HOW MANY DAYS LEFT

It was raining. Not the heavy kind that floods roads in a single night, or takes off roofs or even trees due to strong wind. It was calm, enough that you would hear it pattering on the roof and enough to keep you holed up wherever you are. Charissa stares out her window watching drops of rain stain the glass and fall off in oval drops over each other. There's a faint smile on her face as she thrills in the cool weather. "Such a perfect weather, and that's not even the best part." "No school, not for three months," she squeeles as she plops back on her soft bed dramatically. No assignments or annoying stuck up teachers or classmates. No tight uniforms or pretending to smile at everyone to look polite. "Could this day start any better." She thought to herself. The sound of the slight breeze comforting as she pulls her blanket up higher till it reached her neck. Then— "Charissa!" her mom's voice echoes through the house. "Oh God no. Please no." She shuts her eyes tighter hoping to ignore the world and most of all her personal pain in the ass, her mother. "Charissa!" There it was again. Satan himself, or rather herself. "God why now of all times?" she questions miserably as she tries to ignore her mother's loud voice. The door bursts open. "Charissa I know you're awake." "Trust me I'm not." I murmur as I pull the blanket over my head in a swift dramatic motion. Hopefully if I ignore her long enough she'll let me be at peace. Who am I kidding. "So you're still asleep?" "What does it look like mom. Normal people are still supposed to be asleep." "Not at 9:30am they're not." "Mom, what do you want? it's literally the first day of summer I deserve to be sleeping in." "You've been asleep since yesterday Charissa" I squint my eyes at her statement. "Isn't that how sleeping works?" Honestly, waking up this early during a weather like this should literally be illegal. The room was cold in the perfect way, her blankets were warm, and the rain sounded like one long lullaby she could listen to for the rest of her hopefully semi short life. She was just about to go back to sleep when her phone buzzed violently against the pillow beside her. Once. Twice. Three times. "God what have I done to deserve this on such a perfect morning," she grumbled with a deep frown before blindly picking up her phone. Maya's name flashed across the screen. Of course. Charissa: If this is about productivity, leave me alone. Her text popped up almost instantly. Maya: It’s 9:47. Charissa: Exactly. Practically midnight. Maya: You can't be serious. Charissa: Never have been. A laughing emoji appeared with a follow up text. Maya: Anyway my mom said your mom called her yesterday. Charissa immediately narrowed her eyes, her frown deepening. That never meant anything good. Parents discussing things together usually ended in suffering. Charissa: Why? Maya: Something about a trip. Charissa frowned harder. Before she could reply, her bedroom door burst open again without warning. Her mother stood there holding an empty laundry basket. Her morning robe tied tightly at the waist and her hair in an unnecessarily half neat more scattered bun. I can't tell. “Good. You’re finally awake.” Charissa blinked slowly. “How could I not when you burst in like an armed cop.” “And you sleep like a dead person.” “Thank you.” Her mother ignored her completely and started picking clothes off the floor and chair in the corner. “You haven't left your room since exams ended.” “It’s called resting.” “That's laziness.” Charissa gasped softly. “That's unnecessarily hurtful.” “I’m serious, Charissa.” There it was. That tone I never liked. The one parents used before ruining your life with “for your own good.” I slowly sat up against the headboard. “What happened?” “Nothing happened.” Well that was a lie. Nobody ever said “nothing happened” before saying something life-changing. Very parent predictable. “Your aunt called yesterday.” “Aunty Leah?” “Yes.” Charissa relaxed slightly. “Uhm, Okay. So?” “She invited you to spend the summer in Bellmere.” Silence. The rain continued outside. Charissa stared at her mother for a full five seconds before laughing once. “No.” “It wasn’t a question.” “Oh my God.” “You need a change of environment.” “No I don't.” “You need sunlight.” “I’m literally dark-skinned.” “Charissa.” She flopped back against the mattress dramatically with a deep annoyed groan. Bellmere. Tiny coastal town. Too clean and quiet with pretentious people. Aunt Leah moved there years ago after marrying some rich architect who apparently enjoyed living in places where literally nothing happens. Every photo she sent looked aggressively peaceful. Actual cafés. Flowers everywhere. Ocean views. The kind of town where people probably said things like: “Good morning, neighbor!” A shudder rattles my body. Disgusting. “When am I supposed to leave?” Charissa asked weakly. Her mother smiled. “Tomorrow morning.” Charissa sat upright so fast she nearly got dizzy. “Tomorrow?” Her mother blinked. “Yes.” “This is absurd.” “You’ll survive.” “I could die.” Her mother pointed a warning finger before heading for the door. “And pack properly this time. Last Christmas you forgot slippers.” The door shut. Silence returned. Charissa fell backward onto the mattress with a groan loud enough to qualify as emotional distress. "God why me," she wept pretentiously laying a palm on her forehead. Her phone buzzed again. Maya: So??? Charissa: I’ve been exiled. Maya: LMAOOOO Charissa: Not funny. Maya: Wait Bellmere Bellmere??? Charissa: Unfortunately. MAYA: That town looks like where accidental romance happens. Charissa rolled her eyes. Charissa: The only thing waiting for me there is boredom and mosquitoes. Maya: Sure. Charissa tossed her phone aside staring at the ceiling. Three months. Three entire months in a tiny seaside town with relatives. Sounds horrible. Outside, rain continued pouring softly while the apartment slowly came alive around her. Pots clanged in the kitchen. Her younger brother somewhere down the hall screamed like he was being sacrificed. Normal morning chaos. Yet somehow, beneath all of it, something felt… strange. By evening, her room looked like c*****e. Half-packed clothes covered the bed while Charissa sat cross-legged in the middle of the mess arguing with Maya over video call. “You’re acting like Bellmere resembles a prison,” Maya said through the phone. “It is prison.” “You need this trip.” “I need financial stability and a will to live.” “You need to stop behaving like a divorced uncle.” Charissa snorted. Rain still drizzled lightly outside by the time she finally zipped her suitcase shut. Morning came quickly. By 7 a.m she was already miserable. The bus ride lasted hours. Long enough for Charissa to regret every life decision that had somehow led her here convinced by her mother. But somewhere along the drive, it looked intriguing. Tall buildings at turns, the roads grew quieter. Greener. And eventually—Bellmere. Charissa frowned slightly as the bus rolled into town. Okay. It was awkward that she actually found it pretty. The streets still glistened from rain earlier that morning, reflecting warm golden lights from cafés and tiny bookstores lining the roads. "Hmm, bookstores." At least the sound of bookstores sound interesting. Her aunt wouldn’t stop talking during the drive from the station, but Charissa barely listened. She kept staring out the window instead. Bellmere looked like the setting of one of those romance movies people cried over unnecessarily. As the car slowed near a traffic light, Charissa rested her head against the window absentmindedly, then she saw something. Or someone. Across the street. Standing alone beneath the rain. Not running. Not moving. Just there. Dark hoodie pulled over his head. Hands tucked into his pockets while rain fell around him like he didn’t feel it. And for some reason he was already looking directly at her. Charissa frowned slightly. The light turned green. Her aunt drove forward. And the boy disappeared behind the rain.