Living For Myself (Sequel)

Campus

Since my car had been practically destroyed by the crash, I had an Uber called for me instead to take me back to my dorm at the very least. The police contacted me once again before leaving the hospital entirely, informing me that the drunk driver was being charged with a DUI as well as causing the accident, meaning that that my car would be then sent in for repairs through the driver's payment. It wouldn't be back in my possession, however, for another three weeks. The hubcaps of the wheels were all bent in some way, the front and back bumper came off completely, my lights were all busted, the roof caved in from the rolling, and the other parts were severely dented or scratched.

Surprisingly enough, the only reason the estimated repair time is so short is because one of the mechanics happens to be related to the drunk driver in some way. I guess this is their way of asking me to forgive the driver? I don't know. Either way, at least I won't have to suffer too long. I don't have much money left now though, seeing as I have been out of work and school for quite awhile. No work means no pay, so all I have left is what's in my wallet and the savings I have for emergencies that's in my bank account.

Looking at my phone to contact Winter about meeting later on, my eyes grew wide as I realized the date. It was already the first of October, meaning that I had practically missed a whole month of both school and work. I nearly lost my mind at this, growing more and more infuriated. My anger got the best of me as I began kicking my foot against the back of the Uber's seat while the man driving shouted at me repeatedly to stop. The emotion subsided after a few moments, so I remained quiet the rest of my drive.

Once the car reached my destination, I paid and got out to make a call to my insurance company to report my lost wages. It was at this moment that it dawned on me... that adulting is a pain in the fucking ass. I was on hold for forty-five fucking minutes just to tell the person I was talking to about the car accident and how I just got out of the hospital. It was a hassle. Despite this, the person on the phone informed me that a deposit would be made into my account for the days I had missed working at the rate I usually get paid, so at least there's that.

Getting back to my original plan, I texted Winter to check up with her on our date. I walked as fast as I could, with crutches and all, to the closest bench on my campus to message her.

"I just got back on campus now, would you want to meet at the school's cafe?" I asked her, opening my wallet to check how much money I had left in cash. There was a total of $53.86 in there from after a price deduction of $60 from the Uber which was a bit of a drive from my campus. Three dots popped up on my phone, informing me that she was texting me back.

"Actually, we can meet now if you want to? I'm close to there and it is already 11am. I need my coffee." Winter said. I nodded and smiled to myself, telling her that I would meet her there then. Struggling to stand up, my voice let out a groan as my fractured leg felt as if it was breaking in two. After I was successfully able to stand up, I moved as quick as possible to the cafe for some coffee and food since I hadn't had anything yet today to eat or drink.

The walk normally wouldn't have been an issue, but this time it was challenging to do since I only had one good leg and I have the arm strength of a T-Rex. The journey took more energy out of my body than it had ever done before, leaving me both breathless and exhausted to the point that I felt nauseous even.

"God, it's a good thing I'm not an athlete... I want to die already." I mumbled, chuckling under my breath as I kept getting closer to the cafe. Finally, after a long amount of time that was more than needed, I reached the cafe and scanned the tables for Winter. The longer I looked, the more upset I got as I couldn't find her. Suddenly, there was a tap at my shoulder. It was a short, but sturdy-looking guy with a grin on his face.

"Are you Adelle?" He asked me. I didn't answer, confused as to what was going on. The man smiled, bringing up his phone to show a texting conversation between Winter and I. "Hi, I'm Winter." He said with a chuckle. My core exploded with rage and pain. After all I had just gone through and how genuine I wanted to be with... Winter... it was all for nothing. It was useless, I'm just meant to be alone.

"Screw off before I rip your dick off and make you choke on it." I said sternly, not caring for anything else. The man was taken back and rather scared, but grabbed my shoulder and pulled it closer to him.

"What did you just say, b...bitch?" He stuttered, frightened by what may happen next. Before I could do anything else, an arm draped over my shoulders and pushed the other man's hand away.

"Back off, Bennett." The voice commanded. I looked behind me to see the girl who's pictures I know all too well. It was Winter... I think? I'm so lost at this point. The girl took the phone from the man and scoffed. "Oh, so it was you who took my damn phone. You're lucky I'm not beating your ass right now or I would. How dare you steal it and then do all this crap to Adelle! When will you listen to me Bennett? I am gay. I will never like you, want you, or even come close to doing anything with you. Just go watch porn like everyone else." She said, taking one of my crutches to swing and hit the back of his knees, causing him to kneel on the ground in pain.

The guy cursed at both of us as he hobbled away in shame, leaving Winter and I alone. She smiled, viewing me up and down before saying or asking anything else. Her arms wrapped around my waist warmly, guiding me towards an open and secluded table for us to sit at. There, she already had some coffee drinks and food set out for the both of us as she settled me down into a cushioned seat before sitting across from me.

"So... you're Winter?" I asked her. She grinned awkwardly and nodded.

"Yeah... sorry about that. The guy who confronted you has been after me for months. I can't believe he'd go so far as to steal my phone and attempt to do something in public like this." She said, rubbing the back of her neck in confusion. I smiled and giggled softly.

"Well, you saved the guy from my ass-kicking. I might be injured, but I can still beat someone's ass." Winter laughed loudly, leaning in closer while looking straight into my eyes.

"I would've loved to see some of those moves from you, Ms. Ass Beater."