The next time I saw Ethan it wasn’t raining at all it was one of those bright afternoons when everything feels too loud and alive The sun hit the pavement hard bouncing off car windows and the smell of summer clung to the air like sugar and sweat I was heading toward the cafeteria when I heard someone call my name not loudly just enough to pull me out of my thoughts

He was leaning against the wall near the vending machines holding a bottle of water instead of his usual coffee His hair looked lighter in the sun almost golden He said hey like it was the most natural thing in the world like we’d been meeting like this for years I said hey back pretending it was normal too

He asked if I’d finished that book he’d left me I said yeah it was good He said what was your favorite part I said the line about accidents and shadows He smiled said that one’s mine then took a sip of water and said do you want to walk for a bit

We ended up circling the track field while the soccer team practiced nearby The air shimmered with heat and the metal bleachers burned if you touched them He talked about random things again like how he used to want to be a pilot when he was little how he still gets nervous before every game how his mom says he overthinks everything I listened and sometimes I forgot to answer because I liked the sound of his voice against the wind

He asked about me but I didn’t know what to say I told him I liked quiet places and rainy days and that sometimes I watched movies just to see how people look at each other He said that’s kind of poetic I said it’s just true He laughed softly said maybe truth is what makes things poetic

We stopped near the goal post and sat down on the grass He looked at me for a moment then said I didn’t think we’d talk again after that first rain I said me neither He said maybe the weather decided for us I said maybe it was the umbrella He smiled that half-smile again and said maybe it’s both

The wind shifted and blew a few strands of my hair across my face He reached out without thinking and tucked them behind my ear then froze like he’d done something wrong I didn’t move I just looked at him and said thanks He nodded and looked away the tips of his ears turning red

We stayed like that for a while saying nothing The soccer players yelled in the distance someone scored and everyone cheered but it felt like we were in a quieter world of our own The light stretched long shadows across the field his hand resting on the grass between us just close enough that I could feel the warmth through the air

He said I think I like the rain better than the sun I asked why He said because when it rains no one expects you to talk too much they just let you stand there together I said maybe that’s why I like it too

When the bell rang we walked back slowly our steps half a beat out of sync He said we should probably film something for the media class assignment I said sure but didn’t ask when I already knew he’d find me again the next time the sky decided to fall apart

After he left I sat on the bleachers for a while watching the clouds drift back in from the edge of the horizon They looked heavy again like they had something to say I touched the grass where his hand had been still warm still there somehow

That night I took out the broken umbrella from beside my door It still leaned slightly crooked but when I opened it the shape looked softer under the bedroom light almost like it had found a reason to keep existing I thought maybe broken things can still protect you maybe they just need the right person to hold them steady