*listen [LISTEN] to the rain* [OPEN]

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

There had always been something about the rain that made Rochelle smile. Something about the way each drop falling on her skin and sliding down the curves of her body made her feel like it could just seep between the cracks of the surface of her body and just melt right into her heart, soothing her soul and every discontentment inside of her. Had she not been successful in the fashion industry, she would have moved somewhere dark, quiet, where it rained all day- telling stories and murmuring the truth in her ears as she watched them cascade from the darkened the sky. She wished she could just listen to the rain all of her life. But she was in Forks, and that pretty much was a place that was a rainy as it could get.

The sky was crying, weeping pearly drops on to the glass of her windows as she leaned against the ledge, her blue eyes merely gazing unblinkingly at the sky. She had always has a fascination in little things- the rain was one of them. They were like pretties she couldn't catch and keep in her purse, pretties that slipped through her fingers when she tried to catch it. Strange little gems that frequently comes and goes with the softest of whispers.

She didn't like being inside. The house was new- there was hardly any furniture out, and it was bare and undecorated. And not to mention she felt like she didn't belong inside while the rain was calling her name, urging her outside to stay for a while. But she knew, once she was outside with them, it would be too hard for her to say goodbye once they departed. She wanted to listen to them forever, they always had something to say when they visited.

"Pretty pretties, why must you come and go? Stay with me and never leave me. I'll take you and tuck you in mu pocket; keep you nice and safe so you don't have to cry," she spoke before she picked up the folds of her white dress and went outside, stepping on the porch before headed barefooted down the stairs to stand in her driveway. Her crystal eyes looked around before falling shut, greeting the rain with childish glee. "Stay, and I'll keep you in my pocket, nice and safe and away from grubby hands," she insisted before looking around her. The moving truck was still parked in her driveway, she had yet to unload the things she had brought the other day. It wasn't important.

[Mike Newton]

It was a typical rainy day in the town of Forks, Mike was driving down a residential street of a newer neighborhood. Because rain was common on the Olympic peninsula, it really felt just a common event to Mike. He turned the corner and noticed a moving van in one of the driveways. That was something different, but his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a young, attractive, lady about his age standing on the porch. She had long hair, and was tall, had a slender build. She stood for a couple of seconds and then gracefully walked down the steps and stood in her driveway.

Something about her, made Mike pull to the side, he pulled out his cell phone and pretended to take a phone call. He decided to get out and at least welcome her to Forks, just to meet and at least shake this lady's hand. Something about her was special. He turned off the engine and got out without a raincoat, just like she was exposed to let the rain penetrate, and touch him intimately. He was going to take a chance and just see what happens. He put on his best smile and walked across the street to the sidewalk, "Hi, welcome to Forks, I am Mike" his cheeks blushing red in her presence.

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle's eyes snapped to the car, roaring down the road. Irritated she stepped back, barefooted and looked around, as if looking for something to defend herself. So loud, its so loud! How was she going to hear their heartbreaking stories if that car won't go away? Strange car, and strange boy- she's not supposed to talk to strangers- he might pull her wings off- birdie can't fly without wings. She stared for a moment before she realized where she was. A small town in Forks, right? Everyone knows everyone, there's no stranger danger- he's just being pretty. But not like her pretty- why is that?

Her bare feet led her forward, her angular head tilting to the side with curiosity and mild interest. She watched him, to her delight, get out of the car without an umbrella or raincoat. Her eyes ran over his blushing cheeks and outstretched hand, distrust apparently like green colored contacts over the eyes of honey colored orbs. No- who is this pretty stranger? Mike? Not like my pretty at all, but you can haves have one or two of my pretties, she thought dryly before she finally reached out and shook the mans hand lightly.

'Mike? Mike Newton? You're pretty, but you're not like my pretties. See my pretties? They came out to talk today,' she informed before boldly grabbing his forearm and pulling him forward with a grin on his lips. 'The name's Rochelle, I make a lot of pretties. Intricate Desires, have you heard of my pretties?' she asked him. She doubted Mike would know of the brand name of clothing she had just created- it was new, but this was a small town after all- maybe that was why she moved here.

'A welcome to Forks? A lovely welcome indeed, thank you,' she said, beaming at him a bright smile.

[Mike Newton]

The woman came down the driveway to greet him surprising him, she came to him as if they knew each other and were old friends. He had offered his first name only and yet she was able to greet him with his last name, forgetting he had his name tag on. He had never exactly been called pretty before, handsome, rugged, he had been called many things. The way she said it, he didn't even feel insulted, but was drawn close to her by her uninhibited approach to life. Through her gestures, he quickly understood that the pretties she referred to at first was the raindrops that were falling to the ground, making a splat on the ground and therefore talking to her.

