With a Chance of Rain
an excerpt

The sunlight shining through the cracks in the window shades danced around the room, arousing a boy who had been pleasantly sleeping in its warmth. Josh Harbyn grinned as he pulled the quilt off his body. He stretched himself up to his full height and ripped his pajama shirt off his back. Walking over to the window he bent the shade and peered out. The trees were a beautiful shade of red and yellow. He watched a little girl pedal her tricycle down the street, and stop to pet a neighbor’s dog. He smiled as he pulled on a wrinkled hooded sweatshirt and ruffled his hair. He grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor and brushing them off, slipped them over his legs. He grabbed a messenger bag from under his bed, scooped his homework off the floor, and dashed out and down the stairs into the kitchen. He flung open the refrigerator door and rummaged through it until he found a piece of left over pizza. He shoved half of it into his mouth and sat down at the kitchen table to look at his homework. He scrawled an essay across the page and set it aside. Then he picked up his math book and flipped to the right page. He scribbled some answers down and thrust the rest of the pizza into his mouth. He swept his books and papers into his bag and got up to wash his hands. His mother staggered into the kitchen and turned around to walk out again.

“Mom! What’s wrong?” Josh grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She yanked her arm out of his grip and straightened up. Josh stared at her wet and swollen eyes and asked again, “Mom?” She straightened her back and lifted her chin, and whispered, “Your father and I are getting a divorce. We had been discussing it for awhile now, Josh, but last night was the last straw.” She reached for a wool coat in the closet and tugged it on. Josh collapsed onto a bar stool and gaped at his mother.

“Really?” he whispered.

“Yes, now get ready to go. The bus will be here soon to pick you up. After school you’re going to Brayden’s house. It’s all arranged. I called Mrs. Burner before you were up.” Josh picked up his bag and sauntered out the front door. He scowled at the clouds that had now replaced the sun and threatened to give him a bath.

The bus didn’t take long to arrive and Josh sprung onto the bus, anxious to escape his unhappy house. Several boys jumped up to meet him, but Brayden pulled him into a seat in the middle of the bus.

“So, Josh, you ready to terrorize the little kids today?” he laughed. Josh glanced at his friend and said nothing.

“I’m kidding. What’s up?”

“Brayden, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, ‘k. English test today. You ready?”

“I hate my life!” Josh growled. “I forgot about that. Anything else bad happening today?” He pounded his fist against the back of the seat in front of him. Brayden fell silent and abandoned any other attempt to make a conversation with Josh.