Chapter 3 — Rainy Rescue

Halle

The storm clouds loomed low, casting shadows over the cracked pavement as I trudged toward the edge of the parking lot. The weight of the school day clung to me, thick and suffocating, pressing down on my chest like the textbook I clutched too tightly. My arms ached from holding it close, as if its worn cover could shield me from the world’s sharp edges.

But no shield could stop their eyes.

“Hey, Emerson!” The voice sliced through the steady hum of students, sharp and jagged. My pulse quickened, every muscle in my body locking in place for a beat before I forced my legs to move again. The laugh that followed was cruel, a sound that twisted in my chest like a blade. Against my better judgment, I risked a glance over my shoulder.

Aaron.

His name had become a permanent stain in my mind, one I couldn’t scrub out no matter how hard I tried. He swaggered toward me, his letterman jacket a garish flash of green and gold that seemed brighter than usual under the gray sky. Two boys trailed behind him like shadows, their smirks sharp and eager. My feet faltered, the urge to run tangling with the knowledge that running would only make it worse.

“Where you off to, huh? Got a hot date with your diary?” Aaron’s voice was loud enough to turn a few heads, though most students just kept walking, their gazes sliding away like oil on water. The others chuckled, feeding off his words like vultures over a fresh kill.

I gripped my bag tighter and kept my head down, my heart pounding in my ears. Walk away. Just walk away. But my feet felt stuck, the air between us heavy and electric, like the buildup before a storm.

“She ever talk, Aaron?” one of the boys chimed in. His voice was higher, mocking, and his spiky blond hair stuck out at odd angles like a cartoon villain. “Maybe she’s, like, a mute or something.”

Aaron laughed, and the sound made my stomach churn. “Nah, she writes poetry, remember? Bet her notebook’s full of sad little rhymes. ‘Oh, my life is so hard, nobody understands me!’” He clutched his chest in mock despair, tilting his head back dramatically.

The knot in my chest tightened. My journal. How did they know? My mind raced for an answer, for some thread of logic to untangle the humiliation tightening around me like a noose. I’d never shown it to anyone. Had someone seen it? Or guessed? The thought made the nausea rise, bitter and sharp. My hands trembled on the straps of my bag, but I forced my voice out, low and unsteady. “Just leave me alone.”

Aaron leaned closer, his grin widening. “What was that? Come on, don’t be shy. Speak up for us.”

I flinched back instinctively, my breath catching. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to move, to run, to do something, but I couldn’t. My thoughts circled uselessly, trapped between fear and shame.

And then, cutting through it all, a voice rang out. Calm. Confident. Sharp as a blade.

“Wow. Three on one. Real bold of you.”

The words froze them where they stood. My head snapped toward the sound, and my breath hitched.

Alex Rivera.

He leaned against the chain-link fence a few yards away, his dark hair swept back by the breeze. His leather jacket hung loosely from his shoulders, and the edge of a tattoo peeked out from beneath the sleeve. There was something effortlessly commanding about the way he stood, as if the whole scene was playing out on his terms. His gray eyes flicked to me for the briefest moment, unreadable, before settling on Aaron with a pointed intensity.

Aaron stiffened, his sneer faltering for half a second. “What’s it to you, Rivera?” he shot back, his voice loud but lacking its usual bite.

Alex straightened, stepping away from the fence with a deliberate, unhurried calm. His boots crunched against the gravel as he closed the distance between us, his hands tucked casually in his pockets. “Nothing to me,” he said with a shrug. “Just looks kind of pathetic, don’t you think? Ganging up on someone who didn’t even do anything to you. Doesn’t exactly scream ‘tough guy.’”

The smirk on Alex’s face was razor-sharp, cutting through the tension like a scalpel. Aaron’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides, and for a moment, the air felt like it might snap in two. But Alex didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. He just stood there, his steady gaze boring into Aaron like he already knew how this would end.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aaron muttered, his voice lower now. His friends shifted uneasily, their earlier bravado evaporating under Alex’s unwavering stare.

“Maybe,” Alex replied, his tone light but carrying a weight that made the words land hard. He took a single step closer, his voice dropping just enough to make Aaron flinch. “But if you’re looking for someone to mess with, I’m standing right here.”

The challenge hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. Aaron glanced back at his friends, their hesitation clear in their darting eyes. Whatever fight he’d had left dissolved in their silence. He shoved his hands into his pockets, muttering, “Whatever. This isn’t over.”

Alex didn’t move as they retreated, his posture easy but his eyes sharp, tracking them until they disappeared around the corner. Only then did he relax, the tension in his shoulders easing as he turned to me. His expression softened slightly, though his gaze was still piercing.

“You good?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with quiet intensity.

It took me a moment to find my voice. “Yeah,” I said, though the word came out barely louder than a whisper. “Thanks.”

He shrugged, like it was nothing, and turned as if to leave. For a moment, I thought that was it. But then he paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “You walking home?”

The question caught me off guard. “Uh… yeah,” I managed, my voice faltering.

Alex tilted his head toward the parking lot. “Come on. It’s about to pour. I’ll give you a ride.”

I hesitated, the instinct to retreat pulling hard at me. My mind raced with reasons to refuse—he was a stranger, practically—but the first drops of rain were already splattering against the pavement, cold and insistent. My exhaustion from the day won out.

“Okay,” I said quietly, the word trembling on my lips.

We walked in silence to his motorcycle. Up close, it was sleek but worn, its black paint scuffed in places but gleaming where it mattered. It felt like him—rough around the edges but deliberate, with a quiet strength. He grabbed a spare helmet from the handlebars and held it out to me.

“Here,” he said simply.

I took it, fumbling with the strap before sliding it on. Climbing onto the seat behind him, my arms hovered awkwardly until he glanced back, his voice dry. “Hold on. Unless you want to fall off.”

Blushing, I wrapped my arms around his waist, the leather of his jacket cool against my fingers. The engine roared to life, and we were off. The rain came down harder as we sped through the streets, the wind whipping past and carrying the scent of wet asphalt and pine. The world blurred around us, and for the first time all day, I felt something other than invisible.

I felt alive.

The ride was over too soon. He pulled up to the curb outside my house, the world slowing again as the engine cut off. I climbed off awkwardly, my legs shaky, and handed the helmet back. “Thanks,” I said, my voice still soft. “For… everything.”

Alex studied me for a moment, his gray eyes steady. Then he nodded, his expression unreadable. “No problem.”

He started to turn away, but then he paused, calling out, “Hey, Halle?”

I blinked, startled to hear my name. “Yeah?”

His gaze met mine, sharp but not unkind. “Next time, don’t let them corner you.”

The words struck something deep inside me, a quiet challenge that lingered as the rain soaked through my hoodie. Before I could respond, he was gone, the roar of his motorcycle fading into the distance.

I stood there for a long moment, the rain washing over me, his words echoing in my mind. Next time, don’t let them corner you.

As I turned toward the house, past the cold sterility of its walls and Leona’s sharp voice waiting inside, I held onto that feeling tightly. A small, fragile spark.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something new.