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In And Out of the Freezer

This sucked. I couldn't put it any other way politely. I was half frozen in a car. It was snowing. My girlfriend was still ten minutes away.

I groaned and forced myself to stretch. If I moved around, it would take longer to become an ice cube. I didn't stand though, or even try to in the cramped truck. I didn't think I could. My legs had fallen asleep, and besides, I think my butt was froze to the seat.

Come on, Court, what's taking you so frickin long? I had had enough of patience. I was not a patient person. Ever. And especially not when I was FREEZING TO DEATH. I was bored, I was angry, I was tired, AND I was hungry.   

I watched car after car pass, hoping each one would be my girlfriend coming to my rescue. More than a few looked similar to her car and I prayed every time that it would slow and turn. Each one zoomed past without a look back.

See, normally you'd be wondering: 'you're locked in a car, your keys are inside. How could she help you?' Well first of all, I wasn't locked in the car. Just out of the house. I only stayed in the car because it was protected from the wind. Other than the fact that I had left the back windows open from last time and I couldn't close them. Because why? Wow, you're so smart. Yep, no keys.

Plus, Courtney had a copy of my house keys. So she could save me. If she wanted to. That was a big part of things. She had to want to.

A car slowed at last and I stared at it hungrily. I made no move to get up, however. I was cold, to cold. I was past shivering cold. I just sort of sat there in a daze, knowing that Courtney was here, but at the same time not really. 

She parked directly next to my truck and rolled down the window to peer at my huddled form.

"DUNCAN! ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!" she shouted, a little too loudly. I flinched and stared at her.

"Barely," I managed to croak. She threw open her car door and swung herself out. Pulling the spare house key from her pocket she opened the house door, brilliant light shining out the door. Oops, I had left the lights on too, I guess.

I shot her a grateful glance and forced myself up, staggering up to the door. She held it graciously open for me.

As soon as I arrived inside a blast of warm air hit my face and I shuddered with pleasure. Warmth, I realized for the first time, is a luxury. Courtney slammed the door behind her and dragged me over to the table, forcing me to sit down.

She plopped down across from me and gazed at me for a long while. I stared back, I was still too cold to talk much. After what felt like an eternity she looked away and cleared her throat.

"Duncan...." she began slowly, her voice had an edge to it. Inwardly I sighed. She was going to either yell at me or lecture me for an hour about how stupid I had been. She didn't need to do either. I already had done both to myself.

"Duncan, you could have become an ice cube because of your forgetfulness!" She chose lecture. I yawned and shivered, slowly I was unthawing. Her gaze softened and she shook her head.

"Duncan... what am I going to do with you? If your not raiding my fridge, you're sleeping. When your not sleeping, you manage to freeze. Come on, let's go. We have a lunch date we're an hour late for. You still wanna go?" I nodded slowly, reaching to the middle of the table and grabbing my forgotten keys.I snatched a jacket from the back of another chair.

"Y-yeah. Let's go," I paused. "Can y-you drive though My hands and feet are still shaking."

She grinned and got up, coming over to me and fluffing my hair. She grabbed my hand and dragged me up.

"Dun, I was a CIT. I should be the driving. Not the 'Juvenile delinquent'" she told me with a slight chuckle. I smiled and followed her out to her little Honda Civic. She turned on the car and flicked the seat warmers on. I slouched down in the chair and prepared to enjoy the thirteen minutes I had in the car till our date began.