When the Rain Stopped Falling (Published under Pop Fiction)

8: Umbrella Boy the Genius

Leslie was eating a take-out from KFC when I arrived at our apartment. When she saw me, she instantly stopped gnawing on her hot shots and stood in front of me. "What happened to you?" she said.

"Oh, I forgot my umbrella," I excused myself in order to find clean and dry clothes and went to the bathroom to change. Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, I realized that I was still wearing Nikolas's jacket. I immediately checked its pocket and there I saw his school ID. He looks handsome in this picture. Well, he looked handsome in real life too though I wasn't able to look at him for a long period of time. It's just that I can't.

I removed Nikolas's jacket and folded it neatly. I should return this is I see him again. If I see him again, that is. It took a minute or so before I completely freshened up.

"Then why are you smiling?" Leslie asked as soon as I get out of the bathroom.

"Me? I wasn't smiling," I thought of Nikolas's jokes during our meal for a second.

"You're smiling right now! What happened to your first day?"

"Um, it was not quite good. Can you imagine, I went to my class an hour early so I ended up attending a different class,"

"No way! That's totally embarrassing," Leslie laughed and jumped into her bed. She is really energetic right now. "Then?"

"Then nothing," I answered without a blink an eye.

"Well, your smile looks something. Is it a boy?" My eyes suddenly widened. I can't believe she's fishing on me like this.

"What do you mean is it a boy?"

"Then what is it you're smiling about?"

"I just found a bookstore, be cool alright?"

"Right, a bookstore, huh?"

"Yup. It's really nice. I had a lot of fun,"

"Okay, alright," she grinned at me suspiciously. Seconds later, "So who brought you in that bookstore?" I'm beginning to get annoyed at Leslie's curiosity. How can she tell that I've met someone today? Was she some kind of psychic? Or maybe she was stalking me?

"Leslie,"

"Was he the one who gave you that jacket?" I was about to say something but her statement made my mouth stiff and wide open. So that's how. "Oh yeah, you're busted. Come on Elois, you can tell your roommate about this kind of stuff,"

"Okay, I've met a boy," I gave in. "It was raining and he suddenly showed up and shared his umbrella for me. Then he showed me the bookstore which was actually a restaurant,"

"Wow, he seems to be a very nice guy,"

"Yeah, he is. But..." I suddenly frowned.

"But what?"

"After we ate, we strolled around the town but along the way we've got separated and I haven't found him since,"

"What? How did that happen?"

"I don't know either. There was a lot of people and somehow he disappeared."

"Do you think he ditched you?"

"No, I don't think so." Though in retrospect maybe he did. Maybe he got bored of me, I shrugged off the thought.

"Well if he really is nice, I think he searched for you too."

"Yeah, I hope so," I had a long day and I don't like to overthink the situation so I changed the topic to Leslie. "How about you? Did you have a good first day?"