Thursday, March 14, 2024

Walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn



 WOE.. what had happened to Maddie? Rainy couldn't help but smile when he heard her speak at the coffee shop. Really, she never talked. Especially to him. She asked how he was doing? It was a thrill that shook him to the core.

Once upon a time, Darry mentioned they should date. No, not Rainy and Maddie, but Rainy and Darry.

"But why?" He didn't know Darry that way. Was he just having to play by some kind of new rules? Just to keep the calm?  Really, it was hard enough to know everyone's pronouns these days (not that he would want to offend anyone). But Darry got the idea it was safer that way. Just say they were dating so they could just go on with the crowd. Maybe.

And then that middle schooler practically abducted Darry. It was like spring came early. And well, Rainy didn't see much of Darry from art class. He hadn't seen much of Maddie, either. Oh, she was truly hard to figure out. She was pensive in a mysterious sort of way. It was like something was lost in her, but he didn't know what.

Sure, he'd watched her from afar and then she got with that Rafe. Rainy was certain she was damaged goods, but here she was so fond and very endearing.

"Hey, if you got time, there's this Laurel and Hardy movie marathon at the Youth Center."

 Yeah, didn't sound exactly like a date. He mentioned Darry and Junie would be there, as well as some other people from their art class. It was Friday after school.

"I'd love to." 

Her smile said everything. Really, he was touched and possibly the most giddy fool on earth. 

"Really?" He left the question hanging. He didn't think it would happen, but she met him after school. Damn, he was sure he'd mess it all up. Rainy was happy to go anywhere with her. He let her lead the way. 

Such an intoxicating feeling. Some would run from it, but not Rainy. Oh, he wanted to see just how far this would go. Still, he felt he was watching from afar, even being so close.

She reached for his hand. Seriously,  Rainy thought he might fall apart, but not just yet.

He bought her a slice of pizza and a drink for eight bucks at the commons. They talked about a few art projects. She talked about how she'd neglected using her creative muscle as of late.

"Oh, you can always catch up," Rainy smiled back. He met up with a group every Wednesday and they drew Anime in the quiet room at the library. "It's only the three of us." Even Darry had stopped coming.

"I didn't know," Maddie looked as if she'd been missing out on something great. Rainy was still in shock that she was so open. She was not sad around him, as he remembered. It was a delight to watch.

Later, they shared popcorn and a Big Cherry Coke from the endless bucket cup and laughed at everything that happened in those very old movies. It was a great time. Of course, he was barely an inch taller than her. He wondered if she noticed.

She kept smiling at him as if he were her very own prize. 

But he found himself wincing hard in the bathroom after the movie marathon was over. Wondering when it would expire. Maybe even tonight. He cleared his throat and knew he'd have to take it like a man. He bet that Rafe was stalking her and when he made his presence.... Poof! It would be as if Rainy didn't exist at all.

Yet, on that walk home with still a bitter winter chill in the air, neither seemed to notice. And a block away at the little park not far from either's house, they took a detour to the Merry-Go-Round. 

Like a dance, Maddie jumped on first and Rainy ran with the Merry-Go-Round. Faster and faster the Merry-Go-Around stirred. He could feel her laughter in the night air.

"Come here," Maddie said as if she was someone else. Not that girl in the art room who never showed anyone her notebooks and always looked a bit ill.

Rainy's chest ached. Was it really true?

They met in the middle of the dizzy ride and she kissed him with such zest that they found their way to the bottom of the vibrant ride. 

Rainy thought he might die, but it would happily.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

You're a fragile flower in its finale hour



 Chili embraced Maddie and she began to cry too. She hated to see Maddie so distraught. After all, she was such a shy thing.

"Do you even want to be here?" Chili wanted to know as she rested her hands on her shoulders. "Maybe you need to just, go home and rest."

Maddie said no, but her eyes were red and watery. She looked a bit sickly. 

"But Rafe's here." Chili reminded her.

Maddie took a deep breath and pressed her lips tight. "I can't let him win." Her face puffed as she frowned.

"Look, I know it's hard," Chili could see how hard it was to grow up. Sometimes, being with someone didn't mean huge disasters, but perhaps just misunderstandings.

"Are you afraid of him?" Chili had to ask as if she was ready to fight for Maddie.

"No." She stood up straight and looked so innocent with those pale eyes of hers.

Chili smiled. All this time she thought Maddie led a sheltered life, but it was true, she was shuffled around from one relative to the next. Perhaps, like something was left behind, but ever so often someone might have mishelved her. Sure, they cared about her but didn't want to know how she was really doing. After all, Maddie seldom expressed her feelings.

"I'm just sorry you are having to go through this," Chili told her there at the empty coffee shop. After all, Maddie dropped in to see of any changes in the schedule, but as soon as she saw no one was there to help Chili with the customers, Maddie went to work.

The door jangled then, and she went to get the customer's order.




Rafe was watching from the kitchen. He went to pile some more flour on the shelf of supplies and loaded up more syrup in its place. He sighed wondering if Chili would find him, but he kept working. Couldn't he just keep quiet and everything would turn out fine.

