Pine Creek Campgrounds, Colorado

“Look, I was the only person who knew you were out there. I felt obligated to come find you. I wasn’t just gunna let you spend all night out in the rain.”

Aden hadn’t said a word yet; Corey was too busy yelling rambles through the rain, trying to justify herself in the silence between them, and Aden was content to let her keep talking so he didn’t have to. He still wasn’t entirely out of his head, and the rain always made it harder. A physical metaphor for the emotions, the memories, that he could never quite completely shake out of.

He had a feeling she could tell that it wasn’t just the rain making his eyes damp and sewing his mouth shut, but she was being subtle about it.

“Some warm, dry clothes will make you feel better.”

Her smile was encouraging, so Aden smiled back, but it fell the moment she looked back towards the direction they walked.

For most people being soaking wet and cold was miserable. For most people, a dry set of clothes and a warm drink would thaw them out and revive them. The thing was, Aden had never really minded the rain all that much. In fact, it used to be one of his favorite things. He’d spend hours out in a storm if he could. His skin had always been a sponge to the moisture and it felt revitalizing, like he was always on the edge of dried up and thirsty for sustenance.

The smell was the best part; the scent of the earth after the storm slowed and everything was alive and fresh and cleansed. Cassie used to love that smell also. She said it reminded her of him. There was a word for it, but he had forgotten it while trying to forget her.

The rain had betrayed him though. It was nothing but a heavy burden now, because while he wanted nothing more than to keep trying to outrun it, it had become so inherently him that he knew he’d never truly be rid of it. He didn’t know who he was, without a storm over his shoulder.

What was Aden suppose to do, when the thing that easily offered him the most comfort, was also the reason for his fissured heart?

They reached the Pine Creek cabin, her home, and Corey led them around the building to the back. She stopped by a ground-level window, the room inside still lit, then handed off her flashlight to Aden as she went to shimmy the window open quietly.

Aden was still feeling heavy, but he couldn’t help vocalizing the teasing thought that came to him. “I dunno if it’s a Coloradan thing, but in California we usually use the front door.”

She caught his attempt at breaking through his negativity. Corey laughed, a sharp, monotone bark to emphasis her sarcasm. “My mom would skin me alive if she knew I had went out in this storm. Therefore, window.”

“I dunno, you know now that I think about it, I should probably go back.” Aden managed a bit of a smirk when he had garnered a legitimately shocked and discouraged expression from her. “It’s inappropriate for us to be talking. You know, since you’re twelve.”

She rolled her eyes, a grin playing in her eyes as she hiked herself up through the window. “Excuse you. According to some obscure legal decision made by old white men up in Washington, I’m a legal adult and have been for three months now. I can even go to R-rated movies by myself.” She had hushed her voice to reply this time, turning to beckon him to follow her as she shed out of her wet jacket.

“You sure I don’t have to ask for your ID? I wouldn’t want to be caught sneaking into a child’s bedroom in the middle of the night.” Aden passed his bag through to her, then followed her lead, pulling himself up to the window sill.

“Yup. Got a lock on my bedroom door and everything.”

“Ah yes, the definition of adulthood. A bedroom door that locks. You don’t have to worry about someone walking in while you’re watching porn.” Distracted by his own quick comeback, Aden entered the rest of the way into the room carelessly. In the movement, his shoe snagged on the window sill, resulting in him stumbling forward. He caught himself on the end of her bed, but his fall caused a scuffle, and he cringed at the noise. He took the whispering back and forth to mean that they were trying to be quiet, and his landing had been anything but.

“Or while sneaking boys in.” Corey stifled her laughter behind her hand, hurrying over to her door and twisting the lock just before a knock sounded against it.

“Deelee, are you ok?”

“I’m fine mom just, stubbed my toe.” She bit at her knuckle after calling back, resisting more laughter as the two of them listened for the woman on the other side of the door to leave again.

Aden mouthed an apology, which she brushed away by snagging a towel from the hanger on the back of her door and tossing it at him. He caught it, using it to dry his dripping hair as he watched her move over to her dresser to dig through drawers. There was a lingering grin on his lips, and Aden found himself wondering briefly when his mood had flipped so dramatically.