Page 33 of As the Rain Falls
Maribella doesn’t seem to be getting better, though.Halfway there, she starts making these pained noises. It worries me thatshe is alone in the passenger seat, so I end up stopping to check up on her, just to see if she’s still okay.
“Stay put, alright?” Maribella gives me the nastiest glare before cocking her head down, unamused. “Alright, I get it. Scream all you want. I am not scared of you, you know that, right?”
She squeaks one last time before shutting down, clearly unimpressed by me.
The rain finally stops once we reach the city, and after a day outside under this terrible weather, it feels like such a breather that I even allow myself to relax a little. Dropping Maribella off at the vet ends up being a very dramatic ordeal. The chicken is very unhappy about how cold the office is, and like any sick animal, she doesn’t want to be poked and prodded.
“She’s in for a long night,” he warns me as he checks her vitals. “But I can promise to give you a call with more updates in the morning.”
“Fine by me.” I pet Maribella’s head, but end up wincing when she tries to bite me again. “Hey, fuck off!”
The vet smiles and says, “Be nice to her.”
“But she’s not very nice to me!”
“Because she’s in pain.”
Maribella glares at me like she deeply agrees with that statement. I decide to ignore her for once and leave not long after.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CAFETERIA...
Cassandra
OCTOBER, 2016
My classmates are alltexting each other trying to figure out if anyone has a copy of Mrs. Yun’s test.
So far, nothing.
Kayla sends picture: 2015 algebra exam - semester 1
Antony sent me this
I think today’s test will be the same
Me: i honestly doubt it
ill take a look later thx :D
A miracle needs to happen if Kayla wants to cheat. Mrs. Yun’s tests never leak. Sadly enough, she really isthatkind of teacher. It’s an achievement in itself, considering a lot of the teachers copy and paste the same programs each year, only adapting a few exercises according to the changes required by the government. Last year’s exam can even be found easily on the Internet.
“You just have to find a way to make it make sense to you. That’s how it is for me. It all makes sense once you get the click!”
Sainte Madeleine’s main outside alley is entirely covered by a thin layer of water, keeping us confined indoors. I’m pretty sure it used to be a convent before the island got its independence. The main building, housing both the nursery room and my father’s office, got renovated before my first year as a high school student. It still holds the same Caribbean Creole architecture, with blue and white walls as its main colors.
Only high school students have classes here. Middle schoolers and younger children are accommodated at separate locations. Sometimes, the nuns bring them over to us our cafeteria, though. It’s funny to watch the little beasts stealing our snacks.
I readjust the light jacket around my shoulders, marveling at how the long sleeves hide the tips of my fingers. Bringing thefabric closer to my face allows me to inhale the lingering scent of a boy’s perfume.
My silly little crush feels so hopeless, but the leather still smells like Beckett does. It’s been driving me absolutely crazy.
“And once you get the click, all the pieces will fall right into place! I’m telling you, Cassandra. There’s no way in hell you’re failing math this year!”
I press my lips into a pout, nodding profusely as Kayla chatters my ears off. She has a lot more energy than I do, jumping from one topic onto the next flawlessly.Her newest obsession is, of course, my academic success.It’s very important for the smartest girl at Sainte Madeleine to be surrounded with equally successful friends.
So what if she’s a little bit obsessive sometimes? It’s all part of the charm. Sure, it’s totally weird for her to be thinking about this way more than I am, but—
Kayla’s feminine voice breaks my train of thought.
