Embracing Rain

5 - Chance

5 - C H A N C E

I wake up the next morning to the sound of rain hitting the roof and overflowing in the gutters. I wonder if the rain ever stopped last night. Probably not—my parents warned me about the weather multiple times before we moved. Which is kind of dreary and off-putting, but at the same time, I have to admit that the sound of rain falling on the roof is soothing. It makes for a nice start to my morning.

I sit up slowly, savoring the lingering feeling of peacefulness as I push the blankets off and bring my arms up above my head to stretch. It always amazes me how good it feels to stretch after a night of sleep right after I travel. I always sleep the best after traveling, especially if the jetlag is really bad. The more tired I am before I go to bed, the better I feel in the morning.

It's only when I finish stretching and get out of bed before I realize that it's already eleven. I'm pretty sure this is the latest I've ever slept in, even with all the traveling that I do. Which is something else that would probably shock Noah, something else besides my distaste for coffee. He seems like someone who'd sleep the whole day away if he had the opportunity.

Thinking about Noah makes me remember my phone, so I stand up and rush over to my desk. When I unplug my phone from the charger, I find a startling notification on the lock screen: 9 new messages from Noah. Sighing, I unlock my phone and open up the messages, the first of which was sent at 5:10 this morning and are spaced apart by a few minutes each time:

Hiiiiii did you manage to fall asleep???

I'm guessing that's a yes or you would've responded by now?

I hope?

Unless you hate me for keeping you awake last night :((

Please don't hate me then I'll be bored again I have to write this essay for English and it's due in half an hour but I don't know what to write because how the heck am I supposed to know why simulated gravity is significant in Ender's Game???

Oh no I have twenty minutes this won't end well

Ten minutes oh no maybe I should start writing???? Ahhhhh

English essays are the worst

OMG I DID IT I TURNED IT IN ON TIME THAT'S SUCH A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ACTUALLY ON TIME AND NOT I-KNOW-IT'S-TEN-MINUTES-LATE-BUT-WHATEVER-IT'S-FINE ON TIME

oh no she's frowning at my paper I hope she doesn't notice that I wrote it in thirteen minutes that would not be good haha

PLOT TWIST SHE SAID IT WAS THE BEST PAPER SHE GOT

no jk she looks disgusted with me bUT THAT'S OK

maybe I shouldn't procrastinate but it's the only thing I'm good at lmao

I find myself smiling as I read his texts, though I'm not sure how he's managed to stay so lighthearted and comical after probably failing a school assignment. I don't think I'd be able to do that. Failure of any sort scares me. And just when I'm starting to think about how to respond to his last comment, another text appears:

are you sure you don't go to this school? I just saw someone that looks exactly like you

I smile. Nope, I just woke up.

WHAT THAT'S SO NOT FAIR I'VE BEEN AT SCHOOL FOR THREE AND A HALF HOURS AND I'M SO TIRED IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY

Did you manage to get enough sleep?