1963

THE SUMMER HEAT HAD TAKEN A BREAK FOR THE DAY AND THE TOWN OF COAL CREEK HAD BEEN MET BY A GREAT RAIN THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO CARRY OUT THE MAJORITY OF THE WEEK. Dawn was reading a copy of Harper Lee's new book How to Kill a Mockingbird. She was told by a friend that they were coming out with a motion picture soon that would star the handsome Gregory Peck. Dawn saw him a couple of years ago alongside Audrey Hepburn with her mother and fell in love with his soft eyes that seemed so comforting.

She remembered after the movie her and her mother went to the ice cream parlor next door to the cinema and gushed over the romance between the two characters. It seemed like so long ago and made her want everything to go back to normal.

The thought of the memory made her want to just be with her mother in these trying times but her grandmother thought it would be best she stayed with her just until school started in September. Dawn was counting down the days until she got to go back. She was going to start high school and in four years she would go to some university. Then see where her life goes after that.

Then a flash of lightning gleamed through the windows lighting up the whole room followed by an immensely loud clap of thunder making the girl jump in the soft accent chair gripping her book tighter. The sound of rain fell harder making begin to worry about her grandmother that was currently at her weekly quilting club with one of the women at church.

Dawn looked down at her leather watch that read 3:30 and she sighed. the lights started to flicker and the lamp next to her went out. She placed the index card into the book reaching her hand over checking the light clicking the nobbut it didn't turn on.

She let out a sigh before heading to the kitchen looking next to the stove checking the matchbox. Empty.

She quickly rushed to the restroom to check the cabinet above the sink. Knowing her grandma she likes lighting candles to keep her bathroom smelling like roses. It was also empty.

She cursed under her breath knowing if she walked to the store now she would be shunned by her grandmother, but she didn't want to be sitting in the dark during the storm. For all Dawn knew it could last through the rest of the evening.

She walked into her bedroom grabbing her leather bookbag stuffing in her wallet, a towel, and her red and white sneakers to change into once she got into the store. Slipping her raincoat on and finding a pair of her grandmother's irrigation boots tucking her jeans into them.

The walk was long and cold and she regretted every fleeting minute of it. The thunder that clapped and the flashes only made the pit of her stomach grow with worry for her well being out in the storm. She started sprinting in the boots that were a size too big with her feet soaked from the inside. She thanked herself for not wearing socks and instead of tucking them into the edge of her sneakers knowing her bag would keep them dry. She did, however, wished she chose to wear a skirt instead of jeans because she knew the denim would be dried slower than any other material.

It didn't take long for her to reach the store and quickly made her way to the bench under the awning in front of the window taking off her mudded boots leaving them under the warm wood she was sitting on. She slipped on her socks and shoes before heading inside. It seemed that power had gone out for the store as well and it made her think the clerk might just tell her that they were sold out of what she needed.

He was seated at the stool reading a copy of the newspaper with a cigarette hanging from his mouth resting in one of his front two teeth. He must have not heard her come in because he was too immersed in the article that was printed on the page information of him. She cleared her throat he looked up through his thick glasses. He perked up at the sight of the soaked girl giving her a smile. Dawn could tell if she should take it as creepy or welcoming. She just knew that she should have just sat in the damn dark at home.

"How can I help you sugar?" His smile grew more as he took the cigarette out of his mouth revealing his yellow teeth.

Dawn gulped but hoped it wasn't noticeable to the man, "I was wondering if you had a box of matches in stock, by any chance."

"Why we sure do," his voice went higher in pitch making the girl cringe. "It's right over there next to the first aid supplies. Just let me know when you are ready."

She thanked him turning towards the direction he pointed her in feeling his eyes on her the worried feeling she had before in the storm only grew more. She glances behind her allowing her to catch him jerking his head back the printed words in front of him before disappearing behind one of the shelves where he couldn't see her. She quickly opened her bag grabbing the pocket knife that her father gave her for her most recent birthday keeping it close to her just in case.

The door opened again this time quicker than when she entered. She could hear heaving breathing and panting as if they had just run in a marathon. She peeked over to see parts of a denim jacket and cap that she could not tell if it was black or just a dark blue soaked form the rain.

The person made their way towards where Dawn was making her ease a little more knowing someone else was in the store. She glanced over at them when noticing a familiar figure in a blue denim jacket turn into the aisle. She noticed they were the same boy from about two weeks ago she saw at the intersection driving a rusty old chevy. His shiner was now faded to where there was an unnoticeable outline of where it used to be. He noticed her starring narrowing his eyes a bit making the girl quickly turn away looking right at the matchboxes in front of her. Why did there have to be so many damn options for matches, didn't they all do the same thing?

