Guns, Roses & Everything in Between

CHAPTER ONE

WARNING: Unbeta-ed. Updates are inconsistent. Read on if you must.

I ran. I ran as fast as my aching feet would let me go. The muscles in my calves were contracting wildly as I pushed down with considerable force on the damp road.

Rain surrounded me in clear, slippery sheets.

The rubber sole of my mud-riddled shoes squeaked, and dirty brown leaves crunched as I squished them beneath my foot. Despite how fast I tried to run, the purple cloth of the hoodie covering my shoulders remained unprotected, steadily pattered on by the rain.

The bell rung, class was over, school's out, and the timing couldn't have been better.

It was an especially chilly time in November, the feeling more prominent than ever as the harsh winds nipped against my skin. I constantly rubbed my dry, cracked lips together that had been numbed by the cold.

Unconsciously, I picked at the dead skin on my lips, an uncontrollable habit I never seemed to grow out of.

My partially-damp clothes fluttered annoyingly as I scanned the area for bus stops--which I didn't really do because I had my own car, but then again I forgot about it--and ironically there were none.

You'd think that people would have half a mind to build some, considering that there was a school nearby. But no, and that conclusion made me even more disappointed with humanity in general.

I wanted to shout in frustration. I absolutely hated rainy days when I get stuck outside for more than an hour. Damn it all!

I didn't tune into the forecast this morning, I had no umbrella, no car, and barely any credit left to call someone.

I feel an ear-splitting headache going on.

The aftermaths of my carelessness were costing me my good health, but frankly, I didn't have the luxury of worrying right now.

The guards at school also shooed us away, not wanting the floors to be wetter than they already were.

Sigh.

My shoulders and upper back were weighed down significantly, as I brought all my stuff, all tossed into one heavy backpack. I regretted it almost instantly, because it weighed a ton.

I was stuck here waiting for the occasional car or taxi, left with no choice.

There were not much cars around in sight. I guess majority of people heeded the warning and stayed at home, safe and warm.

Just my luck. My mind was blank as I stood under a tree, even though it was as useful as a tin can with tiny holes in it.

It did not really shelter me from the rain, but tin can shelters were better than nothing.

Looking up to the gray clouds that were quickly darkening with my every slow breath, I pushed the sleeve up my wrist and saw the time in my watch. The digital text flashed an angry red, showing the numbers 6:02 at me, as the screen glinted under the dim light of the slightly clouded sun.

Which means that I needed to get a taxi, and fast.

'Honk, honk!'

Wringing some of the rainwater out of my hair, I took off onto a corner of the street on my right, where I heard a few car horns run past. Three cars moved across one another amidst the torrents of rain.

The temples of my head throbbed as early warning signs of a fever, my hoodie grew uncomfortably damper each second, and I dug my hands in the pockets, craving desperately for some sort of warmth.