Snowflakes lightly floated to the cold, hard pavement. It was the middle of January when Harlow broke up with Jake. They were together for 8 months, and we very close. But it all completely changed just last week when she caught him drinking. Harlow was never the type of girl to drink or even party hard. She realized then and there that Jake was her opposite.
"How long have you been drinking, Jake?" She asked him, her arms were folded and her eyes were hard on him.
"Oh come on, it's just one little drink." Jake explained. Harlow didn't fall for it. She could see that he was completely intoxicated. Not even 2 minutes later, a girl, tall, tanned and blonde, walked out from the bathroom in Jake's apartment. She was in her lingerie and sat next to him with her arms around his waist. Harlow's heart sank. She didn't know what to think.
All of a sudden, she spun around quickly and flung the door open.
"Where are you going baby?" Jake called after her. She didn't respond; she was already getting into her car.
Harlow's eyes were blurred with tears and starting to get red a puffy. She jumped into her silver Chevy Camero and sped off down the street. The pavement was slippery and starting to disappear under the snow.
The car swerved back and forth, just missing dozens of parked cars and pedestrians. Harlow didn't realize how slick the roads were and she tried to slow down; but it was too late. She was so scared that she took her hands off the wheel to cover her face and brace herself for the impact. She kept her foot slammed on the brake, but the car still screeched out of control.
The impact came. The airbag caught Harlow before she went through the windshield and she was not wearing a seatbelt. At first, she didn't know what she hit; she was only concerned if she was still alive and even if she was, wondering if she broke anything.
Smoke filled up the car, so she slowly opened her door. Cold air rushed in and mixed with the smoky air in her lungs.
Suddenly a man ran over to her.
"Are you okay Miss?" He yelled, holding her arms and helping her out of the crushed car. "Your car went completely out of control. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault." She choked out. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Are you okay?" He asked frantically.
"Yeah, I think so." She looked up at his face. He faintly smiled at her and held her hand until the ambulance and police got to the scene.
It was freezing outside and it was getting very late. Harlow started to shiver under his arm. Suddenly, he took off his black hoodie and wrapped it around her.
"You don't have to. I'm ok." She insisted.
"You're shivering, though. Here, take it." He persuaded. Harlow gave in and took it. She realized she was ice cold and his hoodie made her instantly feel warmer.
5 minutes later, the ambulances and police and everyone showed up. They checked to make sure Harlow and the boy were 100% okay. Their cars weren't. Harlow's silver Camero was totaled and the other boy's red Ford Focus was completely destroyed too.
The ambulance gave her a big blanket, but didn't offer a ride home. She had to figure that out for herself. She yanked her Blackberry out of her pocket and dialed her mother's number. She knew her mother would be shocked and upset and extremely worried about her. But Harlow needed a ride home and she didn't know who else to call.
Just then, the boy who was at the other end of the crash, came over to her before she could put her phone up to her ear.
"Um, I called a cab." He hesitated. "I'll pay for it."
Harlow hung up her phone call and weakly smiled at him. "Sure." She said.
He walked by her side over the cab and held the door open. She got in and he sat beside her.
"420 Ash Street please" Harlow told the cabbie. Then they drove off into the direction of her house.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" The boy asked again.
"Yeah, I'm just a little shaken up." She lightly laughed.
The cab pulled up to Harlow's home in a short time. She went to step out of the car, then paused and remembered the hoodie the boy gave her.
"Here" She said handing him his jacket back. She stared at him with one eyebrow raised.
"Maika" he smiled.
"Maika" She finished. "I'm Harlow."
Maika smiled when she said her name. "See ya, Harlow." He waved. She only waved back.
The taxi drove away with Maika in the back seat. Harlow carefully maneuvered her way up the steep stone steps of her home. There weren't any lights on, meaning her family was asleep. Just as she reached the front porch, there was a blue glowing light coming from the window. She put her key in the lock and it opened. Her brother was sitting on the living room floor playing video games, as he always did.
"Where were you?" Chris, her younger 12 year old brother asked.
"I'm tired, please. I'm just going to go to bed now. Good night." Harlow avoided the question and kissed her brother on the top of his head.
"Yuck, you smell." He barked. "Where have you been?"
"Shh, don't wake mom and dad, please." She said, and then proceeded up the stairs to her room.
She dropped her purse on the floor near the doorway and walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of soft pajamas. Her shower warmed her body and cleaned all the dirt and smoke off.
She didn't know how she would tell her parents that she totaled the car they had bought her for her 16th birthday. It would break her heart to see her parents hurt that she was so careless with something they gave up so much to buy. Harlow felt disappointed in herself, and then angry. She blamed Jake for totaling her car; for making her cry to the point she couldn't see through the tears.
Her bed felt so comfortable. She relaxed and quickly fell asleep.
