0 views
A Chilly Fall Day
The air outside the car windows was chilly with the new fall air. She looked out and could see the leaves falling from the few trees that still bore them. The driver finished admiring the beauty of the colors all around her and finally opened the door, stepping out into the cool November air. The driver gathered her things, applying her mask and swinging her backpack onto her shoulder as the car door slammed shut. She was sure she had everything keys, wallet, phone. Yes, it was all there. She made her way out of the parking lot and out onto the sidewalk where others were walking quickly both ways. Everyone was in a hurry to their destinations, and no one noticed the driver as she walked up to the main crosswalk. The signal beeped several short, sharp, distinct beeps as it warned of the coming no walk signal. Without a second thought, the driver quickly hurried across the sidewalk, blocking a vehicle as their light turned green and they moved to turn left, directly into the driver. Without a second thought she stepped up onto the curb and the car drove behind and past her, heading to their destination.
Our driver made her way into the building, slipping past several others who were standing in the middle of the hallway, oblivious to the obstacle they were creating. She turned past them and hurried down a different hallway and through a brown door. As she pushed open the door another person was walking out at the same time. The driver jumped in startlement and quickly apologized for almost smacking the other person in the face with the door. “Why are bathroom doors always push to enter and pull to leave?” she thought as the other girl walked out, excusing the driver from the near-fatal door accident. “It makes so much more sense to have the pull to enter and push to leave. No one wants to touch a door handle after washing their hands. IF they even washed their hands.” Her face crumpled in disgust as that thought entered her mind. The look remained as she entered the stall, removing her backpack and setting everything down in the corner while she peed. While in the stall others entered, their conversations loud and distracting, and very unnecessary in the small room where everyone could hear. “Yeah,” said a voice from a stall or two over. “I told her not to sleep with that guy, he is known as a player and only wants to get his dick sucked and bounce. But you know Ashley, always has to have what she wants.” Laughter from the stall next to the driver echoed in the bathroom as the friend of the original speaker replied to what had been said. “That is so trashy, she could do so much better.” Flushes were heard as the girls exited their stalls, their conversation continuing as they exited WITHOUT washing their hands. “Typical,” thought the driver as she flushed and exited the stall, washing her hands before picking up her items and preparing to leave the restroom. Of course, she grabbed a paper towel and used it to open the door, the number of germs on that thing had to be insanely high.
With only a few moments to spare she hurried down the original hallway and slipped into the large auditorium classroom. She made her way to her usual seat and frowned slightly when she saw someone else sitting where she normally did. For a moment the thought entered her head to just sit on the same row a few chairs away from him, but now she would just sit in one of the side rows, by herself. As she sat the professor began his lecture, quickly writing out the notes as he spoke, his pace fast and hurried with no regard for the students before him who was writing as fast as possible to keep up. The driver pulled out her phone, hitting record on it before setting it down next to her to record the lecture. Once that was completed, she pulled out her laptop and began keeping track of the notes, occasionally becoming distracted by emails and random thoughts. Once the professor was sure that he had completely bored the class to near-death he concluded his speech and announced that everyone could leave. The driver, satisfied, gathered her possessions and made her way out of the room. Despite her class all leaving at the same time, the halls were still empty since most of the students had escaped up the stairs or through the doors outside. She quickly followed the few still there outside, back into the crisp air, squinting into the sunlight for a few moments before pulling her sunglasses down from off her head. She had eaten before she left home but had brought a frozen meal to eat for lunch. This meal was sitting on the passenger seat of her car, thawing slowly from its frozen state. Even though she was not particularly hungry, she knew she would not have time later to eat and made her way back towards her car. On her way, she realized she had forgotten her half-drunk energy drink in the car before class. Excitement filled her as she thought of finishing the delicious energy tea drink. “It should still even be cold,” she thought to herself, setting her bag down to retrieve her keys. After a moment or two struggle to unlock the door, she was in, grabbing the still partially frozen meal and setting it inside her bag. She feverishly stood up, moving her hand to grab the drink from the holder in the middle, stopping in terror and fear. There was nothing there. The drink was not in the place where she would have left it. She blinked several times, looking around at other parts of the car, desperately searching for the can of energy that would help her to fuel her day. “But it must be here…” she mumbled out loud, stepping back to take a good, hard look at the interior and then the exterior of the vehicle. Where could she have left it? In her mind, she pictured her earlier walk to class, the side trip of the bathroom, the seat she had sat at in class, and then the trip back to the car. There was no place where she could remember having it, no trace of the location of the drink. It was as if the can had simply…disappeared.
