My Sun on a Rainy Day

Every day I wake up early to watch the sun rise. Just as it would day after day. I would open my window and breathe in the majestic smell the earth provided. This was my time of peace. My time to just breathe before the regular chaos of the day to come. I always dreaded walking down the stairs. I always dreaded the fact that I would walk into the same kitchen, every morning, just to be yelled at, for simply existing. Before I walk down into the kitchen, I like to play this imagination game. What if someone were to be my friend? What if I stood out to others? What if I were to look different? Maybe, then, when I looked out my bedroom window in the morning, I would see a friend, standing there, along with the sunrise, waiting to walk to school with me. However, this was all just my imagination. My favorite game to play. I grabbed my books, and set off to school, without breakfast. This was another reason I decided to wake up early. My family, always yelling at each other, arguing about the stupidest things. It's whatever. I guess you could say it's apart of their routine, but not mine. I like to try my best to ignore that part.

This morning, things were different. I thought that it was another day of normal chaos, embarrassment, and anxiety, as it is every other day. However, this morning was different. On the way to school, a girl walked right up to me, and smiled. She had beautiful red curls, and perfect brown freckles, with dimples that showed even when she wasn't smiling. This girl's name was Martha. Everyone liked Martha. This was why I was confused. She was popular, and I simply wasn't.

"Hey Holly! How are you doing?" she said. I was confused. I thought this must have been some sort of trick, or a dare that one of her other popular friends had dared her to do. Perhaps it was "Go make a fool out of good old Holly Brown" or "I'll pay you $20 if you embarrass Holly today". The worst part is, that's what I would have expected. In fact, I didn't need to think twice to know this was just all another game.

But as I looked around, I noticed that I didn't see anyone around. I think I might have frowned, but I don't really remember it all. Anyways, I continued looking around, checking to make sure that one of her friends weren't hiding out in the trees. Finally, I gave up, and decided to give into her little game.

"I'm fine," I said. "I just need to get to school."

"We go to the same school, silly! Come on, let me walk with you." Her voice sounded sweet. However, this situation, was definitely one of those "too good to be true" scenarios. Oh well, I already started to play along. There's no going back.

"Oh, right." I said. "Sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry you goof! Hey, I don't think we've officially meet yet! My name's Martha. Martha Oakers. I saw you walking on your own. Is it okay if I join you?".

Wow. She talks a lot, I thought to my self. I didn't want to be rude.

"Sure." I replied, not really knowing what she wanted me to say.

"Great!" She said.

We started getting really close to the front doors of our small school. I was waiting for her to run off to her other friends, but noticed that she didn't even turn away to look for them. She just kept walking with me. Maybe she really was just trying to be nice. This, was something, I definitely wasn't used to. To me, it was a miracle.

It was when I walked into school, that I realized, I seriously must be dreaming. Today, I felt people's gazes move from each other, towards me! Yes, me! I knew it was because I was walking with, probably the most popular girl in school. I looked around, not really knowing what to do, or what to say. I waited for something to happen, to prove that this was just all apart of an act that the school kids were playing on me. No. This really was a miracle.

"Well, I've got to head off to Science, but I'll see you at lunch!" she said as she started walking off towards the classroom. I just stood there, almost in awe, letting my self process what was happening. Then, she turned back around and said, "Oh! I almost forgot!" She ran back towards me, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect.

"Here's my number so you can text where to find me at lunch!" she said as she wrote down her number on a scrap piece of paper. She handed her number to me, smiled, and skipped away towards class.

I really had no idea how I felt about all of this. It was really nice, to actually be noticed for something for once. Sure, I was noticed at home all the time when I did my chores wrong, but this. This was a good 'notice'. As I sat through math class, waiting for lunch, I kept telling my self, that what happened this morning, isn't going to last. In fact, I told my self that tomorrow morning, there isn't going to be a Martha Oakers standing outside of my house, waiting to walk me to school.

The Bell rang, signifying the end of the class period. I took out my old cheap phone, and typed Martha's number into my phone, and texted her 'Hey, it's Holly. Where are you sitting?' Not even 15 seconds went by, and I got a response. 'Hey Holly! I'm sitting at the table farthest to the left on the East Side of the lunch room! See you there!'

After I made my way into the lunchroom, it wasn't hard spotting her out. I made my way over to her table, only expecting the moment I was waiting for. The moment, where all of her friends would start laughing at me, where Martha would explain to my stupid brain that it was all a joke. That didn't happen. When I sat down, the whole table acknowledged me! They all introduced themselves to me, with smiling faces. I was so surprised!

As the day continued on, I never did get to see Martha again. She had track practice after school, so we didn't walk home together. Soon enough, I got home. Back to the chaos. As I stepped inside, I was waiting for the usual. The lecture, following a punishment, following another lecture, following with a free trip to my bedroom. To me, this was the norm. However, not today. My older brother was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of ice cream, with some oreos, doing his homework. I looked over on the couch, to see my little sister, trying her best to color in the lines of a coloring book. There was no chaos. It was almost peaceful.

I walked over to my older brother, Mark. He had told me that mom and dad were out at work late. So, I just went up to my room, and started reading out of one of my favorite books, 'Harry Potter'. As I was reading, I got a notification on my phone. What a surprise! Martha had texted me. It read, 'Hey Holly! Sorry I couldn't walk with you home tonight, I had track practice. Anyways, I really enjoyed hanging out and becoming friends with you today! You seem like a really nice person, and I hope I can get to know you better!'

I smiled as I read her message. I thought to my self, wow, I'm really not alone after all. I put down my phone, finished my book, and went to sleep early tonight, so that I would get a good nights sleep, after this odd day.

The next morning, I woke up to the wonderful smell of rain. I loved that smell. It was my favorite smell, out of all of the smells that the world provided. I realized that I had left my window open the night before. I didn't mind. I knew that there would be no sun rise to watch this morning, but I thought, why not just watch the rain fall for a bit, and breathe in the wonderful fragrance as the rain falls. When I sat down on my chair, and looked out my window, I couldn't help but smile. There, waiting for me, on the trail that would lead off to school, was Martha. Standing there, with all of her school books, waiting for me. It was even raining! Yet, she was still standing in the mist, awaiting my company on the walk to school. I waved to my new friend, and smiled as I turned away to get my books together. Even though today I didn't get my usual sunrise, I got something even better. A friend. A friend that I knew would be there for me now, and in the future. There may not have been any sun, but there she was, that smiling ray of sunshine, in the midst of a storm.