behind us, and we nearly jumped. "He's just shy."

"Whatever," Estelle rolled her eyes at her sister. "Can we get going now?"

***

"So how come you didn't get soaked?" Melissa asked that night when we were doing the dishes after dinner. "When I got home, I swear that even if I stand in the shower for an hour I couldn't get that wet!"

"Someone lend me an umbrella," I said carefully, drying a plate. I didn't tell Melissa about Mulder; somehow the information would leak out, and if Bill found out

"Wow, must be a nice person," she said, handing me another plate. "Wait, a guy or a girl?"

"A guy," I answered blankly as I dried the plate.

"Ooooh, am I sensing--"

"You're sensing that it's going to rain all night," I said before she could finish. "And now your priority is the cleanness of the dishes."

"Okay, the dishes." Melissa laughed, and didn't say another word.

Unfortunately, we shared the same bedroom.

"So who was it?" she asked when I came in, drying my hair with my towel. I almost dropped the towel, and she laughed at my dazed expression.

"Cut it out Melissa," I snapped, picking up the towel. "It's way too personal."

But instead of shutting up, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Mom, MOM! Dana's got a boyfriend!"

I heard footsteps running in the direction of my room, and I cursed silently for Melissa's big mouth.

"Who's got a boyfriend?" Bill stuck his head in the doorway. "I didn't hear it clear."

"Her," Melissa said, laughing and pointing at me. Bill grimaced.

"It better not be that Mulder guy or I'll--"

"Come on," Charlie said, pulling Bill's shoulder. "Leave the girl business to girls."

"Dana, who's it? Is it the mysterious but charming Mulder?" Melissa chirped; she sounded awfully like Anna, but before I could retort back, Mom appeared in the doorway, looking agitated. Charlie let go of Bill's shoulder and backed a step or two, but he stayed in the doorway.

"What's this all about?" Mom demanded. No one said a thing. "Missy, was it you who were yelling?"

"Yeah, well" she looked at Mom sheepishly. Bill tried to retreat out of the scene, but Mom was holding onto his shoulder firmly this time.

"So would somebody like to explain this to me?" Mom asked as her gaze shifted between the four of us.

Charlie cleared his throat. "We heard Melissa yelling about Dana having--" he stole a glance at me before continuing. "--A boyfriend. And Bill wanted to know who it is."

Mom stared at Bill and Melissa, and both of them looked away. Then she said, "Both of you, let your sister keep her privacy. And she can decide for herself who suits her better. You're both grounded for a week."

Both of them groaned, but didn't complain. Bill shot me a nasty look before Charlie pulled him back to their room. Melissa slipped under her blanket without saying goodnight.

I turned off my bedside lamp without saying a word.

Just as I thought things were getting better, they took a worse turn.

***

When I saw Mulder the next morning, he was sneezing loudly. Ellie stood next to him, looking offended.

"You know, there's a limit for everything."

He nodded, and was going to say something, when he sneezed again. Some people turned to look at him, and then continued on their own business.

Ellie waited until he stopped, and then continued. "First of all, you won't be able to go anywhere with a flu. It is contagious."

"Then why the heck are you standing next to me?"

"Because I have good immune system. But we don't know about Dana."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He grumbled, and tossed the tissue into a trash bin close by. Ellie rolled her eyes and walked away.

I approached Mulder, feeling guilty now. "Hey," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Hey," he smiled, but then hid his face in another tissue as a loud sneeze broke out.

"Sorry, it's all my fault," I started to apologize. "I should've said that I was going over to Estelle's house--"

He held a hand up and threw the tissue away. "Nah don't say that. I think you tried to say that yesterday but I was, well" he looked away, blushing. "I don't really know how to act around girls the spying sisters next door is a difference case."

I laughed nervously, and handed his umbrella. "Here. I brought mine along this time."

"Well prepared," he said, taking his umbrella.

Outside, a lightning flashed and a few moments later a rolling thunder followed. The lights in the hallway flickered, and then gone completely out.

"I guess we won't have class today," Mulder said dully. I laughed as some other students down the hallway cheered.

March. You never know what to expect of it

***

Somebody tell me what to do with April 'cause the only important day I know is well, my own birthday

Review this chapter and you shall have a very happy August! Well, I can't be really sure about that, but if you're reading somebody else's "creation" you should be in a good mood