When the Rain Stopped Falling (Published under Pop Fiction)

12: What Are the Odds

"Oh my God Dad! It's been years! What happened to you? Why did you call only just now?"

"Elois, princess, you know dad's been busy right. I have a lot of paperworks to do,"

"Are you okay in there? Are you sleeping well?" I asked frantically.

"Princess, you're the one in College. Not me. I should be the one asking you those questions!"

"I'm worried sick that you've forgotten about me, dad," Someone poked me by the shoulder so I turned around. It was Leslie and she was gesturing that she's going outside because someone is calling her. I nodded and went back on the phone.

"Why would that ever happen?"

"I don't know, Alzheimer's?" I joked. Dad's manly laughter stemmed out on my phone. I gotta be honest here, I miss him so much.

"If you're so worried about your dad, then why didn't you call me?"

"Because I'm waiting for your call. And if I called you first then you might think that I'm needy,"

"Oh I already know that, princess," dad coughed "so where are you now? There's a lot of noise there in your background"

"I'm at a grocery. The noise is coming from the road construction nearby," Not long after, I heard a heavy thud from the ground as if something had fallen from the sky. I quickly looked by the window and there I saw a huge fountain of water from the ground, almost like a geyser. Though it looks beautiful as it creates mini rainbows, it also look awful. Someone must have accidentally made a hole on the water piping. And I could also feel that someone's getting fired. Apparently dad didn't hear the thud so he went on blabbering about what should I buy in the groceries.

"I'm not here to buy myself some groceries, I'm with someone,"

"Someone? Your friend?"

"Yeah, his name is-"

"Woah there princess, a he? Who's he? Are you going out on a date?" dad coughed again.

"Dad, whoever have their dates on a grocery store? That's like so weird," Then again, I had my first date on a half-bookstore half-restaurant establishment. I better keep my mouth shut about that.

"Not me," he said suspiciously casual.

"Dad, did you have a date on a grocery store?" I'm mildly freaking out on my brain right now.

"Well I don't have a money so..." That's it! Dad blew my brain and I started to laugh like crazy.

"That's embarrassing dad!"

"Anyway, you're changing the topic Elois. Who's this person you're with?"

"Dad, we're more of a group on the grocery?"

"A group date on a grocery, my child, you're still young!" I know that dad is joking when he uses the phrase "my child" or a little bit archaic language in general but his expression never gets old.

"One of them is Leslie, my roommate and her brother named Jasper,"

"A.K.A. your date, uhuh"

"A.K.A. not my date but actually our project leader,"

"Can I talk to this Jasper?"

"Why? Dad, please don't," And as if Jasper heard our whole conversation, he surprisingly showed up beside me. He rested his right arm by the shelf and leaned on it, showing off his nice bicep. He smiled at me then wiggled his eyebrow playfully. What the actual hell?

"Are you embarrassed of your own father?"

"Of course not dad, but,"

"But what?"

"He's gay okay," I couldn't think of any other excuse. Jasper's eyes widened and he cupped his mouth with his free hand. I smirked a little.

"Gay huh? I don't believe you, Elois."

"Okay he's not gay," Jasper like a cartoon, now flexed his free hand, revealing his other eye-catching bicep, and puckered his lips. I pushed him a little and walked away from his distractions.

"Dad, he said that he's too busy to speak with you because he's being a good project leader,"

"Okay, princess, if you really think it's not yet time to meet him," dad sighed then he cut me off.

"Dad?" he's really gone. I went back to Jasper who was already sorting the stuff we (mostly them) picked up.

"Hey how's dad?" Jasper asked as soon as he had his eyes on me.

"He cut me off suddenly" Wait did he just said how's dad? "Where's Leslie?"

"She went home, she said she need to get something really important," No. Leslie is gone. So that means me and Jasper is left alone together. My heart started pacing up its beat. I went with it and shifted myself to the window to look outside but before I could get there I stopped. There is a huge puddle of water inside the store now and by the looks of it, it's already bad from the outside. I knew that it wasn't going to rain, the sky was plain blue when we left the house. But I never thought that a freaking ginormous fountain would spring out from below ground. I feel that the whole store became smaller and I honestly couldn't breathe normally.

"Oh ship!" Jasper swore- it wasn't ship. "How are we going to go home now?" Uhm via ship? This time I meant really a ship.

"How did the water came in so fast like this?" My question was rhetorical but I expected a response from Jasper. Instead, I realized that he was talking to his phone.

"Hello? Cole, buddy," my eyes glinted with disbelief. This is how it freaking goes, is it? "I'm with Elois right now..." Jasper continued to talk "yeah...we're stranded on a flash flood. Could you come and get us? Alright that's unfortunate, indeed." This is bad. Two of Nikolas's prediction came true! Oh my God! This can't be freaking happening right now. There's one more thing I could test. An odd that is one in eight million.

As urgent as I could, I went to the newspaper and magazine rack and located a tabloid. Today's winning numbers of lotto are 02-18-08-24-30-45. Then I brought out my notebook from my bag and went to the page where I noted Nikolas's numbers. 02- my fingers are shaking -18- now my body is trembling - 08- I need air - 24- cold sweat drips on my forehead -30- the place is going dark- 45. I almost fainted but gladly Jasper caught me.