Inside the car, the front seats and the back seats felt like two completely different worlds.
Up front, George and his two boys were chatting about everyday stuff—food, bathroom breaks, all the down-to-earth, road-trip nonsense.
In the back seat, Mike and young Sheldon were deep into conversations about obscure science trivia.
Of course, Sheldon—who'd only picked up a small taste of advanced knowledge from science shows on TV—spent most of the time just listening.
Little by little, Sheldon had to admit something he didn't like: when it came to breadth of knowledge, he couldn't keep up with Mike. That realization left him feeling a bit discouraged.
Time passed.
Just as Mike was starting to run out of things to say, he felt a few cool drops land on his face.
"It's really raining!" Mike stuck his hand out the window. Feeling the chill, his face lit up with excitement.
It wasn't the rain itself that made him happy—it was the fact that his Weather Prediction ability had actually worked.
Sometimes, a guy's happiness really is that simple.
Up front, George noticed small clusters of dark clouds forming in the sky. He rolled up the window and said, "It's just a light shower. It'll pass soon. And we're almost in Houston anyway."
Sheldon nodded in agreement.
Even though he'd just witnessed how knowledgeable Mike was, Sheldon still looked down on what he considered Mike's "stupid" decision to bring a raincoat.
About half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a small roadside motel.
Looking out the window at the relentless downpour, George let out a relieved sigh. "Good thing I booked a room last night."
In the back seat, Sheldon stared blankly at the rain. Visibility was barely sixty feet. He muttered, "But the weather forecast said there wouldn't be any rain today…"
At that moment, Mike—the only one who'd actually prepared—unfolded his thick blue raincoat under everyone's envious gazes.
"Staying in the car isn't going to help," Mike said as he stepped out, raincoat over his head. "Let's head inside and take a break."
One by one, George and his sons squeezed in under the raincoat.
The four of them huddled together, holding it over their heads like a giant umbrella, and dashed toward the motel.
Once inside, Sheldon looked down at the little specks of mud stuck to his pants and complained, "I hate rainy days."
Being short with tiny legs, Sheldon had gotten the worst of it. Everyone else was just a little wet around the ankles.
George helped brush the dirt off his youngest son and said gently, "Alright, let's get to the room first. And honestly, traveling in the rain isn't such a bad life experience."
He was always this optimistic.
George had booked a standard triple room. Besides the beds, there was an old-fashioned TV in the corner.
All things considered, it wasn't a bad place to stay.
Since it was already lunchtime and going out wasn't an option, George ordered room service.
After a simple lunch, Georgie turned on the TV, and everyone gathered around to watch.
Before long, Sheldon—clearly distracted—wandered over to the window, staring at the heavy rain outside.
"Don't worry," George said, noticing his son's low spirits as he walked over. "This rain won't last long. It won't mess up tomorrow's science fair."
"I hope so," Sheldon replied, shaking his head, still a little down.
---
Meanwhile, in a basement elsewhere, Katie and two others worked together, using bowls, cups, and small containers to catch the water dripping from the ceiling.
Then the three of them crouched in a dry corner, listening to the mix of howling wind outside and dripping water inside—almost like a strange kind of music.
Suddenly, from a dark corner, Damien—the flamboyant one—asked, "So, Katie… how far have you and Mike gotten?"
Originally, their plan hadn't just been about dealing with Regina. They'd also planned to help push Katie and Mike together.
"Uh… same as before, I guess," Katie answered absentmindedly.
Ever since she'd missed the chance when Mike came over to her house last time, she felt like he'd been drifting farther and farther away.
Of course, that was just how it felt to her.
Still, Katie firmly believed that once she beat Regina, she'd definitely end up with Mike.
"How about we help you drag Mike down here," Janice—the punk girl—said boldly, "and let you just… get it over with~"
Katie actually thought about it for a second, then her cheeks heated up as she refused. "N-No, that's not okay…"
Seeing how flustered she was, Janice burst out laughing.
That's when Katie realized she was just joking.
---
Elsewhere, beneath the school building, Aaron stood alone against a wall, staring blankly at the endless rain.
Water streamed down his face—whether it was sweat or rain, even he couldn't tell.
---
By evening, the rain still hadn't stopped. If anything, it was coming down even harder.
Back at the motel, after another simple dinner, it was finally time to rest.
"Get some sleep, Shelly," George said, watching his youngest son drift back to the window yet again.
It was obvious Sheldon was really looking forward to the science fair, but the nonstop rain had him worried.
"Dad," Sheldon asked softly, looking up at him, "will this rain really stop by tomorrow?"
"It will. It definitely will," George said with a warm smile.
In that moment, father and son shared a quiet, understanding hug.
Late that night, Sheldon—sharing a blanket with Georgie—was jolted awake by a combination of farting, teeth-grinding, and loud snoring.
Outside, lightning flashed now and then through the endless rain.
A little shaken, Sheldon checked the room, then finally crawled into his dad's bed.
George woke up groggily, saw his youngest son, and asked patiently, "What's wrong, Shelly?"
"Nothing," Sheldon said softly, shaking his head.
"Then go back to sleep. We've got the science fair tomorrow…" George tucked him in, murmured a few words, and promptly fell back asleep.
Lying next to his dad, Sheldon listened to the thunder outside and no longer felt afraid. Before long, he drifted off too.
But when morning came, the rain still hadn't stopped.
Looking out the window, George said, "Shelly, from the looks of it, the science fair probably isn't happening today."
In weather like this, forget a science fair—there were barely any people on the roads.
"It's okay," Sheldon said calmly. "We can always come back another time."
After a night's rest, he seemed much more relaxed than the day before.
"Alright then," George said. "The roads won't be great in this weather, so we should head back early."
Then he paused, as if remembering something. "Oh—before we go, there's one more place we need to stop."
They ended up at a large shopping mall. George let Sheldon pick out a toy train he liked.
Mike also took the chance to find the pink Barbie doll named Ice—the gift he'd promised Missy.
At the register, George insisted on paying for the Barbie too. With his recent raise, even his attitude seemed a lot more confident.