The Falling Rain

Marissa looked at the twenty floor apartment in front of her. She was determined that this time, this bit** would go bald in her hands. Heading straight to the elevator she pushed the button and went in after the door opened. She suddenly stopped when someone blocked the door.

"What are you doing here?" Henry, her father asked. He was out buying snacks from the grocery store nearby when he saw a familiar face.

She sneered, "Huh, why would you care?"

"Go back now." He pulled her out from the elevator but Marissa held onto the rail and refused to do what was asked by her father.

The act was seen by two people who wanted to use the elevator. Immediately, Marissa took the chance and yelled, "Come in, the elevator functions just well."

The couple were hesitant to get in as they saw the comical conflict between Marissa and her father. As the door started closing, she stopped the door with her right leg extended while her hand was still holding tight on the rail, "I didn't eat humans, come in." She smiled reluctantly realising how ridiculous they looked quarrelling in the elevator. The couple replied with a smile just as awkward while trying to keep a straight face as they walked sideways into the elevator.

Henry couldn't do anything, he let go of her daughter and just glared at her while cursing in his mind. "Why don't you listen?" He talked with his teeth gritting to each other.

"Why…should…I?" She mouthed the word one by one.

Ding!

"Ah, excuse me." Marissa quickly got out of the elevator and ran to her father's mistress' unit before he could catch up to her.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

She banged the door loudly using her arm and saw how his father came rushing towards her.

"Insolent child!" A slap landed on her right cheek.

The slap caused a loud buzzing in her ears. Marissa, who grew up being delicate and was taken care of well by her mother, felt the taste of his father's slap at the age of twenty seven.

She held her check and sneered, "Did you just…" She paused, her words stuck to her throat. She, who was always outspoken, was out of words at the time. It felt like her words only lingered in her mind.

The sky slowly became cloudy. Was it really the sky or was it her tears that were covering her eyes at that moment? And at that exact time all she wished was rain would pour down, so she could scream her frustration away.

"You know what? Sometimes I wish I was better off without a father than to have one like you." A drop of tear that had been wailing in her eyes running down her cheek. She wiped the tear away and walked past him without looking at his face.

Walking out from the elevator, Marissa headed straight to the main road. Her mind was totally blank and her legs kept on walking without any destination. Any direction would do. Just to keep walking to ease her troubled mind.

As God heard her wish, the sky started to turn grey and slowly got darker. She looked up and the sound of thunder didn't scare her at all. A few moments later, a little raindrop fell upon her face and got heavier as time passed by.

She looked as the rain started to wet the walkway, smiled and stopped walking. "Aaaahh!" She screamed at the rain at the top of her lungs and took it out, her frustrated voice.

Her shoulders dropped, her blouse getting wet and her wedges were damp. She thought she could wash away her worries and frustration by putting it on the rain but the feeling seeped in deeper.

Unit 102.

How did she end up standing in front of Blake's apartment? How far did she walk? How could he be the only one that she could turn to?

She pressed the bell with her freezing cold fingers and waited. When there was no answer, she pressed it again. But all she received was silence, 'Did he go out?'

Marissa leaned on the wall, her legs slowly growing weaker and she eventually fell sitting down on the floor. As the cold was biting her whole body, she dragged her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She hoped it could keep her warm. As she felt a little warmer, her eyes felt heavy. She fell asleep sitting down in front of Blake's apartment.

"Hmm…" Marissa pulled the blanket up to her shoulders but then she suddenly realised something and opened her eyes. She looked around and noticed the familiar room. It was Blake's. How did she end up lying on this bed? She couldn't remember a thing. The last thing she could recall was, she rested her head on her knees and then perhaps, she black out.

The night already came and the rain looked like it had stopped. She stared blankly at the window.

"Are you already awake?" Blake's voice could be heard coming from the door. "Let me see…" He put his palm on Marissa's forehead and touched his forehead with the other hand. "Your forehead is bigger than mine." Blake said jokingly.

Marissa's eyes stayed on his face as he said, "Hmm I guess the fever has subsided." Blake took a seat beside her, "Are you feeling better?"

She didn't answer, only her eyes fluttering looking at him and of course a little bit angry at the previous comment about the forehead.

"Or perhaps you hit your head?" He cupped her head, turned her head left and right to check it and said, "Ahh this is something to worry about, the most talkative person becoming quiet would be a problem."

Marissa unexpectedly smiled because of his words.

"What happened? Why were you drenching in the rain?" He fixed her dishevelled hair.

She smiled, but the smile quickly went downwards as the sadness that she kept inside eagerly wanted to creep out of her heart. Should she pretend to be okay? No matter how many times she tried to erase her frustration and worries away, nothing had changed.

All of sudden, the warm embrace covered Marissa's body. Blake caressed the back of her hair, "If you didn't want to say anything, you don't have to." His words calm her heart.

Marissa closed her eyes, rested her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his neck. "Thank you for always being by my side all these years." She was always thankful to have him who would be there whenever her mood was swinging and who would listen whenever her problem wouldn't go away.

"I can be by your side forever." He uttered the words confidently.

Marissa pulled away and smiled widely, "Thank you best friend but I need to get married. You know, a rich man." She was half joking.

"I am not rich enough for you?" He raised his brow, anticipating the answer.

She looked around the room, "Well…" She nodded. If she compared their two lives it was like the sky and the earth but deep in her heart she was hoping to meet a really rich man for her to get out of this struggling life, someone like heaven.

"No?" Blake saw her expression.

"Ahh, how did we end with this kind of conversation?" She giggled, awkwardly. "Both of us know, it will never happen." She smized.

"Why?"

Blake's question sent the room into silence.