Rain stared at the passing streets, each whispering a quiet murmur of encouragement. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as his gaze flicked over to the girl fiddling with his radio.

"There aren't any good songs on," she said, grumbling. Her hair fell over her face, hiding her from Rain's peering eyes. Rain looked back to the streets.

This is nerve-wracking, he thought. The air inside the car couldn't hide the awkwardness between the two. It was suffocating.

Besides Farrah's occasional grumble of the radio, they sat in silence, neither daring to speak. More like, they didn't know what to say. Rain wondered how to break his torment.

A sudden thought hit Rain with his plea: I want to know more about her. He took a moment to look at Farrah. She sat staring out the window in boredom.

Captivating, Rain thought, gazing at Farrah's mid-length, dark brown hair. Its waves always gathered along her shoulders. Brunettes attracted Rain the most.

Pulling himself away, Rain asked, "Wanna play 21 questions?"

Farrah glanced at him. "Uh, sure, I guess. You start."

"Okay." Rain stared at the lines of the road, deep in thought on what to ask first. "Any siblings?" Farrah scowled at the question. "Haha, I take that as a yes?"

"Ugh, yeah, but my older sister's so annoying. She thinks she knows everything."

"Trust me, all older siblings do." Farrah looked at him.

"You have siblings?" Rain's gaze flitted over to her, seeing her curious eyes staring at him. A slight smile graced his lips at the sight.

"Two--an older brother and a younger sister. I'm the middle child."

"Ah, so you're the spoiled one," Farrah said as if it all made sense. Her laugh sounded like the soft ringing of a bell. It danced through the air, stopping to echo in Rain's ears. His chest fluttered.

"That would be my sis, Abegail," Rain found himself saying, despite his thoughts being solely on her. Farrah glanced at him before continuing to laugh.

"I doubt it. Just seeing you behave proves you're the favorite." Rain shook his head, clearing his head. He put his blinker on and smiled at their fun banter.

"Doesn't that make you the favorite, too? You're the youngest, right?" Farrah leaned back against her seat and crossed her arms, averting her gaze.

"I wish. My parents love Cecylia more. She's their star, their 'perfect child'. I can't beat that."

Cecylia must be her sister, Rain thought to himself, making a note to remember the name.

Staring forward, Rain reached out and grabbed Farrah's hand. She looked up at him in surprise. Rain rested their hands beside the gear shift and intertwined their fingers, all while keeping his eyes on the road.

"I don't know your parents, so I can't say whether or not what you're saying is true. But, I think you're perfect just the way you are. The way you care for Shae, and the way you take care of your friends... How you always try to keep them happy no matter what... Nothing compares to that. No one can compare to you."

Farrah blinked, unable to respond. She turned away, but Rain could see her cheeks tinted a slight red in the window. Farrah locked eyes with him in the reflection, her cheeks turning darker. Not knowing where else to look, she averted her gaze to the side.

"Even so, isn't being imperfect better? You have all the time in the world to improve your skills, learn something fun. If you're perfect, you'll never get the chance to feel proud of what you've accomplished. You'll never know the beauty of working hard to see it all pay off. I'd take being imperfect any day."

"Only you would say that," Rain heard Farrah mumble.

He chuckled, "Maybe."

Farrah looked up at him and said, "Aren't you going to ask me another question?" Rain widened his eyes.

I can ask her again? But, I don't know if I could take much more. Rain peered out his window before looking back at the road before him. "What do you like to do?" At Farrah's blank stare, Rain asked, "What?"

"That's it? Couldn't you have asked a better question? Something not so--standard." Rain shrugged his shoulders.

"Just shut up, and answer the question."

Farrah sighed and looked out her window. She wondered what to tell him. If Rain knew her true hobbies, would he dislike her? Think she's disgusting? Farrah wouldn't let that happen.

Glancing back at him, Farrah said, "I like to listen to rock music and hang out with Shae and Adelah. There's not much else I do."

"Rock, huh? I wouldn't have pegged you the type."

Farrah narrowed her eyes. "What, did you think I liked something girly? Pop, maybe?"

"Hey, Pop's not girly." I don't listen to it much, but it's not girly. Sky would kill me if she heard me say it was.

"Maybe, but why do people always imagine girls in sundresses and floppy hats, girls in those disgusting girly outfits listening to it?"

A chuckle escaped Rain at her delirious words. "Where did you hear that nonsense? I imagine regular, average people when I think of Pop. Maybe flashy people, depending on the song."

Farrah averted her gaze and huffed, "Nowhere." Rain wiped away a tear from under his eye. His eyes flitted over to Farrah as she pouted. She slid down her seat some.

Rain wanted to tease her some more, see her crying face, hear her beg for mercy. I want to consume her, make her mine. Rain forced himself to look away as his thoughts grew more impossible with each second, more-- carnal.

Parking along the curb, Rain told Farrah, avoiding her gaze, "We're here." He could see Farrah look out her window from the corner of his eye. Rain gulped.

"Oh, thanks for the drive." Farrah opened her door and hopped out. She walked to the back and grabbed her bag from the backseat.

As Farrah motioned for Rain to roll down the window, he did.

"Let's hang out again sometime," Farrah told him. Rain narrowed his eyes at her blinding smile.

"O--Okay."

Rain watched Farrah's body sway as she walked with a spring in her step. She waved once, holding her building's door open, before sauntering inside.

What am I to you, Rain wondered to himself, seeing Farrah stroll up to the elevator in the brightly-lit lobby. There was a pit in his stomach.