She boldly grabbed his arm pulled him next to her, giving her name as Rochelle. He looked at her blue eyes and painted lips, as she told him about some more pretties, and gave a name. After dismissing thoughts of slow dancing with this vibrant woman in the rain, he remembered reading a fashion magazine in the office today and remembering a picture of this very model wearing some "Intricate desires" in the magazine. He again blushed realizing that that very model was kind of holding him in her arms right now. He had a hard time picturing, the display in his store.

Afraid to let out that he was aware of the reference, Mike smiled and responded, "I may have seen a reference to those pretties", he blushed, "I just can't think of where at the moment"
It was difficult not to like the woman that was next to him, her love for nature and general life around here was very strong and he could feel the attraction, even if it wasn't directed at him.

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle laced their fingers together casually, twirling him around absently before leading him to the middle of the driveway as she let go, looking up at the sky. Her eyes fell shut as she took a breath, feeling each drop greet her as they slid down her skin, whispering as their lips brushed her neck, and clothes, sliding down before hitting the pavement with a sigh. She looked over at him before backing a few steps, uncaring of the way the dress looks as they clung to her body and thighs and knees. She reached both hands up, running them from her hairline to the back of her neck as she eyed the other boy- delighted that he at least didn't run away or leer at her. Many people did that- even her twin did that- silly silly, they don't know her pretties, they are jealous that they don't hear what her pretties are telling her- and they are missing out. Only she knew, a secret that she keeps between her and the rain. Her ew pretties that she won't share.

'My pretties; they are mine. You're not like my pretty, not like my pretty at all. But you can always look at my pretty- don't be a stranger and maybe you can have one or two; all bright and perfect, they are my pretties after all,' she explained. Of course, there was nothing she worked on harder then her pretties. Sleepless nights and bottles of wine birthed her pretties, but all is worth it in the end. 'You see them everywhere where there's money- New York Mall, Los Angeles exclusive Boutique, or maybe Chicago's lovely nightclubs- pretties everywhere, I'm not greedy, I share my pretties,' she said with a giggle, stopping and looking at him innocently.

'Mike- Mike, not like my pretty, strange that is, very strange. Strange like being outside while it's raining, why are you outside? Are you listening too? Do you hear them too? And the stories they tell?' she asked him, only a few people would be outside like her- some just like to; others are trying to run home, using newspapers as a cover as the hurried to the air conditioned comfort of their homes.

[Mike Newton]

Mike was again surprised when Rochelle took him into her arms and slowly danced with him, finishing by twirling him, after the spin, she stood in the rain allowing the rain to soak the dress revealing the obvious curves of her beautiful body. He didn't run because he had been shown a glimpse of how she saw the world. He realized that her "pretties" were caressing him the same way and exposing his faults to her all seeing eyes. Mike should have been afraid of that analogy but he was entranced not by how sexy she was, but by her innocence. Her "pretties" fell on everyone without discrimination.

Her second reference to pretty became obvious that she was talking about her intimate line of clothing, when she mention the fashion hubs of the United States, he realized nothing would make her happier than to have her pretties hanging in every store or closet, and money had nothing to do with that wish. Her wish was only to make people happy by what she created.

Mike was dumbfounded on how to respond, it was obvious the Rochelle didn't realize that a man sees what isn't being covered up. He didn't wish to ruin the connection that he had made with Rochelle. By the same token, here was standing outside in the rain, exposed both to the rain and this girl only because he was attracted to her by her beauty. Her personality was keeping him there, it was so different. Unable and unwilling to give voice to the second reference to "pretty". He stretched out his hand like he had seen her do, and tried to listen to the voice of the first "pretties", maybe the answer could be found there, it definitely wasn't in logic.

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle wasn't always this open with people. In New York she always had to watch her back. Granted, she didn't do a good job because she didn't care about what people think about her- it was just destroying her company that bothered her and forced her to pick her friends differently. But here, did it really matter? She hadn't really talked to many people, but most didn't even know her line, so that ruled out any ideas of soiling it. As for merely standing in the rain in a dress, bra, and panties, it didn't really matter- she was a model for several months before she decided to pursue designing; she was fairly open with her body. Since she treated it like it was her temple, she isn't the type to be self-conscious about it.

Turning around, she plucked a wild canker in a hedge before leaning over and resting her chin on his shoulder, pulling the flower to her nose to smell it lightly. She wrapped the same arm around her shoulder and ran the pedals along his jawline absently. Granted, he wasn't her type of pretty, but he didn't run away when she spoke about it- he was worth keeping, worth keeping in her pocket. She giggled, pressing her cherry red lips together lightly, her crystal orbs looking at the rose as if it was something new and foreign, and then at the sky as if she was in a movie in a far away land.

