Gray skies overhead with the sound of rumbling thunder makes Leo hold the umbrella in his hand tighter. The rain should start at any moment and he contemplates pressing the buzzer on the building again. Usually, Jade’s lateness was endearing but today his frustration couldn’t be quelled. He pulls out his phone from his jacket pocket, hoping the rain doesn’t start before he gets a chance to text her. He writes a quick text and tucks his phone back into his pocket.

“Come on, Jade,” he mumbles as his leg starts to get jittery.

Ten minutes later, a glammed up Jade walks out of her building and into a light drizzle of rain. Her jet-black hair is styled in goddess braids and decorated in golden heart clips. She puts her hands up over her head, trying to shield herself from the rain as she goes under Leo’s now opened umbrella. Jade is met with Leo’s glare and shame crosses her features.

“I’m so sorry, time got away from me,” Jade says, smoothing out her light jacket without a hood.

“You—“ Leo starts but then takes a deep breath. “You didn’t even check the weather, did you?”

“You know once I see the vision of an outfit nothing can stop me from looking good,” She replies while taking out her phone so she can readjust her appearance.

“The show’s probably over by now.”

“Leo, it’s your brother. Trust, that boy probably isn’t halfway through his introduction.”

“You said you’d be on time today,” Leo complains, waiting for Jade to finish up her retouches.

“Look, I’m sorry, I promise I won’t be late next time.”

“What if this is the last time?” Leo replies in a rather glum tone.

“I may not be able to stand your brother but I’m not gonna sit here and lie like he ain’t got no skill. This won’t be his last show, okay?”

She stops her readjustments and looks over at Leo who appears in deep thought. They’ve been friends for years and Jade knew that whenever Leo was too in his head that meant something was amiss. She puts her phone back in her pocket and gently taps his shoulder.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing,” Leo replies in an instant as his usual stiff posture becomes somehow more stiff.

“No,” Jade says, pointing at him with an accusing finger. “Something’s up and you’re dying to tell me what is, aren’t you?”

Her tone is teasing but the word dying makes Leo flinch. Jade gets closer to him.

“Leo, come on, what’s wrong?” She continues in a pleading tone.

Leo looks away from her, shrugging his shoulders. “Nothing’s wrong, let’s get walking or we’ll miss the next train.”

“I thought you said we were getting a taxi?”

“Did I?” He replies, still not fully immersed in the conversation. “Yeah, let’s flag one down then.”

They flag the cab down and they drive in silence, a rarity for the duo. Jade could always get Leo from burrowing in his mind but no matter how many conversation starters or joking remarks she makes Leo stays in hibernation like a bear gone for the winter. When they leave the cab, Jade pays the cab driver and has to tug her friend out after her. They walk into the club Leo’s brother Louis is playing in and blend into the crowd his brother’s band has attracted. The ambiance is nice as the crowd sways to Louis’s smooth vocals that are backed up by a varied assortment of instruments that create a distinct sound.

Jade finds herself swaying a bit too but when she looks over at Leo she finds him moving away from her and nearing the club exit. She follows after him, confused, and concerned. Leo leaves the club, walking down the street with no destination. He doesn’t even bother to open up his umbrella as the rain begins to pour down on him like cake batter into a pan that’s held by someone so full of celebration and delight.

Jade is calling after him and with every call his movements get quicker. Until he reaches the end of the street, and there’s a don’t walk signal waiting for him. He hears her breathing out of breath behind him and just before the light tells him to walk again she grabs his arm.

He doesn’t want to turn around. He wants to gently yank his arm away and run. His face is wet, his clothes are wet, and he is drowning in his sadness. If he cries could anyone tell? Could his tears become lost in the rain?

“Leo,” Jade says his name in a way that squeezes his heart and makes him look back.

Before he knows it, he’s turning around, leaning over and her lips meet his first. The kiss is slow. Every second is stripping them of something until they are bare in front of another with the secret they never knew they hid from even themselves. A secret that said this wasn’t just friendship between them. They jump apart as thunder rumbles between them and passerbyers knock into Jade’s back.

Both of them look at each other with vulnerable and dazed expressions. Jade’s makeup is smearing because of the rain but for the first time she doesn't care.

“We….” Leo starts, shifting his stance and averting his gaze from Jade. “We should get back.”

“What? That just happened and you just want to go back in there and act like this never happened?” Jade replies in a sharp tone as she gestures to them both.

“Jade, we can’t…we know too much about each other and…” his voice gets shaky and heavy.

He lets his tears go free, hoping they get lost in the rain. Leo wasn’t the type to stand around and cry but he was giving a circumstance where there’s as little for him to do.

“And what?” Jade says, sounding frustrated.

“I’m dying,” Leo’s voice sounds so small that it almost gets lost in the rain but Jade hears his words.

She gasps, taking a step back as she looks at him with distraught eyes. Jade shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest.

“Come on, stop playing, you’re not dying, Leo,” she takes another step back. “You’re still so young and no, no, you’re not dying, okay?”

Leo moves his head and stares at her, his eyes serious. “I’m dying.”

A shiver runs past them both as his words are spoken in such a finite tone.

“But I…but we…we have to figure us out. We have to…we were supposed to live out life together. What am I supposed to do without my best friend?” Jade asks and her voice cracks at the final word.

“I don’t know,” he replies, sounding broken. “I feel like I’m losing everything, Jade. I’ve spent so much time making plans for my life that I never thought about making plans for the end of it.”

Jade reaches for Leo’s hand, squeezing it tight. “How about we make those plans together?”

It’s an offer offered without a thought, a weight taken off shoulders already buried three feet in the ground. There’s so much to consider between them and so many things to discuss. Yet, Leo doesn’t let any of that matter as he pulls himself out of the hole he’s burrowed in and runs towards a cliff where for the first time in his life he takes a leap.

“Okay.”