© Katherine Bonds
Our driver made her way into the building, slipping past several others who were standing in the middle of the hallway, oblivious to the obstacle they were creating. She turned past them and hurried down a different hallway and through a brown door. As she pushed open the door another person was walking out at the same time. The driver jumped in startlement and quickly apologized for almost smacking the other person in the face with the door. “Why are bathroom doors always push to enter and pull to leave?” she thought as the other girl walked out, excusing the driver from the near-fatal door accident. “It makes so much more sense to have the pull to enter and push to leave. No one wants to touch a door handle after washing their hands. IF they even washed their hands.” Her face crumpled in disgust as that thought entered her mind. The look remained as she entered the stall, removing her backpack and setting everything down in the corner while she peed. While in the stall others entered, their conversations loud and distracting, and very unnecessary in the small room where everyone could hear. “Yeah,” said a voice from a stall or two over. “I told her not to sleep with that guy, he is known as a player and only wants to get his dick sucked and bounce. But you know Ashley, always has to have what she wants.” Laughter from the stall next to the driver echoed in the bathroom as the friend of the original speaker replied to what had been said. “That is so trashy, she could do so much better.” Flushes were heard as the girls exited their stalls, their conversation continuing as they exited WITHOUT washing their hands. “Typical,” thought the driver as she flushed and exited the stall, washing her hands before picking up her items and preparing to leave the restroom. Of course, she grabbed a paper towel and used it to open the door, the number of germs on that thing had to be insanely high.
With only a few moments to spare she hurried down the original hallway and slipped into the large auditorium classroom. She made her way to her usual seat and frowned slightly when she saw someone else sitting where she normally did. For a moment the thought entered her head to just sit on the same row a few chairs away from him, but now she would just sit in one of the side rows, by herself. As she sat the professor began his lecture, quickly writing out the notes as he spoke, his pace fast and hurried with no regard for the students before him who was writing as fast as possible to keep up. The driver pulled out her phone, hitting record on it before setting it down next to her to record the lecture. Once that was completed, she pulled out her laptop and began keeping track of the notes, occasionally becoming distracted by emails and random thoughts. Once the professor was sure that he had completely bored the class to near-death he concluded his speech and announced that everyone could leave. The driver, satisfied, gathered her possessions and made her way out of the room. Despite her class all leaving at the same time, the halls were still empty since most of the students had escaped up the stairs or through the doors outside. She quickly followed the few still there outside, back into the crisp air, squinting into the sunlight for a few moments before pulling her sunglasses down from off her head. She had eaten before she left home but had brought a frozen meal to eat for lunch. This meal was sitting on the passenger seat of her car, thawing slowly from its frozen state. Even though she was not particularly hungry, she knew she would not have time later to eat and made her way back towards her car. On her way, she realized she had forgotten her half-drunk energy drink in the car before class. Excitement filled her as she thought of finishing the delicious energy tea drink. “It should still even be cold,” she thought to herself, setting her bag down to retrieve her keys. After a moment or two struggle to unlock the door, she was in, grabbing the still partially frozen meal and setting it inside her bag. She feverishly stood up, moving her hand to grab the drink from the holder in the middle, stopping in terror and fear. There was nothing there. The drink was not in the place where she would have left it. She blinked several times, looking around at other parts of the car, desperately searching for the can of energy that would help her to fuel her day. “But it must be here…” she mumbled out loud, stepping back to take a good, hard look at the interior and then the exterior of the vehicle. Where could she have left it? In her mind, she pictured her earlier walk to class, the side trip of the bathroom, the seat she had sat at in class, and then the trip back to the car. There was no place where she could remember having it, no trace of the location of the drink. It was as if the can had simply…disappeared.
© Katherine Bonds
Related Stories
