“Why?” I stopped and studied her face.
“Hos before bros.” She wrinkled her nose. “Okay, that sounded cooler in my head. Anyway, I’d rather hang out with you.”
Her words surprised me. I’d seen girls in the locker room swear by their friendship one day and claw each other’s eyes out the next when it came to boys. “Well, you’re probably better off.” I told her the things I heard the boys say, but she shrugged.
“I know Scott’s a player. Guess I was hoping to tame him. Lame, huh?”
“Aren’t you mad?” We crossed the parking lot. The air smelled like rain and freshly mowed grass.
She nibbled on her thumbnail. “I’ll get over it. It’s not like I was planning on marrying the guy.”
“Does he go to our school?”
“No, he’s like nineteen.”
I sighed in relief. At least I didn’t have to deal with both of the guys on Monday. “How far away are we from home?”
“Only about a mile. I know a scenic shortcut too.”
We crossed the street and headed into a greenbelt where a narrow trail snaked through wildflowers. She lit a cigarette and twirled in circles, humming to herself.
“Do you sing?” I asked.
“Sure, in the shower.” Naomi kneeled down and picked a yellow wildflower out of the grass. “Yellow is a good color on you.” She stuck the stem in my hair like a barrette. It made my scalp itchy. “So, where’s your dad?”
I shrugged. “Never knew the guy. Mom doesn’t really talk about him. What about your mom—where’s she?”
“Mommy dearest is in the OC with a new hubby and their two perfect kids.” Naomi batted her eyelashes at me.
“Do you see her much?”
“Me and my brother, Greg, used to love going down there when we were little, but you can only spend so much time at Disneyland.” She sighed. “It was easier for her to give us money and dump us somewhere for the day.”
I picked up a stick and poked at the rocks. “Why?”
“We weren’t her dream kids, I guess.” Naomi pointed to the sky. “I think I felt rain.”
A drop fell into my eye as I gazed at the ashen clouds above us. The trees whispered and danced with the salty breeze. As we continued to walk, the wind ceased and an eerie silence emerged.
“Why weren’t you her dream kids?” I asked.
She stopped, putting her finger to her lips. “You feel that?”
I dropped the stick and hugged my lunch box to my chest. “I feel cold. Are you going to answer my question?”
“I don’t want to talk about my family. It’s a downer.” She closed her eyes, holding her arms outward like she was waiting to catch something. “These clouds are going to open up any minute.”
“That’s not good.” I shook my head and kept walking. A low rumble could be heard in the distance.
“Shhh. Just wait for it,” she said behind me.
I turned around and studied her wide grin. Her eyelashes twitched against her cheeks as she took a deep breath. If it wasn’t for the purple hair, she could be a nymph in a painting.
“There it is,” she said just as a fat raindrop smacked my forehead. Within seconds, the rain hammered us like a waterfall.
“We should get home.” I covered my head with my box, but she didn’t budge.
“Haven’t you ever danced in the rain? It’s such a trip.”
“No. It’s cold and wet. What’s the point?” Droplets leaked from my hair and slid down my back.
Naomi swayed back and forth with the trees around her. Lightning stretched across the sky, and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God, we almost never get storms like this here.” She grabbed my hand and twirled me around. “We must rejoice!”
I pulled away, covering my head again. She continued to do her weird little rain dance, a smile igniting her doll- like features. More thunder echoed around us, making me suck in my breath and press my hands against my ears. She let out a howl and tore off her soaked top. My teeth chattered in my head with more than a chill now. Naomi had a lack of control that scared the hell out of me.
“This feels so good.” Mascara ran into the corners of her mouth. “You’re missing out, girl.”
As if dancing topless in a thunderstorm would have a profound effect on my life. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off the graceful movement that came so naturally to her. The last time I tried to dance, I fell on my wrist and sprained it. “I
She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and took my free hand in hers. “I always wanted to learn swing dancing.”
I nearly slipped in the mud, but she steadied me. “So, let’s learn it indoors.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sounds boring.”
