Oneshot for Chapter 4 - Rain 

Henry was awakened by the buzz from his phone. “Hello?” He said half-awake, not even looking at the screen of his phone. He jolted from where he was sitting, grabbed his jacket, and rushed towards the door, for all he heard was the sound of someone crying. He automatically knew who it was.

“Hey, Henry, where are you going?” Zhoumi asked as he is cooking breakfast. Henry just grabbed his keys, not even closing the door. “At least, close the door. You’re letting the heat out. What’s up with him?”

Henry redialed the last call he received. “Pick up. Pick up!” He was automatically connected to voice mail. “I’m coming, okay. I’m coming. Just don’t leave. Stay where you are, I’m coming.” Henry catches his breath as he ran towards the busy street of the city, in his pajamas.

He reached his destination. He rested his hands on his knees as he buzzed himself inside the building.

“Oh, Henry, what are you doing here? I thought you’re with…” Victoria asked, confused. “I thought….I just received a call from….” He spoke, still out of breath. "Amber." “She went out. She said she needs to do something. I thought she is meeting you.” Victoria said.

“I called back. She is not answering any of my calls. Where the hell is she?” Henry ran his hand onto his hair in frustration; worried, as he looked around for any sign of her. “Where do you think she is right now?”

Victoria just walked back and forth, and sighed. “Don’t worry, I will find her. Just stay here, if ever she’ll be back.” Henry tried to calm her down. “I’ll call the others, to let them know of the situation.” Victoria insisted.

“No. You know, Amber. She keeps things to herself. She never let anyone know. We are only the two people she trusted with these things.” Henry reasoned out. “But, that is not the case. She’s been missing for a while now. Between the two of us that she trusted, do we even have any idea where she is? Do you have any idea?” Victoria reasoned out as well, as she continued to pace. “Just trust me on this. I will find her. I promise you.” At that Henry walked away to find Amber.

As he was looking at places that he knew she probably might be, his phone rang again. “Amber!” He immediately spoke, all he heard was her sobs, and the call suddenly ended. “Amber!” He shouted, as it started to rain. “I need to find her soon.” He ran to the nearest waiting shed. “Where are you? Amber, where could you be?” He pulled his jacket closer to him. “I don’t care if I got sick. I just need to find her.” He ran towards the now drench sidewalks.

As I sat at this sidewalk, soaking wet in the rain,

I think of that day I don’t need the rain to hide what I feel.

She attempted to call him, as he picked up, she did not know what to say to him, as she continued to cry and immediately hung up. She couldn’t find the courage to tell him what was bothering her. He never felt so hopeless, so pitiful of what she was feeling right now. She never had been like this. “I guess I have been keeping it all bottled up.” She cried even more.

Her thumb was over the dial button of her now wet phone, and forced herself not call him again. She sobbed even harder. Let the rain pour upon her heart, as she picked it up to where it was left broken. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she sat at the sidewalk where she hid herself.

As I sat at this sidewalk, letting the rain wash my tears away.

Tears that make me so weak, so venerable

Tears that make me think of giving up,

Tears that make me fall on my knees.

She didn’t bother to wipe her tears anymore. She just let them fall, as she fell on her knees.She looked again to the oh-so-familiar number on her phone. She listened to the half a dozen voice messages Henry left since she first called him this morning. She smiled for every time she listened to them.

But her smile was long gone, when she realized he was now worried sick looking for her, probably soaking wet.

I hope one day, I don’t need to hide my tears from you anymore.

I hope one day, I won’t be ashamed.

I hope one day, I let you be at my side protecting me from the rain.

Sorry for hiding myself from you.

For now, I can’t let you see me like this.

He never felt this cold and soaking wet ever in his life, but he beared with it, since she was nowhere to be found. And it was really raining hard. “I hope she is safe, wherever she is.” He said to himself, pulling his wet jacket towards himself, even if it was no use. He always checked his phone, if ever Amber left some messages, or if ever she called him again. Nothing! It has been almost three hours of Henry wondering around in stores, cafes, everywhere. She was still nowhere to be found. He was now even more worried.  

He even bought an umbrella in a nearby store with some spare change in the pockets of his pajamas, “Tsk, I am still in my pajamas. I never realized it until now.” Not thinking of using the umbrella for him, but to use it to shield Amber from the rain, when he finds her.  

Henry decided to call Amber for the nth time. He patiently redialed over and over again, until she decided to pick up and luckily she did. “Amber” Henry softly spoke. She didn’t know what to say to him, she just sobs over the phone, even if she forced herself not to let him hear her cry. “Please don’t hang up. Please, I beg you.” He pleaded over the phone. “I’m sorry, Henry.” Amber finally spoke between sobs, but didn’t want to end the call.

Then, Henry noticed a familiar figure sitting at a sidewalk nearby. He ran toward her. “I’m sorry…” Amber paused as she noticed an umbrella over her head, and familiar arms pulling her close. She cried in his arms, and hugged him back.  “It is okay, Amber. I’m here, now.”

“Let’s go back, Amber. Victoria is worried sick.” Henry suggested. Amber just nodded.

They went to Henry’s home, first. “Let us changed clothes, you might get sick. We don’t want that to happen.” Henry smiled at her. Amber just followed him inside, still holding his hand.

“Here are some of my clothes. You can change in my room. I will change in Mi’s room.”

After changing, Henry went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast since they have not eaten yet. “Oh, there’s a note. ‘Xianhua, I will be out to buy some groceries. I left some food at the table.’ – Mi – Yes!” biting a piece of bread.

He went to his room to ask Amber to eat with him, when he saw her fast asleep. He covered her with his blanket, when he saw a piece of paper with Amber’s handwriting – “Thank you, Henry, for today, for everything :)”. He smiled, and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re welcome, Amber” While walking out of his room, Mi arrived. “Oh, you got company?” Mi asked as he noticed two plates at the dining table. “Amber’s here, sleeping.” Henry replied. “Oh, something happened?” Mi asked again. Henry noticed Amber smiled in her sleep, as she pulled the blankets over her. “Everything’s fine.”     

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