When Winter Comes

Chapter 4: Winter Runs

The world was peaceful at that moment. In the library it was only my thoughts, the books, and me. It was a Winter wonderland.

"Hey Winter," a girl said next to me just before plopping into the wooden chair next to me. It was the girl with purple glasses. It was Penelope.

"Hi Penelope," I sighed and closed my book. There would be no more reading about Frida Kahlo and her horrific bus accident. Frida would just have to wait.

Penelope burst into laughter after my hello. My nose shriveled. What was she laughing at? I said hi to her. I was being friendly. What could possibly have made her laugh so hard at my hello?

Penelope noticed my distraught face and calmed down her laughing. "Please," she snorted. "Call me Penny."

"Penny?" I raised an eyebrow. The name Penelope was annoying enough, but now she had to shorten in to Penny. Suddenly, I felt as if I was becoming Tracy Turnblad and Winston was going to turn into Seaweed.

"Yup, Penny." She beamed and her sparkly white teeth shimmered at me. Gum clicked in her mouth and my skin cringed.

"Okay then, Penny." I returned the smile as nicely as I could.

"What can we have your nickname be?" Penelope, I mean Penny, asked. Her elbows rested in the center of the table and leaned her body against the wood. "Winny, Win, W, Wint," she rambled off horrific nicknames.

"Just Winter," I interrupted as soon as she said the name Snow.

"Okay then, Just Winter," she giggled and winked at me.

I sucked in my breath and stood up. Honestly, I was thankful for Penelope saving me in the hallway, but I didn't know if I could be actual friends with her. Whenever she laugh, she snorted and drool dripped down from her bottom lip. Her glasses were never on her eyes; instead they were always on the tip of nose so her face was always looking down. I wanted to befriend, truly I did, but there was something about her that I couldn't stand. Maybe it was name in general. Away, I had to get out the library and away from her.

"I have to go back to my dorm, I promised somebody that I would call." I gave a white lie and grasped my book. "I'll see you pre-calc," I said to the smiling Penny.

"Okay! See you tomorrow!" She beamed and waved her hand frantically at me. Her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail and her dark hair was flying everywhere.

I lifted my hand for a goodbye and scurried out the library. Her bird eyes were watching me leave the room. Why did everyone feel the need to stare at me when I left a room? To be honest, it was weird and uncomfortable. Staring would never make me feel flattered.

The weight of my body leaned against glass door and I escaped the one place I felt safe. It looked like I was going to need a new hideout.

"Running out on a friend?" A voice scoffed next to me. "That's typical."

Turning my head towards the voice, I noticed it was Taylor. Her body rested against the bulletin board. Boots clung to her legs and her skirt seemed shorter than the rest of the girls. Her blue sweater was sucked onto her, which made a pile of cleavage hang out of her V-neck.

            "What's typical Taylor?" I sighed and threw up my hands. "Please inform me on what I did wrong, because frankly all I can see is one bitch here."

            "Ooh, snarky Winter is back." Her cold lips turned up into a smile. "I'd never thought you would be reborn."

            "Screw you, Taylor," I remarked and walked past her. Heels clicked behind and I realized she was following me.

"Can I ask you a question, Winter?" Taylor's voice echoed in the empty hall. I ignored her comment, but that didn't stop Taylor for continuing.  "Where were you last year?"

My legs stopped working. They brought me to a halt and Taylor snorted from behind. Desperately, I wanted to keep walking, but the legs attached to me betrayed me and refused to walk anymore.

"Ah, and I finally get her attention," Taylor chuckled.

"I was home."

"Were you really? I called your brother."

My body swung around and my tiny feet began to work again. Suddenly, I was centimeters away from her face. Being that close allowed me to see every flaw that she had, and how dreadfully she tried to cover them all.

"You leave him out of this," I sneered. Heat was running up my body and sweat was beginning to come from my forehead.

"You didn't care about your parents, but you do care about Carl, don't you?"

"Taylor, I don't what caused you to suddenly hate me so much but-"

"Don't you get it?" Taylor cut me off. "I've always hated you, expect for past four years I had to pretend that I didn't. You were just a little toy to help me climb to the top." She shrugged her boney shoulders. "I was all ready to take you down sophomore year, but you made it so much easier with the death of your parents." She smiled her nasty smile.

"Fuck you," I sneered. "You have no right to push away my parents death like it was nothing. That whole year was devastating for me, and I figured coming back to my friends would make it so much easier, but it apparently not."

"Did you ever stop and think to yourself, why am I defending my parents death? You hated them, Winter. Why won't you just admit that?" Her eyes were burning into me.

I shook my head frantically. "That's not true."

"Please," Taylor chuckled. "All you did was complain about them, so why did you go home?"

"Carl needed me."

"Carl didn't need shit. He went back a month after the accident."

"Drop it, Taylor."

"I'm never going to stop, and I want you to know that." Taylor smirked and drove into my shoulder as she passed. "Watch your back," she sneered just as she descended down the stairs. A wave of crisp air flew across the hall, and shivers escaped down my spine.

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-Sarah <3