The boy seemed to be in the same dilemma but with the bandages. He came to a quicker agreement with himself but she scrunched her face when he grabbed the medical tape first not even paying mind to the bandages. She shook her head, he didn't notice her annoyance at such a stupid mistake. She noticed his knuckles covered in blood and bruises making her heart stop, but she couldn't help but open her big mouth, "I don't think medical tape is gonna help your situation."

He looked at her and scoffed, "And what would you know?"

"That it would hurt like hell when you take the tape off and have to replace it."

He gave her a slight glare. He didn't like feeling stupid especially by some dame, "Then what the fuck do you suggest I get?"

Dawn stepped closer to the boy grabbing the wrap bandages and then a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Remembering what her mother did for her father when he beat up the boy a couple of months ago. Memories of that night came rushing to her thoughts but were cut off by another scoff from the boy.

"What," she asked slightly annoyed.

"You're still getting the tape?"

She rolled her eyes before grabbing her matches and handing the boy his medical supplies harshly against his chest. For a moment their hands brushed against each other making Dawn feel a jolt of energy. She ignored the feeling of walking past him to the counter to pay for the box of matches grabbing a tin of Altoid's as well, for the road. She ate them like candy even if they did make her mouth burn. Better than those nasty cigarettes, she told herself.

The boy followed her with a confused look on his face. Dawn didn't notice as she dug in her bag to find her wallet with wadded up cash. She handed the money to the clerk and made her way outside. She went to the bench that was sheltering her wet boots and sat down taking off her shoes. She started to repeat the process in reverse from earlier when the boy opened the door just as quickly as he did the first time looking over at the girl with a baffled face. "How the hell did you know what to get if you don't even know what's wrong with me?"

She got a better look at his face and she hates to admit it but the jack ass with anger issues was rather attractive. Fuck.

She looked down at his hand, "You weren't exactly trying to hide that." She pointed towards his hand. "Now if you excuse me I need to head back before my grandmother has a hissy fit."

Dawn didn't see the boy clenching his fist debating whether or not he would give the girl a ride. She slipped on her last boot slinging her bag over her shoulder putting her hood up."Wait a minute."

She ignored his voice walking forward towards the gravel road. He ran up behind her calling out to her again. She turned around this time hoping if she acknowledged him he would stop, "What? You want to bitch some more?"

"No, I was gonna ask you if you need a ride so you ain't have to walk in the rain," he shrugged putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

The rain poured as the two teenagers stood in the middle of it. She hesitated because she didn't know if trusting him was the best option knowing what happened when she did it before, but she really didn't want to spend another second walking in this weather. She told herself if it went south she was still clinging to her pocket knife if he tried to do anything.

She sighed and agreed following him to the rusted chevy. He opened the passenger door for her before walking over to the other side. Dawn couldn't tell if he was annoyed or content.

She got into the car's passenger side shutting the door watching the boy start the car. Her eyes trailed to his knuckles and she could help but feel a small ping of uncertainty towards the boy. Her curiosity got the best of her and she had to open her big mouth again, "If you don't me asking what happened?"

He looked down at his hand speeding it out before balling it into a fist, "None of your damn business. The other guys deserved what they had comin'."

He backed out of the gravel parking lot onto the paved street that stretches through Coal Creek. She told him where to go and he listened. She couldn't help but think of why he would have the reason to beat the hell out of someone. He reminded her a lot of her father. His demeanor didn't seem threatening. Not like anyone else she has met before. He was doing a favor and it didn't seem his intentions for her were bad. When he asked it seemed genuine. No smirk. No tone in his voice that made the hairs on her neck stands up.

Then a thought crossed her mind, "I can help you treat your fist." He looked at her confused. there was a sudden flash of lightning that made both of the teenagers' jump. "it's the least I can do. After all, you didn't have to offer to take me home."

There was a sudden flash of lightning that made both of the teenagers jump. Her voice was shaky, "I never got your name but by the way."

He let out a huff, "It's Arvin. Arvin Russell."

Russell sounded vaguely familiar to the girl. Then her mind went to the lady her grandmother introduced her to at church last Sunday night. She recalled the lady with an auburn-haired girl named Lenora. Dawn couldn't help but think of how pretty the name was when she first heard it. She recalled them mentioning a boy but she never imaged the one next to her. Her grandmother told her about their unique situation and how they were both taken in by Emma Russell at such a young age. She imbedded the name into her mind before pressing against the leather seat in the car more, "I'm Dawn Harper."

