When Winter Comes

Chapter 38: Winter's End

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Chapter 38: Winter's End

I am doing the right thing. I am. I am. I am.

- Winter Ozlin's Diary

The next day, Penny called. She liked her gift. I mailed it to her house after I left Jace at the hospital. Something good needed to brighten my day, so the gift, I thought, would help. Penny called the following night, since I paid for overnight shipping.

"Winter?" Penny asked when I answered the the phone. It was right before dinner and I was getting ready to go out to a nice restaurant with Marie and Carl. Marie thought we needed a proper dinner since Christmas didn't go as planned.

"Penny!" I exclaimed, happy to hear her voice. "How are you?"

"Good. My nose is a little bruised, but it's healing." Her voice was far too light and airy.

"Penny, I am so sorry about that. I swear I'll buy you a nose job!"

Penny laughed, which made me chastise myself. "I don't want a nose job," she giggled, thinking it was the funniest thing said.

"I'm sorry it's a force of habit," I admitted, bitting my lip. Embarrassment made my face turn red. Thankfully, she didn't see that.

"You get nose jobs on the daily?" Penny replied.

"What? No. I meant throwing around-"

Penny giggled. "I know what you meant, Winter. I'm busting your chops. You at least deserve that after breaking my nose."

I laughed, an actual laugh. I did deserve that. Soon, Penny joined me in the laughter fit. We joked about Brinston and the hell that was. She thanked me for the boots and said she would most likely be wearing them everyday. We discussed Naija and how she was spending her break, which was in Texas with her family. I thought it was strange that I never realized she was from the South.

"Hey, so are you coming back to Brinston? I've been hearing some rumors," she asked, moving to the harder questions.

"No. I'm not."

"What are you doing then?" Penny's voice had a trace of sadness. It was a surprise, my words.

"Well I was going to try homeschooling, but that doesn't look like it'll work out," I told her, feeling strangely comfortable. She was a friend that I knew cared about each word I said. All my actions she knew and questioned. Penny was the friend that actually wanted to be there for you. I was awful, but somehow Penny was not. I could have talked to Penny for hours and know that she would have listened throughout the entire conversation. She wasn't like Emma or Taylor or Austin or Taylor's minions. She was herself. She was pure.

"Marie's looking into boarding schools for me that are farther away this time," I said to Penny.

"Farther than Connecticut?"

I smiled. Penny was confused, and attempted to wrap her head around my plans. "I think I need to be more than a car ride away."

"How far is that?"

"Marie's talking about Europe."

"Like Emma? Are you guys going to the same school?" Penny gasped.

"No no. I'm trying to get away from everyone. I'm thinking Switzerland or Germany." I confessed, shocking myself. I didn't know that was what I wanted until I said it. Being close to mountains suddenly felt a necessity. I needed open land that was pretty to look at.