Although, Maddie gave him the cold shoulder at school. It was like she'd taken to the wind and flown off to a special place like in those Chinese dramas she watched. She was nowhere these days.

Yes, he'd had a falling out with Mercer when he found out she'd talked to him. It was like he was on her trail, but it turned cold. Why did she have to avoid him like this? This was not about Maddie. Couldn't she see this?

"Well, it's never been about her, now has it?" Chili hissed as if she might really be a demon at heart.

Rafe almost fell over when he heard her words. Suddenly, it was as if all this was taking a toll on his heart.

"What are you talking back," he snarled back.

"This, this with you and Maddie," she looked him straight in the eye as if she would be his judge and jailer. "I had such hopes for you. I really did. I thought you were getting better, but somehow, you'll always be a self-centered ass, won't you."

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. "You know, you think somebody might change when they go off to war, but that's not a sure bet, either."

She looked back through the window where people were being served. Maddie had her best face on. 

Rafe put down the flour and walked forward to see what was happening. Maddie was having a quaint conversation with some other schoolboy. Someone from art class.

"You better let her go." Chili hugged herself.

"But-" They hadn't even broken up. Still, he hated the idea of even talking to Maddie.

"You know what they say, LOVE isn't love until you give it away."

Rafe's frown was small, but when he looked at Chili now, he thought she was just a sorcerer in disguise. 


Sunday, March 10, 2024

Why don't we leave it at that?



 "You didn't tell him we got married?" Wolf squinted. Generally, he was always happy, but now he felt sad that Remi didn't want to share the news to anyone.

Of course, it had been a quiet affair. She didn't even take a day off from work. Neither did he, but it had happened. 

Remi didn't even ask for Harry's help when they moved. She hadn't even told her cousin. 

It was true. It was just us. Sometimes, it felt she didn't have a family either. He knew he couldn't question it, but still he liked the idea of extended family. Most of his life had been been in a back of gas station. He knew nothing really of those who had raised him. It was as if he hadn't existed. 

He nursed his  upper lip.

"We will tell him, when the time is right," Remi said Harry was in a bad way. "But I'll invite him over, and we can tell him then."

"Why did he and Maisy break up?" He couldn't imagine Maisy cheating on him. She was good at the deli and she was an inspiring artist with her jewelry too. She was always so busy.

"She had a chance to work on Broadway," Remi told him. "Harry wasn't going to hold her back, you know."

Wolf nodded. 

"I wish we could have been closer," Remi said when she spoke of Maisy. "I feel like I never knew her. You know, like maybe I wasn't supposed too."

"Don't go saying your a bad person again," Wolf hugged Remi then. He knew this song. Some days she could be so depressed. But it hadn't happened in so long. It was time to be happy. He knew they were good for each other. They were a family. He wanted to be here for her if she'd just let him.

Still, some of the time, he felt he might be the wife in this relationship. Sure he did his share of cooking and cleaning, especially on those low days when she didn't want to crawl out of bed. But somehow, she always made it down to the drugstore for her shift even if it might be at midnight.

Really, he wanted her to find something else to do. Wasn't it time for her to find a job she'd earned skills to do? But he couldn't dare breathe a word of it. He would let it be.

Still, it felt they were so all alone and he knew she needed her friends just as much as he did.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Well, it's always back to you



 "I really don't know what to do," Maddie fought back the tears. She knew she was mad, but she felt so sad. How could she let herself fall into this with Rafe?

"Oh, you know how he is," Mercer told her that Rafe always thought he was the babe magnet long before she got here. "But he's really insecure."

She could hardly breathe. The thought that she was only some pawn in this sick game of his. She winced. Really, she knew nothing about Chess. She didn't even know how to play Checkers. 

She cried right into his shoulder in the stacks of the library late after school. Finally, she mumbled something into Mercer's wet sweater how Rafe wanted to go through with it on Valentine's night. And maybe a little of her would have let him, but-. She pulled back and looked Mercer in the face.

"I'm better alone, you know."

"Don't say that Maddie," he didn't believe her. "You two just need to talk."

"I don't want to talk to him," she sniffed back tears. Honestly, she was tired of this. It was frustrating. Oh, she'd tried. She'd seen how much fun Junie and Darry were having together. She tried to be that way with him. Letting Rafe lead the way like a happy dog whose step was just too brisk and she could barely hold on, thinking he might leave her at a traffic light that went green. He didn't care if she got run over, evidently.

"But I've never seen him this happy before," Mercer begged to differ.

"Is he?" She was straight-lipped. "He should just find that Kimmy and maybe he'd have a perfect life."

"Kimmy?" Mercer winced.

"Yes, he can't help but mention her, ever so often." Maddie pouted, wishing she didn't even have to say her name. "That's not all, I'll never be as fantastic as Lily." She hugged herself. Honestly, it hurt to be compared to his long list of girlfriends.

"Well, you're the one he is always talking about," Mercer told her.

"Yeah, like he's the one who saved me from getting a bad grade in Biology. And how I can't write an essay."

"He was never good at English, don't listen to Rafe." Mercer looked at her blankly.

Maddie burst into laughter, but a second later she was crying. Thankfully, Mercer gave her another hug.