'Listen, do you hear it too? They have a secret, can you keep it? Take it and put it in your pocket, away from hearing ears and nosy noses,' she whispered, her voice in aw, almost like it could flutter away. 'Listen to each drop of rain, please don't let go, can't we stay for a while? Sometimes its hard to say goodbye,' she murmured as she leaned against him lightly. As a child, she used to remember standing in the rain, then her parents running outside and taking her inside, fearing that she would get sick- but while most of the time she didn't the times she did, she didn't regret. 'Hurry they say, you haven't much time.... open your eyes to the love around you...' she sing quietly in his ear, a smooth tenor ringing mostly to herself.

[Mike Newton]

Again Mike felt that close intimate contact that seemed to flow from Rochelle as if she was testing him, but he realized she wasn't. He liked the feel of her body pressing against him, strangely he wasn't aroused. This time she maintained the position and held a rose she had plucked from a nearby hedge, she smelled the rose, then she took the rose and gently followed his jaw with the petals of the rose. Her eyes were watching Mike's, Mike wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he just lowered them down, to allow the raindrops that were still clinging to stay longer. She then put the rose in between them, Mike knew she only saw the rose, he was there, but the rose was her focus right now.

She then played the teacher or better the mentor who had a willing student, she asked to listen and open up to not only the rain but to the nature around him. Everything had a story or some sort of wisdom to give if only you take the time to listen. Then he heard her beautiful soft voice, "open your eyes to the love around you"

He felt the love coming from Rochelle, he understood that is was being directed at him because, he was willing to take the time and share something that Rochelle felt was important without laughing and just be open enough to listen. Although he didn't have the faith to hear the story the raindrops were telling him, he knew that he would try to listen.

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle giggled and stepped away before leaning over the flower bed that was near the edge of the driveway, her slim, pale fingers running over the leaves lightly. It's been raining for a little while now, and she was sure that at any moment that it would stop, the rain never stayed long, they were free spirits coming and going. 'Silly Ezekiel,' she said to herself, referring to herself by her middle name. 'Listen to the rain, listen, listen to the rain weeping. Feel the love around you; you may feel all alone, but I'm still here with you my pretties,' she sang, swaying from side to the side as she brushed and stroked the leaves lightly, as if trying to give it energy to live and prosper on when she pulled.

'Silly pretties, open up, see the world, mind your own business, just open up and listen- that's all. Got a secret, can you keep it to? Lock it up, hold it in your pedals, no one could destroy something so fragile, so pretty you are,' she cooed. She pulled away and looked up was the flow of stories suddenly stopped. Her cherry lips curved into a sad frown before lighting up. 'Pretties will come back, your home, Forks, you'll come back,' she said confidently with a grin. 'Be my pretties, I'll make more pretties, I'll wait with your secret, locked nice and tight,' she smiled.

Turning around, she moved forward to Mike again. 'Mike, not like my pretty. Why are you not like my pretty? Have you seen my pretty in all his pearly whites? White teeth he has, why are you not like my pretty? Would you like to see some of my pretties? Bright and spontaneous like the paints it originated?' she asked him, gesturing inside with a casual flourish of her hand. She let go and moved inside, humming to herself, letting him to follow if he wanted to, or leave if he wanted to do. She gently opened the door and peered inside thoughtfully.

'No! Not inside! Inside is not pretty. I like my pretties pretty. Stay with me outside for a while? Maybe my pretties will be prettier next time?' she asked, not wanting him to go inside. She wanted it to be perfect, and it wasn't. And if it wasn't, then she won't let anyone see it. Maybe they would sit in the porch and talk instead?

[Mike Newton]

Mike's spirits dropped just a touch when Rochelle left him, but one could not stay in bad spirits long when in this woman's presence, he watched as she walked over to a flower bed lightly caressing the leaves, then looking up to the sky. Mike noticed that the rain had lessened and he knew from the past that soon the rainfall would end. He listened as her beautiful voice again spoke to the rain, "Listen and feel the love". She seemed to speak to the plants as she touched them as if by her care, she herself would give them strength to grow. A new pretty came to light and it appeared to be the plants that she spoke to next, urging them to open and show their flower, the delicate dress the all flowering plants wear.

Lastly she turned and acknowledged Mike. She told him again that he wasn't like her pretty, he wondered if she was describing another man, but he was uncertain. She did seem to accept Mike for whom he was, and maybe saw more than others did. She asked if he would like to come inside, curious he followed her as she gestured, up the stairs to the door, she opened it slowly, then carefully closed it. Apparently something wasn't right inside, but Rochelle invited him to spend time with her on the porch.

Mike smiled, he knew this woman to be sensual, and she always seemed to surprise him no matter what she did. She was mysterious, but that was part of her beauty. It didn't seem to bother her that her dress was soaked. Mike's eyes looked over her body then glanced over to the swing where he assumed they would sit. He would be a gentlemen and let Rochelle sit first, if that was what she had in mind, with this girl, anything was possible.

