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I didn't usually take this route home. The paths were all dirt that coats my legs, and rocks that get in my shoes. The houses were falling apart and empty, and small, but so close together that they loomed over anyone who walked between them. The shivers had spread from my spine to my whole body in the twelve minutes it took to get there from the school, the rain never letting up once. The fat, freezing drops that soaked into my hair and my jacket seeped underneath leaving my skin clammy and covered in goosebumps. Every few steps I took, a drop would fall from my hair right down my back, reminding me just how cold I was. My cheeks began to tingle after a few more minutes of trudging through the mud that became of the path.
There was no flash to warn me of the thunder that boomed in the distance behind me. I stopped and turned, craning my neck and squinting against the intensity of a white sky. The clouds were crisp and angry, but pale. They dispersed the sun's light in the harshest way. I knew I should hurry. I passed house after decrepit house until finally I made it to where the path gave way to the clean pavement of the first city street. There, on the corner, was the saddest house of all. It looked more like a shed. I couldn't help but feel bad staring at it.
A wall of salty air slammed into me then, knocking me off balance. The other side of the city sloped away from me here, melting down the hill towards the coast like it wanted nothing to do with its abandoned half.
The screech of a cat startled me and pulled my attention back to the shed-looking house. There was a yell, and a thud before the sound of breaking wood. The cat suddenly appeared and bolted from a hole in the wall, its fur puffed up to twice its size. Was there a person in there? I became aware of my heartbeat thudding in my throat. I should leave. I took this path because it's a shortcut, I should hurry up and get home. There was another roll of thunder, but when it passed my feet still weren't moving. It was so faint, I was frozen in place trying to place it. I could hear someone crying. Oh no, I should go home. Anyone could be in that horrible little house. Another gust of wind pushed at me, slapping me in the face with the rain. My eyes closed.
"Hello?" I called.
I waited until another burst of wind knocked into me. I shivered violently, and realized my stomach was beginning to hurt.
"Are you okay?" I approached the house, and I could definitely hear crying. I recognized the sound. It was the sound of someone who didn't want to be heard, but couldn't stop. I curled my fingers into a fist and almost knocked on the muddy, splintered wood. Something told me I shouldn't. Instead, I took a quick breath and said, "Hey. Are you okay?"
They must not have heard me. I looked at the doorknob in distaste. It was muddy and rusty, and even using just my fingertips wasn't enough to keep me from shuddering. The door creaked open for a moment before there was a snap, and it fell forward. I snatched my hand back, afraid the knob would cut me. The roof looked like it was sliding off, crooked everywhere, and full of cracks and holes. Once I tore my eyes away from the door, which was now on the ground in two pieces, I saw them. They were my age, huddled in the corner, and looked a lot more dry than I had expected. A lot more dry than I was. They were staring at me, but the moment I met their eye they yelled,
"GO AWAY!" They didn't look dangerous. They sounded scared.
"Are you... is there something I can do to help?"
"LEAVE!" They curled in on themself and swatted out at me with a hand, though there was no way they could reach me from there.
"Does anyone know you're here?"
"GO AWAY, PLEASE," they yelled, but they started sobbing again. How could I go away now? I slowly approached them, one small step at a time.
"It's okay. Whatever's going on, we can at least get you some place dry." I came closer still, until I was only a few feet away. "I can at least walk you back to the city. We can figure something out."
When they looked up at me, they looked terrified.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I pulled my hand back, and squatted in place.
"Okay. I won't touch you-" There was an ominous creaking that grew louder and louder until there was a snap, and the roof between us came crashing down. I crawled backwards as quickly as I could, and they pressed themselves farther into their corner. The rain came pouring in, and washed over both of us. I couldn't believe my eyes. Their worn tank top and baggy shorts did little to shield them from the weather that was rushing in. The rain fell on their arms and face and head, leaving shining spots and... "scales?"
They put their hands up, which became covered in shimmering green scales.
"PLEASE, DON'T HURT ME!"
I was stunned. I almost reached out to pull them up off the ground.
"I'm not going to hurt you." I couldn't do anything but stare. I didn't realize that I kept talking until they looked up at me again, and lowered their hands.
