3 squeezed my eyes shut, my face a numb mask, and turned to walk away. A light, drizzly rain had started to fall outside. The world was a wash of gray, the streetlights casting a sickly yellow haze. Along the road, the dark, skeleta branches of trees clawed at the air in the cold wind. A couple stood beside me, whispering for a moment. Then the boy took off his jacket, draped it over the girl and they huddled together, making a dash for the rain-soaked street. I watched them disappear into a cal parked by the curb, a strange fog settling over my mind. felt like I'd forgotten something important, but I couldn't grasp what it was. It wasn't until I got home and started packing my things that I found it. At the very bottom of a storage box was an old umbrella. The moment I saw it, the dam of my composure broke, and tears streamed down my face. It was a clear, foldable umbrella. The inside was covered in black marker doodles of my favorite cartoon characters. One day after school, the sky had opened up in a downpour. I was supposed to walk home with a friend, but then I saw him-my desk-mate, Julian. He was standing under the eaves, staring at the bruised-gray sky with a look of distant loneliness. He must have forgotten his umbrella. And at home, there was no one left to bring one for him. A wave of sympathy washed over me. After a moment of hesitation, I shoved my umbrella into his hands. "You don't have to give it back! Just think of it as a thank you for helping me with my homework!" I said, my feigned nonchalance a thin veil for my fluttering teenage heart. I didn't even dare to look at his reaction bef- ore I turned and ran, huddling under my friend's umbrella and urging her to hurry. My friend teased me about my beet-red cheeks. I playfully swatted at her, but my eyes couldn't help but dart back through the curtain of rain. He was still there. A tall, slender figure in his blue and white school uniform, standing out from the crowd. He was holding my umbrella tightly in his hand. The world was a cascade of falling rain, but the only thing I could hear was the frantic, deafening roar of own heartbeat. The next day, the rain continued. my don't remember exactly what I was feeling when I saw him again, but I remember every single detail of him valking through the back door of the classroom. My clear cartoon umbrella wasn't propped up with the other colorful, forgotten ones in the hallway corner. It was clutched in his long, pale fingers. He carefully wipec he raindrops from its surface with a soft handkerchief, smoothed out its creases, folded it neatly, and plac ed it reverently inside his desk, right next to his textbooks. Eighteen-year-old Julian looked up then and met my gaze before I had a chance to look away. He smiled, his yes curving into crescents. le said he would treasure it for a lifetime. Ve hadn't confessed our feelings for each other yet, not in words. But in the silent, thunderous space betw en our two young, restrained hearts, we both knew. le was saying he would treasure me for a lifetime. The rain has stopped. wiped my tears, forcing my emotions back into their cage. I picked up the umbrella, long forgotten by its >wner. Its plastic skin was yellowed and old, the cartoon drawings faded and blurred. Its frame was rusted ind rotten, reeking of decay. stared at it, sitting by my bed as night fell, and didn't sleep a wink. don't know how much time passed before the darkness began to recede. A sliver of dawn broke through he clouds, splitting my silhouette into stark black and white. My limbs were cold and stiff as I moved, standing up to take the old umbrella and toss it into the trash can. Then, I dialed Julian's number. That summer rain from our youth... It was time for it to end. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!