WHAT???? AN UPDATE???? WHAT IS THIS???? So this is one I've had in my Drive for a while. 1557 words.
John sighed as he trudged along the sidewalk. Never trust the weather report, he thought. When they said light flurries, they meant giant drifts falling from the sky, followed by sleet and freezing rain. So, of course, like usual, he wasn't prepared. His jacket was all but soaked through. His toes were so cold he couldn't feel them anymore.
He stood under the roof of a bus stop and squinted out at the gray atmosphere. The storm didn't seem to be lightening up. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. He fished around in his pockets. A length of string, a crumpled up piece paper, and quite a bit of lint. But no money. John didn't think cab drivers were accepting small bits of neon green thread these days. He sighed, thinking of how he would have to walk half the length of Manhattan in this weather to reach his apartment.
Just as he stepped out from cover to begin his dismal journey, a huge lump of freezing snow-ice fell right on his head, falling down inside his hood and creeping down his back. He swore, earning him a death glare from the old lady sitting on the waiting bench. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off, shoving his feet through the three inches of slush that coated the sidewalk. He had to focus on his feet so he didn't fall over a crack in the sidewalk or a random chunk of ice.
He came face to face with a tree. Startled, he jumped back and looked up. This didn't look like his neighborhood! He frowned and looked around. Well crap. He had been walking in the complete opposite direction, and now he was double the distance from his house. Worst of all, he seemed to be getting frostbite. John leaned against the tree, totally and completely done with life. He sighed tiredly and closed his eyes. Maybe if he got cold enough, someone would notice and call an ambulance. Then he wouldn't have to walk home, right?
"Excuse me? Are you okay?" John peeked open one eye to see who had interrupted his very cold nap. He had dark hair, pulled back in a ponytail. His piercing blue eyes look up at John, as this man was around a head shorter than him, seemed to be concerned. He, unlike John, had actually dressed for the weather in a warm ski parka and proper boots. He's kinda cute, John thought. But it was just that, a thought, so he pushed it out of his mind without a second one. The man cleared his throat.
"You seen a little, erm, cold." John raised an eyebrow.
"I do, do I?"
"Yeah, you do," he replied. "Seeing as you are just standing he- wait. That was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?" He blushed. "Sorry."
John chuckled. "It's fine. Thanks for noticing."
"So, did you have a plan, or were you just going to stand there until you get hypothermia?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious.
"That kinda was my plan," he replied. The other man blinked.
"Oh. Okay. Cool. I'll leave you to it, I guess." He stuffs his hands in his pockets and starts to slosh away through the mush. John hesitated a little before calling out after him.
"Wait. Did you have another suggestion for what I should do?" The man turned around.
"You could come back with me to my apartment with me. Just until the weather gets better. It's only half a block away, if you want . . ." He trails off. John cocked his head to the side, amused.
"How do I know that you're not gonna just kill me when we get there?" He shruged.
"You don't. How do I know I'm not inviting a serial killer into my apartment? I don't. I just trust that you won't kill me. And you can trust me, I promise." John stayed silent for a minute. It would be nice to get out of this weather, but he didn't even know this person's name.
