I opened the door before taking another look at the red umbrella, my previous encounter with that stranger played within my head like a film, every detail, like I didn't want to forget any of it, I was afraid I might, I don't know why that thought scared me.
"EMMA!"
My head shot up. Vanessa rushed to me with a flush of worry. "I'm so so sorry, our lights went out due to the rain and my phone was down, I couldn't get a hold of you, and the rain was just-".
"It's okay I'm fine, just wet" I shrugged, pulling some strands of my wet hair behind my ear. I don't know why she was overreacting, she seemed tense. I figured maybe she had every right to be, I was still new in this town, and being off on my own wasn't exactly a good idea.
Vanessa sighed in relief before her orbs caught notice of the red umbrella I held. "Oh, I'm pretty sure you didn't have an umbrella on you when you left," she pointed out.
"Oh this," I said, raising it up, memories of our encounter struck me, I gulped feeling that rush of feeling again but I shoved it off. "Someone strange gave it to me"
"Someone strange? What do you mean?!" she demands, growing tense once again.
"It's okay Vanessa I don't know who he is but I'm sure he's in my school probably senior year or something," But still, she was unsettled like it was wrong to meet a stranger. "What's wrong? You said this town is easy going, meeting a stranger is probably not that bad right?" I reasoned, and she forced a smile.
"Of course" she gulped, composing herself with a gulp. "I just thought you meant… a different strange,"
"What other strange thing is there?" I blinked.
She laughed but I was pretty sure that was a cover-up. "Just forget it, I'm just glad you're okay. So how was school, made new friends?" I figured that topic was off, Vanessa definitely had a way of changing things quickly. But I just played along, and didn't even know what to ask if I continued that conversation.
"Well, leave the story till later I need to get out of these wet clothes,"
"Of course you do, when done I will make hot cocoa just for you" she smiled, and I nodded.
"Thanks," I said, walking past her. On my way to the stairs I turned, Vanessa was unsettled for some reason, her mood was of worry and fear. I just shrugged walking up to my room and just convincing myself she was just worried about me being drenched in the rain.
~
I blew off the lighter, my room was set in candles, Vanessa said first thing in the morning the lights will be repaired but until then, it would be all ancient in this house. I sighed while cleaning my hair with my towel. I was already freshened up in my PJ's, baggy shirt, and baggy pants. I really have a thing for baggy clothes probably because of how skinny I was and I was extremely conscious about it. I threw the towel to my chair as I opened my laptop, at that moment my phone rang, and I smiled picking up the call.
"How is my baby doing?" my mom's voice was bright and cheerful as always.
"Hey mom," I said smiling.
"Oh honey I miss you so much"
"It's only been a day, mom," I reasoned.
"I know," she pouted.
"How's LA?"
"Well I'm in New York right now, my boss has another concert and by tomorrow we will be in another city once again," she said, I could hear how stressed she was, it was evident in her tone, I didn't have to look at her to know how tired she must be. "Probably be having yet another sleep in the plane"
"Don't take the heat too much," I said, worried in my tone.
"You see, this is the reason I didn't want you to stay with me, you would have to bounce from city to city without having a proper home or education"
"I know," I said, playing with my bed sheets, my fingers circling on top.
"So tell me how school was?" she asked excitedly. "Oh, and how's the town? It's been so long, I can't imagine how it looks like"
"Well it's cool, the town's okay, I think, and…" I paused as a faint smile pursed up my lips. "Made friends already," I could hardly believe it myself, even though I didn't engage in much conversation with the crew I had a feeling I would be talking with them from time to time.
"Honey, that's great!" She squeaked, I knew how happy she was, I hardly have any friends back in Washington, just people I considered my classmates and wave 'Hi' from time to time, I was a very reserved person, just studying and getting the hell out and then to my room, with my music, anime's and novels, I mean what more? My mom always talked to me about getting along, but I never actually did. I can imagine how happy she was right now.
"What of your aunt, how is she? I couldn't reach her"
"Oh, yeah the power went out and her phone's down,"
"Oh my God are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, the lights will be fixed tomorrow, no need to worry," I said. I heard a warning sound from my phone, and I removed it from my ear. Fuck! An empty bar.
"Gotta go, mom, low battery"
"Okay stay safe okay, call me when your phone is-". With that my phone turned off, I sighed, dropped it on the bed, and buried my face in my hands, my glasses pushing to the side, taking a deep breath. The dangling sound of the dream-catcher on the window distracted me, I was forced to look at it.
"Damn dream-catcher"