Umbrella

It was raining. We were outside and it was raining. Just my luck.1

We were on a guided tour of the campus that I wished to live on sometime in the near future. The professors were eccentric; the students were pleasant. I had no complaints except that it was raining. 2

There were eight of us all together, including the guide. A senior from Alabama brought her younger brother, a girl from Tennessee came with her parents, and I was with my mom while my dad rested in the car. We all exchanged names, home towns, and intended majors. We were all seniors with a wide variety of interests. 3

The guide led us through a series of buildings—some residence halls, some academic departments. Much of the tour, however, was outside…in the rain.4

As soon as we stepped outside, the guide’s umbrella went up. The girl from Alabama extended her umbrella while her brother put his hood up. The other girl’s parents put up their umbrellas. I looked at my mom and shrugged. After all, a little acid rain never hurt anybody. 5

Then, from out of nowhere, the girl from Tennessee walked up next to me, umbrella over her head. “Wanna share?”6

“Sure,” I said. “Thanks.” I turned to my mom and stuck my tongue out at her. 7

As I walked, a thousand things ran through my mind. She was cute and had and interest in writing; so did I. Even though I was filled with the urge to flirt with her, I didn’t. I was careful not to get too close to her because, after all, I was taken. I played it cool because, hell, no one there knew me; I could be whoever I wanted to be. This wasn’t high school anymore—this was college!8

The tour guide walked through some of the co-ed dorms and some of the boys or girls only dorms. He pointed out various cafés and classrooms. Then we walked past Powell Hall, the Honors Dorms. The girl’s father made a comment about the building and the girl nodded. I turned to her and asked if she was an honors student.9

“Yeah,” she replied, “you?”10

I told her I was.11

The tour went on for awhile longer. The rain, unfortunately, died down over time. Every time we exited a building while it was raining, whichever one of us was ahead would wait for the other. She’d either wait for me to get under the umbrella, or I’d wait for her to bring the cover to me. 12

The rain ended up not being such a bad thing until it let up. Then the tour ended. I kind of cursed to myself. I decided that the rain had been a lucky thing after all. 13

My parents and I finished a last look around the campus and left for home. But, as we left for northern Indiana and she left for Tennessee, I realized that I hadn’t been so lucky after all because, after a spell of thinking, I realized that I hadn’t caught her name.