"You're not scared of me?" I smiled at them, and shook my head. Another shiver racked through me then, as a drop of water rolled down my back.
"I'm just cold," I said. "Aren't you?" They looked away again.
"I can't go outside. I can't be seen like this." I reached my my hand out a third time, slowly and attentively.
"Do you wanna borrow my jacket?" Neither of us moved for what felt like a long time. The shivers were returning, and so were the aches and reminders of how cold I was. I noted it was beginning to get late. Their eyes were yellow and brown, and so big and round. They looked me over, and over again. Finally, they reached their scaled hand out to mine. It felt like a fish. I grabbed tight, and pulled them up as I stood. They were fully in the rain now, and I watched in amazement as their skin turned to the most brilliant emerald green, and their hair turned to thin, soft looking blue fins.
"Stop..." I startled. I had been staring for a while, hadn't I.
"Ah, sorry." I looked away, and towards where the door used to be. I pulled them gently at first, but when I felt their hesitance disappear I pulled harder. "I can't wait to get out of the rain!" They let out a quiet laugh. I wanted to look. The world came back into sight as we left that depressing house, and I was met with the unfortunate truth that the wind had picked up. The sky was looking much darker now. We started walking one after the other, but as we made our way down the hill I slowly pulled them forward until they were walking next to me. When they asked me where we were going, all I could say was wherever they felt safe, and I could be dry. I told them I have a small place of my own, but it's still a fair distance away. They said nothing, so I asked if they knew what a dog was. They laughed and said,
"Of course I do, I live in the ocean not under a rock." We talked about food, they told me about their secret village that hides somewhere just off the shore, I told them that it was incredible. We shared our favorite music, I told them about going to school, they told me it was fascinating. Time passed so quickly, that neither of us noticed the sky getting greyer and heavier until it opened up. We were approaching the park just a block down from my home. I knew I was smiling like an idiot, but so were they. They were telling me about someone from a different village from theirs- someone who had found acceptance on land. How their whole town changed and became a wonderful place. They didn't even know who or where this person was, but it was so clear to see that the story gave them so much hope. When the rain began to fall in sheets, and the pounding of it became so loud that it made us jump, I didn't think twice when I grabbed their hand again and took off running.
They were laughing for real now, keeping pace beside me as I lead us down the empty street towards my home. We made it to the curb, then to the doorway that had an overhang just large enough for the both of us. I pointed at my hanging terrarium, which was swinging back and forth from the wind and throwing aquarium pebbles everywhere, "it's not the rock I'm sure you're used to living under, but will this do?" They smiled wide and I could see their teeth, sharper than mine. Their scales glittered from the street light that towered over us, and I noticed that their "hair" was just barely translucent.
"Do you mean it?"
"What?" Their question caught me by surprise.
"You've said it three times already... Are you really not afraid of me? You," they paused in a strange way, like they literally bit their tongue, and it made me think the were done but then they looked at our hands and continued, "You really think I'm beautiful?"
I stood there staring, the terrarium swinging, the rain pouring, as my head tried to catch up. I said that? I said that. I said that when I first saw them, when they finally decided to take my hand, and now, when they decided not to let go. I smiled at them, and squeezed their hand.
"You are beautiful."
"I'm... I don't belong. They called me a monster! They..." Tears filled their eyes again.
"They are wrong. You belong here, if you want." I held my other arm out, welcoming them. "Friends?"
They smiled at me, and hugged me so suddenly and so tightly that we nearly tipped over.
"Friends."
* * *
After a few years, I have begun to forget things about when we first met. I have forgotten what classes I had that day, what time it was when I left to go home; I don't remember what that horrible doorknob felt like, or how miserable it was to be that cold. But I remember meeting my best friend. I remember thinking how beautiful they are, and now I know even more. I know that they are beautiful on the inside, too. I know that they love sushi, and that they're really bad at video games. I know that they're still afraid to go out in the rain sometimes, and that their family doesn't understand why they don't go home more often. I know that they're waiting for me so we can have a water balloon fight in the backyard, and they know that I will wait for them, too.