I was standing by the traffic lights, waiting for the pedestrian lights to say green. But the most not awesome thing about today’s summer day was that it was raining. Heavy rain as if it was raining pots and pans. It was supposed to be summer, yet it was raining.

Yesterday, Mum said that she and Dad were going to drive me to school today. But in the end, they didn’t. The reason was that they had completely forgotten about a conference that was supposed to be written in their diaries three months ago. So here I am, going to school by myself.

I actually prefer cycling to school, but Dad has this phobia with bicycles and rainy days. He said that it wouldn’t be safe because cars couldn’t see bicycles in the rain. I told him that cars probably couldn’t see people in the rain as well. But he told me not to argue with him.

He knew that I would just take my bike and cycle to school, no matter how many times he tells me. So he does this thing where he always remembers to chain my bike to the house every rainy day—including today.

I was pretty sure that yesterday was shining brightly. But for today’s weather, it’s like this. Rain, rain and more rain. It really seems unreal that the weather changes so fast. I guess it all comes back to global warming and climate change.

I sighed and held my bag tighter. Still standing there and holding onto my yellow umbrella, the one that was half broken with a few holes in it, I sighed again. Hopefully, today would turn out alright.

I stood there still waiting and it was just about thirty seconds later that dirty water, I mean mud to be exact, landed on my clothes.

I glanced up and saw a motorbike past me. Whoever the driver was, which I suspected a guy, he just simply drove through a large puddle of water and splashed it wonderfully on me.

I stared at the driver and I could see that he was looking at my direction. He was definitely turning his head to me. But instead of hearing a ‘sorry’ or something similar, I heard a loud laugh.

My eyes widened as anger began to stir in me. I glanced at the motorbike again and memorised the number plate, GZM73.

“GZM73, GZM73,” I repeated myself. Looking at the number plate, I also noticed that the motorbike was matte black. I shook my head, staring at the bike as it drove into the distance. “I swear if I know who the driver is, I’m so gonna punch his lights out,” I told myself.

The good thing was, I finally made it! I was finally at school. I ended up walking to the school office, looking like a soggy cat who just ran out of a frog pond.

I could feel the tension as the other students stared at me with their creepy eyes. I could still feel my wet muddy hair dripping to the floor as I dragged myself to the main office. I came in and didn’t sit down. I was afraid that I would make the cushion chair wet with my muddy clothes. I just stood there looking like a wet muddy penguin, wondering how am I supposed to approach the front table with my appearances.

Then I heard a voice, “Is this okay?”

I looked up upon hearing the familiar voice. My eyes widened as I lifted my head and saw his back.

It was him. The guy that took the ice pack yesterday!

I stared lasers at him as he was passing the application form to the receptionist. The receptionist smiled and received the form. When she glanced up and saw me, she gasped, “Are you alright?”

I blinked and came closer to the receptionist. “I guess I’m fine,” I said in a neutral tone.

And that was the moment when the guy turned around and looked at me. He stared at me from head to toe. I was expecting him to start laughing or something. But his eyes were calm and silent, he just stood there and stared for a few more moments before he turned his head and moved on to one of the chairs that were behind me.

I blinked. He didn’t remember me? He really didn’t remember me? That’s too good to be true!

I mean if someone was to kick me in the shin, I would remember him even if I reincarnated as a dog next life.

“How may I help you?” the receptionist asked.

I smiled and pulled out my application form from my waterproof bag. I was so glad that I brought my waterproof bag today; or else all my stuff would be wet, including this application form.

I gave the form to the receptionist.

“Thank you, please take a seat.”

I nodded and headed towards the chairs. But I didn’t sit. I didn’t want to get the cushion chair wet with my muddy clothes.  So I just stood there, close to where the chairs were and waited like a giraffe getting its neck measured.

I started to wonder off a bit. With my appearance looking like this, would the principal accept me to this school? Thinking, I started to worry. I stared at my clothes and tried to hand fan my strands of hair in an attempt to make it dry faster.

As I was doing this, at the corner of my eye, I could see the guy who was kicked in the shin, looking down at the ground with his legs crossed. I stared at him. It’s definitely him. The ice pack stealer.

Then he suddenly lifted his head and looked over to me. I blinked a few times and quickly glanced away.

“Juliet, you can come in now.” The receptionist said.

I shifted my eyes to my right and saw the principal, or so I thought was the principal, smiling to me. She was a lady in her mid-thirties, wearing a dark professional suit. She looked like a nice lady, but then there was a shock of horror that passed right through her expression. I knew why she had that expression; it’s because of my wet and muddy clothes. But she tried her best to keep calm and smiled, “Come in.”

I followed her directions and walked into her office.

The lady settled down and gestured me to take a seat. “You’re Juliet?”

I nodded, “Yes.”

She held the application form and wondered why I wasn’t sitting down, “Take a seat, Juliet.”

I glanced at the chair and shook my head, “I’m afraid that I’ll make it wet.”

She laughed, “It’s okay, just sit down.”

“Okay.”

I sat down.

“I’m Ms Lewis,” she said. “I’m one of the Deputy Principals in place for Mr Spencer, our principal. The other Deputy Principal is Mr Reed,” she paused. “So why did you decided to go to Cliffin High?”

“I recently moved here and this is the closest school to my house,” I answered.

She nodded, “And how do get to and from school, by bus, car or walking?”

“By walking and sometimes bussing it. But I prefer cycling.”

“I see.”

Ms Lewis continued to flip through the application form and read a few awards that I’ve attached. She smiled and glanced up at me, “Do you sing?”

“I used to.”

“I can see that you have a few awards for singing, along with excellent A’s in your previous reports. We have a choir club that maybe you would like to join.”

I blinked, “I’ll think about it.”

Ms Lewis flipped to the back and signed the boxes in the application form. She quickly placed the form into a folder and stood up. “Well,” she said, offering me her hand, “welcome to Cliffin High.”

I shook her hand and smiled with relief.

When she withdrew her hand, she looked at me, “Would you like to change to the school uniform?”

I glanced down at my wet uniform. “Yes, please.”

Ms Lewis beamed and went out to the receptionist, “Could you get one of the washed uniforms and pass it to Juliet?”

The receptionist nodded, “Sure thing,” she replied. “Follow me, Juliet.”

I nodded and followed the receptionist, while Ms Lewis welcomed the next student, “You can come in now.”

The brunet guy, sitting in the chairs, stood up.

I watched him as I walked past the ice pack stealer. He gazed at me and gave me the blank look.