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle darted nimbly inside and appeared again with two towels. She tossed one on top of his head, giggling before pushing him to sit down before she joined him herself, not much for anyone being a gentlemen. They were all dead anyways- not in this society. They may come back sometime, but not this time, not this year. And if their visions of the future were right, not for maybe a century or so more before someone could be bold enough to bring it back. By then, Ezekiel would be dead, no worries if she was dead, right?

Wrapping the towel around her lightly, she tilted her gaze to the sky lightly and grinned, her lips pulling back to show her own pearly whites, not like the one that she had been referring to not long ago while it had just stopped raining. She hummed slightly before turning to Mike Newton.

'Mike, what's it like here? Is it like Upper Eat Manhattan? It's pretty, not like my pretty, but soothing, I is filled with pretties, you know? Falling like waterfalls almost every hour- soothing, my pretties are always are,' she informed him, her blue eyes looking faraway, as if she was trying to recall a half remembered dream- too surreal for it to be conjured from her mind, but not enough that it could be real. Was it real?

[Mike Newton]

Mike watched her go inside, but since she left the door cracked he assumed she be coming back soon. She did holding two towel, one of which she threw on top of Mike's head. Mike took it off but not before Rochelle gently pushed on to the porch swing. Rochelle sat down on the other side of the swing and wrapped her towel lightly on her shoulders. Mike did the same just to keep the chill away, he knew that he would need a change of clothes when he got home. rochelle then glanced at the sky and hummed a little, then turned and smiled at Mike.

At this point, Mike was getting used to her unpredictable behavior, Mike smiled at her and admired the contrast of her red lips and white teeth, it was an attractive combination. She then asked him about Forks as compared to Upper East Manhattan. Mike laughed, "Forks is about as different from Manhattan as you are going to get. Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver are the closest places we have that have live theater, and any kind of night life. Port Angeles is okay, but the closest thing to entertainment there is a movie theater. It does have some nice restaurants, especially if you are looking for seafood. Mike laughed and continued. Forks is a typical small American town, with a grocery store and hardware store, we have an outfitter shop, and various places that cater to outdoor enthusiasts. We offer a hiking experience second to none. "

Mike didn't tell her about the fishing, she probably wouldn't be interested. "I know you love rain and it rains most days of the year, but sometime we, I'm sorry you ought to go see a couple of the waterfalls in the area, I think you would appreciate their beauty unlike any fountain that the big city can offer." Mike blushed

[Rochelle Ezekiel Strain]

^{LISTEN, LISTEN TO EACH DROP OF RAIN WHISPERING SECRETS IN VAIN,
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR BEFORE THEY HIT THE GROUND}

Rochelle frowned slightly. It rain was nice, it was her pretty since no one paid any attention to it. But the way Mike explained Forks- it seemed so.. plain. What about the nightlife, didn't he want that? What about having parties and social gatherings? This life is entirely new for her, and she's only been living here for a day or so. In fact, she isn't even fully done moving yet! She still had to buy her furniture, paint the house, make it look appropriate for people to see. She made pretties, she made money- she wanted to show it off. Call her vain, but that's her talent, she like to turn nothing into someone- she liked to point out clothes to people and tell them she was the one who birthed it, that that outfit over there was originally an idea planted in her head. She wanted people to know who she was. But at the same time, she wanted a change. At home she had to be careful and on what she said and what she wore- and here, that didn't matter much to these people, does it?

She looked at Mike, a little bothered. 'Where are the pretties? The green mountains, the oceanic skies? Silly Mike, Forks is a little boring compared to home; but Forks has something that Manhattan doesn't- pretties, pretties that people are too busy to see,' she looked at the sky, obviously talking about nature- she wasn't interested in Forks, Forks is too small for her, she only liked the people, but she became easily bored- but hiking, going to sit by the river or just stargazing- she wanted to do that. Not go to the movies- in Manhattan they had IMAX- did Forks have that? She doubted it.

[Mike Newton]

Mike saw Rochelle frown, obviously the answer he gave wasn't what she was looking for. But her response gave him hope. She was looking for the beauty of nature, and Mike knew where to find that, that was his job. And he had mentioned nature in his response. Perhaps he needed to look at little closer at the beauty around him. Mike wondered if Rochelle was asking him to take her on a hike, but he was nervous about being too forward. Mike smiled at Rochelle, "I would love to show you how to find some of the beautiful things that nature has to offer here, but a lot of them are deep in the wilderness where you could get lost." Mike blushed, " perhaps we could see them together and I could teach you how to survive the wilderness. Mike was uncertain how rochelle would take this, but he really didn't want Rochelle to get lost.