's [P

re's already a good foot on the ground, but January on the East Coast

ll dip well below freezing. My already thin diner uniform with its

uch for a tacky one-piece dress. I need to talk to Krista, the

nd. What if I couldn't get to class? What if they clo

the impending gloomy weather tamper the clouds I'm walking on. It's

hat night my best friend and roommate, Brooklyn, was there ready for all the dirt

large corporation she clerked for. Some missing legal

idnight and a choice to make. At fi

ught the eye of three men who worked hard to blend in with the mostl

g smaller details other people mostly miss. Like how P

ould recognize anywhere. And his amber-colored eyes

hing ask the quiet girl at the

ct because I've lived back there sinc

aemon Preston, his tell is a little more subtle if you we

mputer coding and programming, I like to p

a joke. In the lecture room and school halls this fits in, but at a par

ed to it enough times I can pick his baritone ou

very time I close my eyes. I would recognize that man's mouth anyw

ble bachelors stood among their student

t sure how a conversion got started, but fifteen minutes after Brooklyn lef

y best friend sprung the Spanish Inquisit

es me at not being honest and one day I hope I can tell her about the

to keep for now. Sharing seems invas

ouble shift at Krista's Kafe set for the eve

fifteen dollars in my bank account with tuition due in three days since I don'

sed to acknowledge me as his. That

ll through and God I hope I don't

to rub my choices in my face as wh

esponse after hitting send on a few emails with my resume atta

rking at a diner with shitty uniforms isn't exactly my dream

overed tuition, but the well is drying up and fast on that front. With on

ng angle blows. If this continues, I'll be hitting the unempl

arce, I plan on using the time to get my feet back on the g

air. School is out for another couple of weeks so for now it's just

afely away before class starts again. I don't know how I'll react seein

toys has gotten a thorough workout, but nothing I

r a little too fast and nearly bump into the one per

ood mood sours when a pair of fa

I feel the bite of winter. Crap. I step b

odestly graying hair and metal rimmed glasses as I r

rth the effort. His eyes dodge around me checkin

thing the heart hardens after a while. But there's still a sli

." No

ard from you

eyes and mouth. You'd think him to be sucking on a lemon. I clu

He's f

ight to just blurt out why he's not asking, '

graduation dinner in the spring?' But I bite my t

stead of how he wants me to be brushes past

d of feeding her reports on