Rain poured down onto the roof of the car. Lily’s dad was going to wait for the bus with her, but his daughter seemed adamant to get out and help the kid getting drenched at the stop sign. She did look awfully cold, huddling in her hoodie like that.
Lily looked at the time. “Aren’t you gonna be late for work if you don’t leave soon?”
“Wow, pulling that card, okay,” he said. “Just make sure your jacket is zipped up.”
“But it’s not even cooold!”
“It’s like 40 degrees out, zip it up young lady. I can’t let you get sick, not on my watch.”
Sighing and zipping up her jacket, she grabbed an umbrella and opened the door. She instantly got soaking wet from the rain.
“Bye dad!”
“Have a good day at school, Lils. See you when I get home.”
After watching the car zoom off, she looked at the girl leaning on the stop sign. She was wearing a large orange cloth hat, with ears and a cute kitty face on the front. Her head was pointed down at the muddy grass. She was so motionless Lily almost thought she was sleeping, if not for her small, pale hand tugging at her hat strings. The white pom poms on the ends were gray with rain water.
In her yellow rain boots, Lily marched up to the not-sleeping girl.
“Hey! Are you new here? I’ve never seen you around before! …Are you cold? I could give you my jacket. Also, what’s your name? Are you okay? You haven’t said anything-“
“Yes.”
“…Yes what?”
The girl raised her head up a little to smirk at Lily; a smirk that said you would know if you didn’t ask so many questions. Freckles dotted her face like stars, Lily could’ve sworn she saw a constellation.
“Yes, I’m new. And thanks, but you can keep your jacket. I like the rain.”
“But you’re so wet! That hat is probably just making it worse, you should take it off and let it dry.”
At this, she grabbed her hat’s strings tight, as if Lily was about to yank it off.
“Don’t talk to me like you know anything. Just leave me alone, Lils.”
Lily clenched her fists and stomped her boots in the mud, splashing herself. “I’m just trying to be nice! You’re so mean! Ugh!!”
Then she stopped and thought for a moment. “Wait, how do you almost know my name?”
“Well, that’s what your dad called you, isn’t it?”
Forgetting all her frustration, she started giggling.
“Wh-what’s so funny?” the be-freckled girl said, turning red.
“My name is Lily! My dad is the only one that calls me Lils.”
“Oh.”
Realizing the metal of the sign was getting her hoodie even more wet, the girl stood straight up and crossed her arms. The two stood in silence for a moment, listening to the rain and the wind.
“My name is Kat.”
Lily perked up. “Kat? Aww, That’s such a cute name! Is that why you wear that hat?”
“What- no, it’s- this isn’t a cat.” She grabbed the strings yet again. “And my name isn’t cute. It’s dumb.”
“Well, I like it. Does that make me dumb?”
“Yes.”
“Wh- Hey!”
At that moment, the bus pulled up. Kat was already walking to the doors, hat held firmly in place. Lily realized she hadn’t yet opened her umbrella.