14

Xiao wrapped her coat around tighter as the rain poured down. What do I do? She thought, can I just forget? Can I just forget two years? Two years of betrayal? Xiao thought as she started walking home. But then she turned around, and headed for town, the rain was getting worse, and the dark night clouds began to look dangerous.

~

Joan knocked on the door of Kevin's room, "Kev, are you there?"

"No, I'm not, go away," she heard a basketball bounce against the door. Joan opened the door carefully, finding Kevin lying on the bed tossing a ball against the ceiling. Joan sat at the foot of the bed,

"What's wrong?" she asked, Kevin caught the ball and looked at Joan,

"Oh nothing," he said, and continued to toss the ball,

"So what if she hasn't quite left this guy behind, you don't even know the details-"

"What's there to know-"

"Everything, you didn't even give her a chance to explain Kev, she acted like nothing was wrong, but any one in the right mind could tell she was hurting," Joan said softly, Kevin caught the ball again and threw it into the open closet and looked up at Joan,

"Where is she-"

"I don't know, she left here five minutes ago," Joan said, Kevin quickly got into his chair,

"But it's freezing out there!" he said, grabbed his keys and going downstairs, Joan left his room passing her mother,

"Joan, it's late, where is Kevin going? And where is your friend?" she asked, Joan sighed,

"Xiao's walking somewhere in town by herself, and Kevin's going to look for her." Joan explained,

"Why aren't you going too?" Helen asked a little anxiously, Joan smiled a little,

"I didn't ask, because I know Kevin wouldn't let me."

~

The rain continued to pour over Xiao, her trench coat was utterly soaked as she walked aimlessly around the neon lighted town. Tears mingled with the rain on her face as she tried in vain to brush them away. She walked past the closed stores and dark alleyways blindly following only her feet and the dimly lighted lamp posts, one after another. Xiao Su. She heard a distant voice say. Xiao Su. She recognised the voice, it was Ryan. Xiao take my hand, come with me. She remembered him say. She clutched her bag closer and walked faster to no where. "Xiao Su," she heard a different voice say, "Xiao," the voice grew closer, Xiao ran. She ran as fast as she could, she ran around a corner and slipped on something, felt her foot twist and she landed in a large puddle, or a pond, on the sidewalk. "Xiao," she heard the other voice say, it was getting closer. Xiao tried to stand but failed, wincing when she pressured her injured ankle. She saw someone come around the corner, a guy with a brown coat holding a clear umbrella, "Xiao," He said,

"God," Xiao managed to say, trying to get on her feet, only to succeed in landing in the puddle again. God helped Xiao up and she leaned on Him. Xiao noticed His strong arms and deep brown eyes, as He helped her onto a step under a door, which offered a little shelter from the brewing storm, "God," she said again, God closed the clear umbrella and sat next to Xiao,

"Hmm?" He asked,

"I give up," she said,

"Why," He asked, in His usual God-like way, Xiao gazed into the darkly clouded sky,

"I want to go home," she said, and buried her face with her hands,

"Why home?" He asked,

"Because, I feel safe at home,"

"Ryan-"

"Ryan is not an issue," Xiao said firmly,

"So why were you afraid when you heard his voice?" God asked her softly. Xiao turned away, and stood up, holding onto the side of the wall she walked slowly away, "running away from things doesn't work, trust Me," Xiao turned to look at Him, "because eventually, things will catch up on you, you cant keep running Xiao, someday, you must face it."

~