Rain on My Wings by Juliet Rose (good book recommendations txt) 📕

used to spend the night at each other’s houses all the time. That is until we turned six and he started realizing that I had cooties. He was basically my brother, and I was his little sister. We loved each other, and I felt safe with him.
After History, I walked to Spanish; which was quite a trek across the building. On the way, I kept my eyes peeled for him, hoping that somehow our paths would cross. After a while I started to think that the incident in the parking lot was just a dream, and that I would walk outside to find my car perfectly undamaged. My thoughts were proven wrong though when I walked into Spanish class.
There he was, sitting in all his brilliance. I stopped in the doorway, not knowing what I should do. Should I take the seat by him? Or would that be too obvious. The only other option was in the back corner, or in the very front and center. Awful choices, but I settled for the one next to him. After a few beckoning words from the teacher, everyone fell silent. Annalise was in this class. She flashed me a smile and mouthed “Meet me in the hall after this,” pointing towards the door. I gave her a thumbs up as my sign of agreement. I couldn’t help but admire her for her quirky glasses that only she could wear and still look impeccably adorable. Her long, soft ringlets of strawberry blonde hair were excessively curly today, spiraling to a point at the ends where they swept over her desk. She carried her camera- her most prized possession- over her shoulder with a bohemian looking strap, complete with a sporadic arrangement of buttons. This was my best friend: unique and astoundingly beautiful, without even trying- which made her even lovelier. At this point I had completely tuned out the teacher, who was explaining something about bathroom rules before I zoned out. My focus was back on the living dream sitting diagonally across from me. Every time I looked his way, my heartbeat quickened. It was inevitable. I tried desperately not to stare for an enormously massive amount of time, but it was utterly impossible for my eyes to leave. I was in shock that this was reality, and not another dream. My mind couldn’t accept that I wouldn’t wake up, drenched in sweat, in a matter of minutes. I thought about pinching myself, but I knew I was being ridiculous. This wasn’t a dream.
The rest of the class I spent in an endless agony. I said nothing to him, and he said nothing to me. Not a word was passed between us. After class I watched him hurry out the doors without so much as a glance behind to go on with his day. And not a word would be said until we met afterschool over the issue of our cars.
“Aeryn, wait up!” I heard Annalise call from a ways down the hall. I stopped and turned at the sound of my name. She laughed, “I thought you were gonna wait. Didn’t you understand my message?” Oops. I’d forgotten all about that.
“Oh, gosh, sorry.” I shot her an apologetic look. But I knew she really didn’t mind my forgetfulness. She had a new look on her face. “What?” I asked, playing innocent. An inquisitive smile was spread across her lips. I knew what was coming.
“I saw you staring at that new guy in class.” Was it that obvious? I panicked for half a second. Annalise was possibly the most observant person I knew, maybe nobody else had noticed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She tilted her head to the side, squinting her eyes; seeing right through me.
“Have you talked to him yet?” There was no point in arguing with her.
“Kind of… he hit my car this morning.” Her eyes widened.
“He hit your car?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Were meeting afterschool to figure it all out.” She was raising her eyebrows in shock. The bell rang for class to start. “Crud, were late.” She quickly shot me a ‘this conversation isn’t over’ look and headed to her class.
The rest of the day passed as a blur. I saw him twice more: once briefly during lunch, and then in chemistry class where I sat again in awful, silent torment for an hour. Then eighth period came, the last period of the day. My skin was crawling with anxiety as I waited for the final bell to ring and signal my freedom. I stared at the clock, as if I could somehow speed up the movement of its slender hands. I couldn’t decide whether I even should talk to him yet. After all, what was I supposed to say? I know he didn’t recognize me the way I thought I recognized him. Even if he did remember that day, he wouldn’t remember me. Because that day, I wasn’t me. I was--- My thoughts were cut short by the sound of the school bell. Class was dismissed, school was over, and he was waiting.
I arrived beside our cars after a grueling walk of both anxiety and longing. We had been forced to park at the far side of the lot due to the incident this morning. I made a personal note to get there an extra fifteen minutes early to prevent this parking situation from ever occurring again. I looked around; he wasn’t here yet. I checked the weather forecast on my phone, simply out of nervous habit. No rain. It hadn’t rained here in weeks, so I was a little jittery. The sky did have to open up sooner or later. I looked around again to see if he was in sight, scanning the rows of parked cars and the remaining clumps of students still standing around to chat. What if he didn’t come? I probably freaked him out with my staring act. Good job Aeryn. I mentally slapped myself. But he had to come, right? How else was he going to get home? I continued debating with myself until I felt a presence behind me.
“Hey,” I could feel him fighting a smile. I whipped around, trying to act as casual as possible.
“Oh hey,” I gave him a quick smile, “I was beginning to wonder if you would show.”
He chuckled, and I was staring again. Stop it! I quickly snapped myself out of the daze.
“Lets have a look,” he said as he walked past me to the backside of my car. “ Ooh man, that’s a pretty big dent.” He traced his hands over the indentation made by his car. I didn’t know what I should do. All of my being wanted nothing more than to stand right there with him all day, but then again this one tiny, almost nonexistent part of me was gravitating towards my car so it could speed away as fast as possible. I stood confused.
“Hello..?” I was snapped back into reality by the waving of his hand in front of my face. He chuckled slightly.
“Oh, gosh I'm sorry.” Mental slap number fifty. “Uh, I actually think I’m just going to go home. Don’t worry about this, really.”
“No, I really think I should-“
“Don’t worry.” I cut him off. “Still works like a charm. See?” I put the key in the ignition and turned hard. To my relief, the engine sputtered to life.
His expression was unconvinced. But nevertheless, he humored me.
“Well, alright. If you say so.” He began to back away, allowing me to close my door, but then leaned in close. “My name’s Mason, by the way, Mason Miller.” he murmured through my open window. I looked straight into his eyes where the pools of blue-green and silver were swimming as he spoke.
"Aeryn.” I muttered, still studying his gaze.
"Glad to meet you, Aeryn."
And with a nod, I drove off, my heart beating out of my chest and my hands gripping the steering wheel instead of my hair.