"How come I ain't never seen you around?"

She raised her eyebrow, "You've seen me." The statement was clear and caught the boy off guard. "I'm not blind, you almost ran me over the other day."

"You were clearly never told to look both ways," he mumbles under his breath moving his hand to the top of the steering wheel. Dawn ignore is a comment. She didn't want to provoke him.

The rain started to beat down harder on the windshield of the car. Dawn did not think it could get any worse but it got to the point where neither one of the teenagers could see the road in front of them. Dawn's face fell and she could feel the color leave it as fear took over her emotions. "I, uh, think it be best if we stopped for a while. It's getting worse."

"I think we'll be okay. You said it's right up here right?"

Dawn bit her lip looking around the area. She could not tell from one tree to the next if where they were was remote. She looks back at the boy with her eyes glassy at the idea they may be lost. Her breath was shaky and palms started to sweat, "I honestly cannot tell."

He glances over at her. Damp curls, brown eyes that read an all to familiar look to the boy made him know she was being sincere with her choice in words. He decided it would be best for the two to wait it out like she said pulling to the side of the pavement turning off the engine with the sound of water hitting the metal of the car.

"Thank you," she mumbled bringing her jacket closer to her body shifting in the seat ever so slightly.

Arvin hadn't taken the time to study the girl. She was like nothing he had ever seen. She truly didn't fit in a town like Coal Creek with her sharp features. She reminded him a lot of his mother and how they were both able to take his breath away. If only those damn bangs didn't block his view of her whole face he wouldn't say she looked that bad compared to some of the girls he went to school with, but then again none of the girls ever gave him the time of day.

Though, he was blind to the looks he received from some of them in the hallway he never truly dated anyone. Sure, he made out with a girl named Mary Jane a couple of times just for the heck of it, but relationships didn't seem all that important to Arvin.

She could feel his eyes on her and she looked over at him as her gaze fell upon his hands, "I can still help you with your hands. If you want."

The boy nodded at her suggestion grabbing the damp paper sack from beside him handing it to her. She took it opening it taking out the supplies. His eyes watched as she carefully pulled each item out as though they were essential to keep both of them alive. A strand fell in front of her face making her huff and quickly moving it out of the way. She locked eyes with him for the first time truly and Arvin could swear he saw the entire night sky in that single glance, but he told himself there was no point i. going soft for a complete stranger.

She held her hand out making the boy hesitant to place his own on top of it. She softly traced the top of it with her fingertips examined the wounds scrunching her face while she thought of the best way to nurse him. Grabbing the peroxide she hesitated, "Now this is going to burn, but just know it's working."

"I'm not stupid. I know what if does," Arvin snapped.

The tone in his voice made the girl glared at him before pouring the liquid onto his hand causing him to groan out in pain earning a smirk from her as she knew she gave the smart ass her favorite delight, karma."Not stupid, huh."

"Fuck you," he said through his teeth as she tapped the access liquid off of his skin.

"No, thank you, I think I find you getting mad over me preventing you from getting an infection much more entertaining."She laughed placing the white cloth onto the top of his hand wrapping it twice then turning to the tape. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't.

When she finished his other hand the rain was still beating hard against the car and Dawn let out a sigh looking at the waterfall on the glass. Arvin studies her cautiously still getting use tor feeling of the bandages around his hand. "Thank you."

Him saying this caught her off guard. She turned to him scrunching her face before relaxing it. "You're welcome. It's just a favor. You didn't have to offer to take me home."

"You never answered what I asked earlier."

Dawn remembered the question. She just didn't feel like answering it. She knew she was always the talk of the town when she visited. People seemed to not like the idea of her being in the same thirty-mile radius as them. She cleared her throat, "I'm only visiting my grandmother for a couple of months."

"Why?"

Why did he have to ask so many goddamn questions? She realized there really wasn't anything else they could talk about is they really didn't know each other. "I visit during the summer break, but I'm staying until school starts."

"Schools already started for us."

"I live in Tennessee, and not all schools are the same."

He nodded, "You know any of the singers on the radio. My grandma always is talkin' about that Johnny Cash."

"I know myself."

Her statement caught the boy off-guard she didn't seem to be the musical type, but Arvin reminded himself he couldn't know that. Most of the songs sounded the same nowadays.

"Bull shit."

"What?"

