And Puppy Dog Tales

Chapter 3

Red oval shoes were tied into an intricate bow, shuffle through the remaining fallen leaves on the sidewalk. The crunch beneath their black soles reminds me of someone chewing on cereal. Which in turn causes my stomach to rumble in anticipation for food.

My hands dig deeper into the side pockets of my red hoodie. More so out of comfort than warmth. The brightness of the sun dwindles down from the blinding golden streams of light to soft pillows of pinks , yellow and lavender.

The birds chirping have calmed to a meager wheeze and some slight chirrups, I notice as I walk by a semi bare weeping willow tree.

"Experience trumps book knowledge. "

I mock,  my head slightly jerking to the side, mimicking the professors actions.

Uh yeah, if the shît he spoken and taught were true, maybe. All this bogus shît about werewolves being real was just another Bigfoot in disguise. His remarks pissed me off to a whole other level of  irritability.

I had to catch myself from digging deeper into the material of my pocket that shielded my hand from the chill of the autumn air. I could already tell that the cloth had begun to thin out in certain areas and I try to avoid it at all costs.

Before my thoughts could consume me in total anger, a vibration is felt shooting against my butt. I forgot to turn my ringer back on in class.

The number was unrecognizable which piqued my interest even more.

Who would send me a text out the blue without introducing themselves. I don't remember giving my number out but to a few people.

Very few people at that.

She always did have a great sense of humor.

Another alert. A picture of a Colgate smile of Ashely, her hair blowing in the wind, seated in her boyfriends, Ashton's convertible mustang.

Another notification. This the picture is enlarged making it clear that someone else took the picture oblivious to Ashley.

The phone stills in my hand while accumulating cold sweat.

" What have you gotten yourself into this time Ash." I whisper to no one in particular. It was always something with her. And it usually involves me bailing her out.

Bird brain Ashley.

Ashley who for some reason thought it was okay to share her boyfriend with another.

The heat of my anger only amplifies the cold chills consuming me.

"Shît it's fûcking cold!"

"Yes it is Miss Carrie."

"Shït" I jump arms flailing out, preparing to land a hit to wherever and whoever the target was.

"Whoa calm down there." Professor Liam's voice was close to cracking into a full blown laugh.

"What the hèll is wrong with you!" My throat stings with the new found spit coating it. "Who sneaks up on people like that? Who?"

"Well this time an individual not intending to do harm. Considering I would not have announced anything if I were to go for a sneak attack."

I lean forward, hands sit on top of my thighs as I try to slow my erratic breathing down.

"My apologies, I didn't not mean to give you such a scare."

"Well you could have fooled me. Isn't the teachers parking clear across the campus. In the other direction."

"Yes it is but I noticed this whole semester you usually walk home and as much as I would love to get home myself, I can't In all good conscience allow you to walk in this weather. It's negative twenty degrees, enough for the cold to penetrate your flimsy hoodie and coat your fingers in frost bite."

At the mention of the cold and frostbite, the remaining heat that I did have on reserve leaks out. Just like the little shot of cold pee I am privately sporting.

"So where can I take you?"

"The library. I can catch a ride from there."

No way was I showing him where I lived. Something about me not hearing a person sneak upon me causes me to be a little wary.

"Here put this on." His clothes shuffle against each other until he draws the heavy looking trench coat from around his shoulders and carefully laces them over mine.

"Thank you." Awkward. "You won't get cold?"

"Not for another five minutes. Which is plenty of time for us to be inside my toasty car. Besides I'm not fully vulnerable. I have my warm wool sweater to protect me."

"Hey whatever floats your boat you rock."

I can finally feel sensation going into my hands. Oh god this coat is so warm. The heat it creates causes me to almost drool in pleasure.

"Toasty?"

At my nod , we begin making our way towards the parking lot.