Chapter IV

By the time I filled my parents in on everything, ate dinner, and survived a lecture of responsibility from my dad that was honestly unnecessary, it was nearly ten. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. I slumped upstairs to my room and hit the sheets without a second to spare. The sheets were warm around my legs, and the fabric smelled of pure comfort. I guess that scent is different for everybody. I lay still, thinking over the events of the day and the improbability of them all being actual reality. I thought about how my mind was probably just seeing things in a desperate attempt to be sentimental. I had always been an overly sentimental person, trying to make connections with the past and never wanting to let them go. I stared up at my white ceiling full of colorful pictures. Pictures of family. A few of me and Annalise sprinkled here and there, and even some of a particular creature that Annalise loved capturing through her lens- that is, if they would let her. Butterflies. I never knew why I kept these pictures here. Sometimes they were painful, but then other times, they were a comfort. They were part of my family too, in a way. Now, the glistening eyes of all these subjects stared down at me with a purpose. As though searching me. I met each one of them with nothing to reveal. It was in this moment that I realized what I must do. There was only one way I could tell if my musings were, in fact, truth. I had to dream the same dream again. And pay close attention this time. I had to notice every detail, absorb every crevice of the boy’s features. I had to know if my musings were in fact, truth. For the first time, I was welcoming this dream instead of dreading it. Fiery with my new resolution, I swiftly nestled under my sheets and reached over to switch off my light. After a few blurred seconds, the world around me went black.

In my dream, I was flying. I was flying desperately, as I had the many nights before. The scenery was the same. The rain was the same, beating me like a drum. I passed the same streets. I smelled the same smells. Even the same people passed my confused flutters along the street. And the faithful music pulled me closer and closer to the porch I had become so familiar with. It