The perfect woman - My best friend's mom (GirlxGirl)

Five - Another rainy night

Wow, I really didn't see that coming, I thought to myself as I closed the book. I didn't want to stop but reality caught up with me. Time had flown by while I was reading, so what felt like a moment was actually nearly an hour, and math started in less than ten minutes. I hurriedly packed up my things and headed for the right classroom. I made a quick stop at the restroom before entering. Jasmine was already there. I quickly climbed the stairs and sat down beside her.

"Lost track of time," I apologized and opened my notebook.

"I see that," Jasmine smirked.

I checked my watch again, right as it turned 13 o'clock.

"I want to know everything about your lunch, later," I whispered before the teacher started the lecture.

Complex numbers were what we were learning about today. It wasn't my favourite part of math, but it wasn't my worst either.

Jasmine glanced at my notes several times. Apart from writing the same thing the teacher did on the whiteboard, I noted down things he said or things I remembered from the textbook or from previous lectures. It was these scribbles that Jasmine wanted, and I was happy that she could be helped by them. At the beginning of the year I made them out of boredom, but I had continued with them after I noticed Jas was helped by them.

An hour and a half later we stepped out of the classroom.

"My head is spinning," Jasmine complained. "Conjugate and theorems and definitions, i's and a's and b's. I'm probably more confused now than before." She continued and massaged her temples.

"Don't worry," I said. "You always say that after a math lecture but you've still managed to get it every time. It just takes some time and practice."

She looked over at me and knew I was right.

"On another topic, how was your lunch?" I asked. It took a second for her to remember but when she did a smile crept onto her lips.

"It was lunch," she said dreamily.

She told me how he had opened the door to the restaurant for her. How he had let her pick the table, asked what she wanted and ordered for her. She told me what they had talked about, and about the jokes they had laughed at. I could tell she really liked him.

While she went on to tell me about how they had hold hands on the ride back to school, my mind wandered off. I pictured myself in her story, holding hands on the bus, resting my head on a shoulder. Smelling perfume. Felling soft fingers in my hand. Looking into blue-grey eyes. Being with the person you liked. Maybe being liked back.

"He even walked me to the math class." She finished her story and I snapped back to reality.

"Sounds like you had a good time," I said and smiled.

"I did!" Jasmine said and smiled back. "And he asked if I wanted to hang out after school today. I'll meet him at four."

I was genuinely happy for her and I hoped her feelings for Marcus were mutual. I would hate to see her get hurt.

We studied away the afternoon in the library until it was time for Jasmine to meet Marcus. Half-past four I took the train home to Peak. It had been a long time since I did it without Jasmine.

It was already darkening outside and when the train left the city, big raindrops started to fall from the sky. They pattered against the train window, forming droplets and streams. Rain had always had a soothing effect on me. When I was little and couldn't sleep my mom used to play sound's of rain for me, and it always helped me fall asleep. I still loved falling asleep to the sound of rain. Except for when it woke me up at 4 in the morning.

The train slowed down at Peak station. I zipped my jacket, pulled up the hood and secured my backpack before heading out into the rain. Some days I loved walking in the rain and feeling it on my face. Today was not one of those days. The raindrops were cold and hard against my skin. The warmth I had felt during lunch was gone. My fingers were deep down in my pockets, but cold even so. I hurried up my steps in hopes to make the 13-minute walk shorter. I looked down on the pavement as to not step in any puddles. It was a waste of time however, because every other car that passed me splashed water on me. After the first one, I got irritated but forgave the driver, there was indeed a lot of water on the road. After the third car splashing me, I was frustrated. The fifth time, I was pissed and wanted to curse out the driver. To my surprise, the fifth car slowed down after passing me and stopped at the parking slot right up ahead. Good, I thought to myself. Maybe they are decent enough to apologise. Or I'll get to curse at them. But as I came closer, I recognised the car. My anger washed away and as I was level with the trunk, the passenger seat door opened and a hand waved at me to get in.

"I'm so sorry for drenching you!" April apologized with distress in her voice. She rummaged around in the backseat and pulled out a towel that she started to dab my legs with. "I didn't see that big puddle and I didn't know it was you until I had already passed. Oh you must be freezing!"

"I'm okay and don't worry about it," I said. She continued to move the towel around frantically and didn't seem to have heard me.

I grabbed her hand and got her attention.

"I'm okay," I said when she looked at me. The poor woman looked so ashamed, and being the fifth person to splash me, I wasn't even mad at her. She was so sweet and caring.

I looked down at our hands and back up at her. She looked right into my eyes, not moving her hand. It was like time had stopped. We sat there, neither of us moving. Her hand on the towel on my thigh, my hand on hers. It was just like those moments in movies.

Time came back. She removed her hand and looked remorseful.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. I didn't know if she apologized for the splashing, the towel or the hand. Whichever it was, she had nothing to be sorry about.

"Were you on your way home?" She asked in her normal voice and drove out of the parking slot.

"Yeah," I answered.

I couldn't read her. Had we just had a moment? Had she felt it too? Or was I just overthinking it, reading too much into it? She had definitely looked into my eyes with her hand on my leg.

She pulled up to my dad's house and stopped at the road.

"I'm really sorry," April said. She looked at me again and I saw something in her eyes. She wanted to make up for it but she didn't know how.

"I forgive you and I'm totally fine, I promise," I said. I looked at her and if the situation was different, if the rules were changed, I would've reached over and kissed her. I can't count the times I've just wanted to grab her face and kiss her, hold her in my arms and never let go. But that wasn't our reality. Instead, I gave her a smile and thanked her for the ride. She returned both and I got out of the car.

She waited for me to get inside the house before she drove away.