Second Chance Snowmance

6.

Dawn's Creek had clearly decided to side with my family. The moment I stepped outside it started snowing. Hard. I felt like a popsicle within a few minutes. I'd stupidly ran out without my coat because who stopped to get their coat from the table while dramatically storming out?

Smart people who didn't want to freeze to death. That's who. 

I had to admit freezing to death would add to this dramatic, tragic aesthetic I was going for, but I was too stubborn to die today in a town where I literally didn't want to be found dead. 

There was no way I would go back to Joe's Steakhouse. The only alternative to me was leaving town and heading home. In order to do that, I needed my car, and in order to get my car I needed to get it from the garage. 

And... in order to get my car from the garage, I needed to face Lydia. 

I straightened my back. It didn't matter. I was a woman on a mission and no Lydia would get in my way. 

The plan was to confidently march into the garage and ask if the car was done yet. In reality I waggled because I could no longer feel my legs, and it didn't matter either way; Lydia was working on the car and didn't even turn around as I penguined into the garage workplace. 

"The car's not done yet, Darcy," Lydia said flatly without turning around. "And barging in here demanding for me to speed up will only make me work slower. I will call you when it's done."

I clenched my jaw, and swallowed my pride. "Look, I'll pay you double if you can have it done right now, tonight," I said. "I need to get out of here." 

Lydia snorted. "Haven't changed a lick, have you?" 

"I don't want to be stuck living in the Middle Ages like you for the rest of my life, thank you very much." 

"You're too far up your own, probably bleached, asshole to notice why people here do what they do." Lydia glanced at me over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "The car is done when it's done." 

I let out a frustrated growl. "Fine!" I huffed. "I'll just sit here and annoy you until it's done then." 

Finally Lydia spun around to face me with raised brows. "Really?" 

"Believe it or not, you are better company than my family at this point." I crossed my arms, shivering in my thin blouse. "Meanwhile: I'm freezing. Is this the way you treat your customers. Give me some damn blankets." 

A lopsided smile appeared on Lydia's face, and she nodded at a metal crate in the corner of the room. "There are some blankets and dry sweaters in there." 

I looked over at where she was pointing and wrinkled my nose at the sight of the pile old, musty blankets and sweaters. "Are you kidding me? Those old rags? When were those last washed? They're gross! You have better blankets in your office." 

"I have these for you or you can freeze." Lydia shrugged, a smile still lingering on her lips. "Last time I checked I don't need your help and you do need mine so shut it." 

I scowled, but in the end not feeling my extremities anymore was a compelling enough reason to grab one of the gross blankets and wrap it around myself. It was musty the faint smell of old sweat filled my nostrils. 

"You are such a pig," I complained to Lydia. "Don't you ever wash anything around here? I looked around, taking in the garage equipment and old cars in for repair. My car stuck out like a sore thumb, as it was the only thing not faded in colour and almost falling apart in the entire room. 

"This place is a dump," I said. "Why are you still here? You know they're making fun of you for working at the garage behind your back."

"For working at the garage?" Lydia raised a brow. "Sure, that's the thing they gossip about." She sighed and turned back to my car. "It doesn't matter what they think as long as they pay me. But you wouldn't understand. You run away when there's any sort of pressure, right?"

Low blow. I felt my cheeks burn. I just ran out of my family dinner instead of fighting for myself. But I knew that wasn't what Lydia meant. 

She meant how I ran out on her the last day of high school, and left her facing all our classmates outed and alone.