winter gets to me

Chance wasn't sure he could take another winter storm. Oh, to some it was just snow, but it was brutally cold for a surfer boy who wasn't anywhere near the ski slopes. February was a lonesome month.

He kept waiting to hear from Rosie. Although, he didn't know what he was waiting for. But at least he was working and his brother Casey always fed him. Of course, there were some days, he needed to talk to someone and the only person who was handy was Lin in the book room.

Naturally, he was sure she'd heard enough about Rosie. He tried to think of something else to talk about, but she was the only thing on his mind. But, before he could get started about his troubled woes, his brother showed up as his shift ended.

"Let's go eat," he said, but he wasn't sure who Casey was talking too since he was looking straight at Linsey.

"Wait? You know her?" He winced.

He almost smiled with a shrug. "There's this new pizza place." He was much more bright-eyed than Chance remembered. "Give Rosie a call. We could pick her up."

Chance guessed he meant Linsey. Chance sighed, thinking this was the last thing he expected. Did Linsey know what she was getting into with his brother?

She didn't look like she had a problem with it. Of course, she was in. She said she loved pizza.

We grow up in spite of it

"I think she was abused as a child, perhaps starved," was Lynsey's take on this Linsey that Casey met.

Casey shook the thought as he vacuumed the living room with his little modern necessity. It gave him goosebumps to think of her kept in a cage in a dank basement somewhere.

It couldn't be like that, he thought to himself. "I really wish you wouldn't bring up such rot." He very well knew Lynsey was in the room with him, but when he looked up, his friend was not there.

This pained him to think he was losing touch. Seriously, he would not go out again, unless he had too. He didn't need to meet people like that girl with the toothy grin, but she was on his mind even with his eyes open.

He put the vacuum in its place and went to fluff the pillows on the couch. Suddenly, he felt so sad. Why did it matter so much? Her?

Yes, she was a bit of a savage. But happy-go-lucky too. Like a gift on Valentine's day. It was all so unexpected. He was certain he might spend the way her. Or was it, he really wanted to do.

Honestly, he just wanted to forget her. He did. But he couldn't.

Casey wondered where he might find Linsey, again.

the vitality of importance

"Oh, shit!" When the thought crossed Linsey's mind, she might as well have awoken in bed. Instead, she was at her volunteer job at the library booksale room, alone.

She could hardly hear herself think. Her chest was beating so hard as if she'd done the unthinkable.

Still, she retraced her steps, nothing bad had happened after her random act of stupidity. She now realized that she'd thought Casey was Chance (who was a shelver at the library).

She squinted, thinking she could have gone off with a serial killer that day at the grocery store. Possibly, she was too hard on herself, but she needed to be. She should stay home and read a book. After all, books were her friends and she took refuge in living with her parents.

After all, she didn't think she could fend for herself. Definitely, not capable of handling a real job.

Yes, this was her safe zone, although, she did fuss with an older gentleman on a regular basis in the book room. He didn't want to pay a quarter for anything. It was the library. It should be free, according to him.

There were also times when she watched romance bloom right in front of her with older couples are even little children, over books. And of course, Chance.

She liked listening to his problems. Evidently, the girl he was friends with, thought he was a playboy. She'd never heard the term. He'd also mentioned his brother and his imaginary friend.

"I think he's gay," Chance told her. He didn't get why his brother still had his dead friend on his mind.

"It was suicide, you know." Chance told her he thought maybe Casey's friend killed himself because of  Casey, and that he couldn't forgive himself.

She'd wept nights because of such a tragedy she'd heard from Casey's brother.  But, they'd never met until now.

Now, it gave her practically a heart-attack. Her face flushed at the thought that she knew Casey's secret before she knew him. Was that right?

Of course, she'd keep it to herself. Chance didn't need to know she'd pried into Casey's Valentines' Day. It was nothing really. They'd drank coffee and ate heart-shaped donuts. He'd bought her a pink macaroon on the spot and she ate as if she'd been starved for weeks.

She knew he'd see her as rude and impossible to ever want to eat with, again. But still, she found herself smiling hoping she saw him which was definitely doubtful.

What the heart knows

Char felt as if her stomach ballooned out and was waiting for folks to ask when her triplets were due. God knows, she wasn't even sure she could take care of one child, but at the moment she kept busy at the bakery and worked a few days a week as a temp in an office near the University. Maybe, it would all work out.

She was relaxing at home now while Diago made pasta. She forbade him to use the oven, last time she thought he might have caught the house on fire.

"What's up?" He wanted to know, later over beer and something slightly Italian or maybe Asian stirfry.

"Oh, nothing." Char was certain she might fall asleep during their Valentines' meal. At least, they were alone. No roommates to bug them. "I..saw..Linsey at the bakery." In her head, her long time friend was having a beautiful romance with a well-dressed man who evidently wanted to buy macaroons for her.

Diago remembered her from some college class. "Didn't you say she is taking a break? She found out she was sick or something?"

"Um, alcohol fetal syndrome," Char sighed, thinking she herself could only have water and milk these days during her pregnancy.

"What?" Diago squinted.

"She...she didn't know," Char told him that Linsey could barely function at the university level. She was hyper and was sometimes OCD. She'd always had ADHD. "Of course, she never knew her biological parents. I think she'll be OK. She just doesn't think of herself as a survivor."

Char shrugged, with a bit of envy. She was certain some things came to easy for her so-called friend, and yet Linsey could be her own worst enemy.

Char remembered the time some freshman guy really wanted to date Linsey and they'd met up at the university cafeteria. Linsey ended up eating what the guy left on his plate as if she was determined to show this fellow what she was truly capable of. Hopefully, this didn't happen with this new beau of hers.

"It must have been a blind date," Char decided. As much as she wanted her troubled friend Linsey to be happy, she doubted it lasted long.