Like the Rain




' , ' ; ' , ", ", ' ; ' , '

I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you
Every thunder cloud that came was one more I might not get through



A musical, ever so soft, pattering and light rapping woke him from a deep sleep. He turned his head and blinked his sleep laden eyes open, looking for the source of the sound. He sat up with a sigh, his sleepy eyes in a lazy stare out of his temporary bedroom window. After a few silent minutes, he realized he felt the same as what the early morning landscape projected, gloomy and forlorn. The sky appeared mournful in its mixture of grays and blacks, as if it were of tangible thought and feelings.

He shook his head slightly, trying to rouse himself from both his drowsiness and his current melancholy. He closed his eyes in an effort to clear his mind, opening them to see the window now beset of the warm rain. He leaned his head against the wall and watched the clear water drops explode in contact with the glass, soon creating runs of water that snaked down the smooth surface.

The rain, he mused with himself. Some people hated it, some people loved it, and some people didn't give a damn either way. He had never liked the rain. It always seemed to make its appearance when he felt depressed or lonely, seemed to amplify those feelings. Now, he wasn't so sure of its meaning to him. He seemed to be caught in a state of indecision of how he perceived it, just like what seemed to plague his thoughts at this very instant: Was it all worth it?

The "all" of that question being fame, the "it" being the price of fame. Did he really want to do this? To keep doing this when the prices seemed to wage so much with what he thought was a normal life? The privacy of his life was nonexistent, the pull of "appearance is everything" sometimes made him wonder if he even remembered who he really was, to himself. How can that be worth what he felt; fame at the consequence of losing his identity.



I hear it falling in the night and fillin' up my mind
All the heaven's rivers come to light, I see it all unwind



With those thoughts running through his mind, he forced himself out of bed and got dressed. He paused before leaving his room, catching his reflection in the mirror to his left. He stared, then shook his head and left his room.

As he shuffled down the carpeted hall, he smiled. He slowed his steps and listened to the clatter of dishes and an angry mumbling that came from their Florida home's kitchen, the home they had rented to get away for a while. He knew who it was and his now awake eyes twinkled in mirth. From the sounds of it, that someone found the remains of the left over pizza and soft drinks he and the others had left sitting in a mess on the table the night before. The memory warmed him slightly from his previous thoughts.




I hear it talkin' through the trees and on the window pane
When I hear it I just can't believe I never liked the rain



He paused before quietly stepping down the stairs, caught in his thoughts once again. The fame wasn't the only thing that caused him turmoil at times, but also the hurtful things that people he didn't even know seemed to throw out at him. With it coming from people he didn't even know, he wondered at times if they simply saw something in him that he missed. That they were right in what they said, and that hurt far worse than the words they spoke. He seriously considered whether there was an upside to the way he lived.



When the cloud is rollin' over, thunder strikin' me



He reached the living room and stood in a solemn stance, burying his hands in his pockets as he gazed out of the large fogged window out into the steadily falling rain. The spacious front lawn of the secluded house was beginning to flood in spots, the already saturated earth not accepting anymore moisture and letting it puddle on the surface.

He furrowed his brow in confusion as he saw a blurred shape seemingly fly across the lawn, the shape hard to discern through the fogged window. A panicked shout accompanied it, joined by several others, some of which merged with laughter. A slow smile brightened his face as two more dark figures joining the first, the yells and laughter growing louder.

He heard the angry mumbling and clattering from the kitchen abruptly stop, a muffled 'What the hell?' reaching his ears. Then the sound of heavy footsteps followed by an opening and shutting screen door. A soft laugh escaped his lips as he listened, the three blurred figures abruptly stilling at the yelling.

"God-damn it! What the hell do you think yer doin'?!? It's rainin' out, for Christ's sakes!..." He watched the three blurred figures laugh and resume their previous actions, the yelling returned as he walked to the front door that led onto the front porch. "...AJ McLean, Nickolaus Carter, and Brian Littrell!!! You get yer good for nothin' butts out of the rain! NOW!"

