It was a gloomy, humid February morning when Christina Beard headed for the bus stop to catch a ride to school in the nearby town of Clinton, Arkansas. She gazed into the sky and wondered how the day was going to go with her crazy schedule as this was her last semester of her senior year. She loved where she grew up, but like a bird, she wanted to leave the nest, stretch he wings and fly on to something bigger and better. The bus came barreling down the red dirt road like a huge yellow bull snorting and stomping as it went. It skidded to a stop and let out a huge dusty sigh as she stepped on to the rust-covered steps and climbed into the back few seats of the bus. As Christina got settled, she pulled out a book and began to read as they rolled through the hills and pastures of rural Arkansas until the green grasses turned into hard gray pavement of the city and shortly they arrived at the school. School went as normal as can be. Christina just went through the motions and went to all her classes like she did every day. At lunch, a tall, skinny boy with messy, spiked black hair and tan skin came up to her at her favorite table that was outside by the school garden. This lanky kid was her boyfriend, Steven Madden, who had bought her pizza off the snack line so she wouldn’t have to suffer through the soggy gruel that the lunch ladies had conjured up in the kitchen. They sat in silence under the pavilion outside of the lunch room as the rain began to fall from the heavens. Steven finally broke the silence. “What are you doing after school today?” “Not much, just the same things I do every day after school,” answered Christina bluntly. “Oh the wild lives we lead!” Steven exclaimed while chuckling to himself. The couple finished eating before the lunch bell rang. As Christina stood up to head to her next class, Steven grabbed her arm and whipped her around into him tightly and looked down into her soft blue eyes that were framed in by long locks of black flowing hair that was being gently lifted by a breeze and brushing against her light cheek bones. She stared back up into his big brown almond-shaped eyes incased in his dusty tan skin. She was lost for a moment but the ringing bell brought her back to reality. “What are you doing? We are going to be late for 6th period,” stammered Christina. Steven smiled a goofy smile and pulled her tighter and whispered, “So? I’m trying to be spontaneous. Class can wait, this cant.” Just then, he kissed her long and passionately just as the rain began to pour harder. The blood rushed to her ears as she pushed away for air and thought. He had never kissed her like that. She snatched her books and bag off the table, still blushing, gave Steven an awkward smile, and headed off toward class. He yelled back to her and said something about meeting after school but her ears were ringing and pulsing with blood still as she went through the door to the main building. She didn’t know what exactly he said but she assumed that he mentioned something about giving her a ride home as he did every Friday afternoon. By the time school let out it was not raining anymore. The sky just looked terrible and dark however. Christina met Steven at his shabby little car. They hopped in and drove toward the edge of town where Christina lived with her single father. Together, they lived on a cheap and small plot of land next to the river. The land was cheap because it was in a flood zone but supposedly the river had not risen in decades. Christina’s father worked a lot so she had learned to take care of herself from a young age. When they got to the house, thunder and lightning were piercing the atmosphere but it still wasn’t raining. Christina loved when it rained but not when it stormed. It worried her, not so much about her safety but for her father’s, who worked for the electric company. Once inside the house, Steven turned on the television. Christina started cleaning the kitchen up and wash the few dishes. After that was done, she began to vacuum the living room where Steven was watching Judge Joe Brown. He looked at her with disapproving eyes because he could no longer hear the television. She just smiled back at him and went on vacuuming. He yelled over the sucking noise, “This is what it’s going to be like when we are married.” She pretended not to hear