Invisible I
Rain, Rain, Go Away
An hour later, the rain still hadn't let up, and the boys in the booth had taken up singing that song that children sang whenever it rained. I smiled faintly, remembering how Carmen used to always sing it when she was little, a few years before I graduated high school. They actually sounded professional.
I pulled out my phone and looked at pictures of her I had taken on graduation day. She seemed so happy to finally be able to leave Mom and Dad's apartment and move in with me.
I was a year under the age limit to be able to own or rent an apartment or house, so Mika's dad, who owns the entire apartment complex, is letting me live in an apartment as if I paid rent, even though I wouldn't until I turned 18 in a few months.
My phone vibrated with an incoming call, and I answered it.
"Hello?" I said quietly.
"You never Skyped us!" Nikki shouted into the phone. I held it away from my ear.
"Yeah, did you know there's a time difference between there and here? Yeah, it was like, two in the morning when my flight got in. I don't know how pilots can handle that," I said. "I was tired. Jet lag."
"That's no excuse!" Ashton said. They must be on speakerphone.
"Actually, yes it is. I was tired and about to fall asleep standing up," I said.
"So what's the weather like there?" Carmen's voice came through the phone.
"Stormy as of right now," I said. A loud clap of thunder shook the building and I jumped. The lightning was almost constant now. "Could you hear that?"
"Yeah. That was really loud," Tyler said.
"Awww! Was baby Tyler afraid of the thunder?" I said, mocking his fear of thunderstorms.
"No. Because it's not here," he said. I could almost see his face turning bright red.
"Where are you right now?" Mika asked.
"Starbucks," I said. "It's about a block from my hotel, but if I tried walking back now, I'd be soaked in a fraction of a second."
"That's how bad it's raining?" Nikki asked.
"Yeah. And it's funny, because there's only me and five other people in here, and the five are all together, and they started singing that rain song. Do you remember singing that song, Carmen?" I said, giggling. "You used to sing it at the top of your lungs whenever it rained."
"Yeah, I remember," she said. "Do you remember how you almost beat me up for it that one time when I kept singing it over and over and over?"
"I didn't think you'd remember that far back!" I said. "And yes. You were like, four. And hearing that song over and over and over again being sung in a little four-year-old voice is cute the first time around. Then it gets annoying."
"How deep are the puddles?" Shelby asked from the background.
"I don't know, but I'll bet you twenty bucks that they're up to my knees," I said.
"You're on!"
"So, Car, meet any hot British boys yet?" Ashton asked.
"Not really, no," I said. "Unless you count just seeing."
"I don't think that qualifies as meeting anyone," Mika said.
"So how's life without me?" I asked.
"B-O-R-I-N-G BORING!" Ashton shouted. "How am I supposed to know what songs are good if you're not around to tell me if they're any good?"
"Um, listen to them?" I suggested, laughing.
"I'd rather not have my ears bleed from the horrible songs, Car," she said.
"Okay, then how about you text me the songs and I'll listen to them, then I'll text you back and tell you if they're any good or not?" I suggested. "Easy-peasy."
"Fine, if I must," she sighed dramatically.
I pulled out my phone and looked at pictures of her I had taken on graduation day. She seemed so happy to finally be able to leave Mom and Dad's apartment and move in with me.
I was a year under the age limit to be able to own or rent an apartment or house, so Mika's dad, who owns the entire apartment complex, is letting me live in an apartment as if I paid rent, even though I wouldn't until I turned 18 in a few months.
My phone vibrated with an incoming call, and I answered it.
"Hello?" I said quietly.
"You never Skyped us!" Nikki shouted into the phone. I held it away from my ear.
"Yeah, did you know there's a time difference between there and here? Yeah, it was like, two in the morning when my flight got in. I don't know how pilots can handle that," I said. "I was tired. Jet lag."
"That's no excuse!" Ashton said. They must be on speakerphone.
"Actually, yes it is. I was tired and about to fall asleep standing up," I said.
"So what's the weather like there?" Carmen's voice came through the phone.
"Stormy as of right now," I said. A loud clap of thunder shook the building and I jumped. The lightning was almost constant now. "Could you hear that?"
"Yeah. That was really loud," Tyler said.
"Awww! Was baby Tyler afraid of the thunder?" I said, mocking his fear of thunderstorms.
"No. Because it's not here," he said. I could almost see his face turning bright red.
"Where are you right now?" Mika asked.
"Starbucks," I said. "It's about a block from my hotel, but if I tried walking back now, I'd be soaked in a fraction of a second."
"That's how bad it's raining?" Nikki asked.
"Yeah. And it's funny, because there's only me and five other people in here, and the five are all together, and they started singing that rain song. Do you remember singing that song, Carmen?" I said, giggling. "You used to sing it at the top of your lungs whenever it rained."
"Yeah, I remember," she said. "Do you remember how you almost beat me up for it that one time when I kept singing it over and over and over?"
"I didn't think you'd remember that far back!" I said. "And yes. You were like, four. And hearing that song over and over and over again being sung in a little four-year-old voice is cute the first time around. Then it gets annoying."
"How deep are the puddles?" Shelby asked from the background.
"I don't know, but I'll bet you twenty bucks that they're up to my knees," I said.
"You're on!"
"So, Car, meet any hot British boys yet?" Ashton asked.
"Not really, no," I said. "Unless you count just seeing."
"I don't think that qualifies as meeting anyone," Mika said.
"So how's life without me?" I asked.
"B-O-R-I-N-G BORING!" Ashton shouted. "How am I supposed to know what songs are good if you're not around to tell me if they're any good?"
"Um, listen to them?" I suggested, laughing.
"I'd rather not have my ears bleed from the horrible songs, Car," she said.
"Okay, then how about you text me the songs and I'll listen to them, then I'll text you back and tell you if they're any good or not?" I suggested. "Easy-peasy."
"Fine, if I must," she sighed dramatically.
8/3/13