Sunshiny Things (Original)

Ch. 31 Existing, Not Living

Freya

"Miss. Gibson," I hear someone call out from behind me as I almost reach the glass double doors to exit the school. I turn around, slightly confused but soon focus my gaze on a scrambling miss. woods hurrying to catch up with me.

"Miss. woods?" I ask as she finally comes and stands next to me. She pushes her Burgundy glasses up her noes, before readjusting her purse strap up on her shoulder and resigning with a smile.

"Any good ice cream places around here?" She asks, which just deepens my look of confusion even more

~

The little bell to the ice cream parlor jingles as Miss. Woods and I step through the front entrance. The familiar smell of cherry invades my noes once I do, and I can't help the goofy smile that creeps its way onto my face.

"I don't think I've ever heard of this place before," Miss. Woods says form right next to me and I look up at her, still holding the same smile.

"Welcome to my home away from home," I respond, even though I've ever only been here one other time. But if they allowed for me to live here, I would move in a heartbeat.

"What can I get for you gu—wait a minute, Freya?" Miss. woods and I direct our attention on the person who spoke the words, and my face instantly lights up in a warm smile.

"Jim!" I exclaim as he walks over to us before slinging a red and white striped dish towel over his shoulder. Jim greets me with the same big smile that I'm giving him, before turning and looking over at Miss. Woods.

"And who might this be?" Jim asks me a he still keeps his eyes on Miss. Woods. I look up at Miss. woods next to me and watch as she stares back at Jim with a slightly flushed expression.

"Uh, this is Miss. Woods."

"Linda," Miss. woods jumps in immediently after me. "Linda Woods." She holds out her hand for Jim to shake it. But instead of excepting, he takes her hand in his before bending down and planting a soft kiss on the top of it. Smooth, Jim. Smooth.

~

After getting our ice-cream cones from Jim, me getting mint chocolate chip (of course) and Miss. Woods getting classic vanilla, Miss. Woods offers to go for a walk around Central Park. At first I was a little hesitate, mostly because I thought it would be pretty weird for a student to be hanging out with their teacher outside of school. But I really didn't want to be mean and refuse. So here we are now, crossing over a tiny bridge in the park as we both viscously lick at our ice cream.

"Miss. Woods," I start, immediately grabbing her attention. "Why am I here?" Silence fills the air around us as we soon stop walking and are met with a wooden bench to sit down on.

"Because," Miss. Woods says as she sits down next to me after I do. "I used to be just like you." I take a lick from my ice-cream as I look at her with confusion on my face.

"What do you mean?" I ask, wanting her to dig a little deeper through her words.

"When I was senior in high school, my older sister Amy...passed away." I look at her, not really certain of what to do or say. I know what the classic response is. I'm sorry. But I always hate it when people try to tell me that.

"Miss. Woods, you don't—."

"No, I want to," she cuts me off. I shut my mouth, instantly stopping me from saying anything else. So I just nod my head oncr, wanting for her to continue.

"She was my best friend, my other half basically. Whenever she died, I completely shut the world out. I didn't talk to anyone, I didn't do my school work, I didn't eat, I didn't sleep. I was basically just existing—not living." Silence rejoins us again, and I direct my eye contact away from her and back down to my slightly melting ice cream in my hands. I can already tell where she's going with this.