He walked silently onto the porch, out of sight of the angry Kevin. He leaned up against a wooden support and watched with a smirk as Kevin grew red in the face.

He switched his dark gaze to the three causes of that anger and had to stifle a laugh. Brian was standing in the middle of a puddle, his clothes soaked through and hair plastered to his head. He had a silly grin on his face as he performed his own rendition of the River Dance in the puddle, his arms crossed over his chest as he danced in place, spinning in a circle every so often, water splashing up from his stomping feet. He thought it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

A loud yell caught his attention and this time he did laugh, causing Kevin to notice his presence. He didn't care, it was damn funny. AJ had Nick in a half Nelson, the rebel's red highlighted hair slicked back with rain water, the white muscle shirt and black jeans plastered to his form, drenched with rain. AJ's face wore an expression of triumph and smug attitude.

Nick had both hands gripping AJ's arms, a scowl on his youthful face as his blue eyes glared in thought as he tried to figure a way out of his current situation. His short blond hair fell over his forehead in spiky tendrils, his clothes clinging to his frame while on his knees in the mud and water. Nick shifted position and grinned evilly, his blue eyes glinting in merriment. With a grunt of effort and a well placed move to the side, Nick flipped AJ over his shoulder. AJ's surprised formed crashed into Brian and both of them splashed in a huge, muddy puddle. Nick clambered to his feet and laughed, smirking at the two entangled singers as they tried to get up.

Nick looked at the porch and grinned brightly, yelling loudly, "Hey, 'D! C'mon in!" AJ got himself untangled from Brian and he grinned, motioning to Brian to follow him. They both had evil looks on their faces as they crawled up behind where Nick stood, then they each grabbed a leg and pulled. Nick let out a surprised yell and then splashed face first into a deep puddle, quickly sitting up as his head went under the warm water. He sputtered, then smiled and waved an arm, "The water's great!"



It's as bright as lightnin' and I wonder why I couldn't see
That it's always good and when the flood is gone we still remain
Guess I've known all along I just belong here with you
Fallin' like the rain



Howie laughed and looked at Kevin, seeing a hint of a smile on the angry face. With a sense of happiness and warmth brightening his earlier thoughts, Howie walked up to Kevin.

Kevin looked at him and scowled, "If this wasn't a warm rain and it wasn't sixty degrees out, I'd be hauling their sorry butts in the house by their ears!"

Howie's grin turned mischievous as his eyes twinkled, Kevin looked at him with sudden wariness, "Aw, c'mon Kev. You know you want to join them."

Kevin backed up a step, but still stood in front of the porch steps, "No, I don't Howie."

Howie chuckled and suddenly jumped behind Kevin, grabbing the elder around the waist before the man could blink. Howie smiled at Kevin's shocked face, "Ya know, Kevin. I think I like the rain."

Kevin gave a yell as he was suddenly flung down the steps and into the rain, his feet entangling themselves and causing him to crash into a large, muddy puddle.

"Yeah! Go Howie!" called AJ with a whoop.

Kevin scrambled to his feet and stared up at Howie's laughing form. Brian's voice rang out, "Uh-oh, 'D! You better run! Kev's pissed now!!"

Howie kept laughing even as he took off down the steps and across the lawn, Kevin wheeling around and scrambling after him, tripping over his own feet and falling into another puddle. AJ, Nick, and Brian were now rolling in the mud, laughing with tears streaming down their faces and mingling with the rain.

Howie smiled and took it all in, this was his life.




And when the night falls on our better days and we're lookin' to the sky
For the winds to take us high above the plains
I know that we'll find better ways to look into the eye
Of the storms that will be callin' forever will be fallin' like the rain



And he realized... He'd have it no other way.




Like the rain

' , ' ; ' , ", ", ' ; ' , '






The End.



"Like The Rain" : Sung By Clint Black