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Knocking off the chill
By Jeff Brown
A chilled wind kisses the frosty panes of glass. The old windows allow some of the cold to seep into the warm house, causing the young man at the windows to shiver slightly. The solemn faced youth looks to be in his early twenties, but right now he feels much older. Shifting slightly, with a faint groan, he places his weight on his elbows, now resting somewhat comfortably on the sill. His warm breath fogs the window slightly, but not enough to blur his vision. A faint smile rests on his lips as he goes back to watching the fat, fluttering snowflakes dance gently to the frozen earth.
He sighs, remembering when she was there with him. He shakes his head thinking, "No, I won't do that to myself again. That's the past... she's the past." A dreamy smile rests on his lips once again, realizing once again that the future is wide open and that there are a million possibilities now open to him.
Turning back to his desk, now cluttered with papers and books, he grumbles as his gaze falls upon a text book with complex formulas and five syllable words. He tries to study for a bit, but his mind continues to wander far from the world of chemical bonds and structures. He sighs and finally gives in, standing and closing the books. Grabbing his coat on the way out, he locks the door and wanders out into the wonderfully snowy streets.
Strolling down the frosted avenue, he walks until he finds himself just outside a quaint little coffee shop. He finds his gloved hands reaching for the handle and stands in line behind two business men in suits talking on cell phones and a couple, still clinging to each other, not for warmth, but out of mutual affection.
He mutters his order to the young woman behind the counter. Her smile is as warm as the coffee she hands him. Awkwardly, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a few bills. As he hands her the money, she continues to smile at him. A faint blush rises in his cheeks as he fumbles for the coins and the cup in his hands. He shuffles over to a vacant table and sheds his coat and gloves.
Not long after, the young and pretty cashier walks over to his table and asks if she could sit with him. They talked for hours...
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