"I don't believe it. There ain't no way you sing as good as some of them performers," he stated firmly. He partially just wanted to get a reaction out of her. He didn't know if she was being serious. "Prove me wrong."

"This is ridiculous," she said as she crossed her arms. His tone sounded annoyed.

"I've got a radio that works." He reaches for the dial and turned up the sweet sound of Don Gibson's Can't Stop Loving you can through the old speaker.

The girl's face changed from annoyance to a look Arvin couldn't read. She looked at him, "Do you really want me to?"

"Well if you don't start singing then I'm not going to believe you."

Arvin knew as soon as she started harmonizing with the singer's voice it was a mistake. Her voice reminded of his mother's, smooth, and hitting every key. A wave of sadness took over the boy as she continued with the chorus not looking at him once.

As the song came to the end she glanced over at him studying him as his head was hung low and the brim of his cap hid his eyes.  She could have sworn she heard a sniff but she told herself it was just her ears being thrown off by the rain that was now dying down.

He looked over at her shaking off the weight lying on his heart after hearing her. She couldn't know that a single tear managed to stream down his face. "I guess you don't have to worry about proving me wrong."

Dawn wanted to say something to stop the awkward tension between them after she finished singing, but she knew it wasn't her place. Luckily the sound of the engine starting beat her to saying anything.

"It's calming down. You think you can find your house from here while I drive."

She hummed in confirmation. Settling back against the leather she watched the trees passing fade into flat fields of green. Admiring the way the drops danced across the window as Arvin drove. "We are almost there. You turn at the third mailbox. There should be a wooden sign right next to it."

He listened to her turning when the moment was right going down the clachie road. Dawn noticed the family blue car sitting in front of the house and she knew that her ass was going to be handed to her. The elderly last was sitting on the front porch swing rocking anxiously paying close attention to the car making its way closer to the houses It wouldn't be the first time Dawn felt the wrath of Pauline Ward.

Arvin stopped the car and put the gear in park. He heard her curse under her breath before opening the door. His eyes trailed to the woman walking swiftly to his car.

"What the Hell Dawn Victoria Harper," Pauline yelled at her granddaughter, "Do you know how worried sick I have been?"

"I just went out to the store to get some matches," Dawn stated as she shut the door. "You were out of 'em, so I thought I could walk to the store."

Arvin watched the two start their heated argument as he opened his door remaining unnoticed but the older woman.

"While it's storming wilder than a coyote?" The woman's voice raised more.

"Why do you think it took me so long?"

"I thought something had happened to you. Marylyn Deanwoodie received a phone call from the school saying her grandson was beaten to a pulp in the mechanic barn. I knew I just had to head home hearing that to see if my baby was okay and find you weren't even there. I called the sheriff nine times." Before Pauline continued her eyes caught sight of the boy standing in the driver side leaning against the door denim jacket and bandaged hand. She pointed at him, "You! You're Emma Russell's grandson."

Arvin's face went a little pale at the sound of Pauline's voice. He shook off the feeling keeping his cool as he continued to lean against his car door, "Yes ma'am."

"Might I ask why my grandbaby is with you?" She crossed her arms over her chest getting ready to tear the boy down inside out if she had to.

"He offered to give me a ride home from the general store," Dawn quickly answered before Arvin could speak, "We both just so happen to be in the same place at the same time."

"Is that true," she looked to Arvin for confirmation.

The boy nodded.

"Well, don't expect this to be a usual habit for the two of you. I promised your mamma to keep you in line and I attend to do so." Pauline grabbed her granddaughter walking to the porch steps, "And thank you Mr. Russell, but I don't think we'll be needing you anymore."

Dawn yanked her arm away when they got to the top of the steps turning back to Arvin with an apologetic look on her face waving to him and he mirrored her action with a small grin on his face.

He watched the two make there way inside earning one last look from Pauline through the screen door before she closed the front door. Arvin kept thinking of Dawn's voice singing softly and the piercing eyes that had a fire waiting to be ignited behind them. Little did he know the girl that was sitting on the couch of her grandmother's living room was also thinking of the boy with curls and the denim jacket. Both lost in the thought of one another to be bothered by the domino chain of events that were about to fall into place.

a/n: Hello everyone long time no write am I right. Okay, I hate myself. So, I'm in college and it's kinda hard to write at the moment but I have been trying to space out time to do so. I love this story and the characters too much to let it go that easily and thank you for your patience. I think I'll be updating every other week with this story but it varies as I said. Anyways thank you for the feedback as always. Also please ignore the grammar mistakes I haven't had the time to check over it before I posted.