Handle With Care

One:

Winter

I hold my coffee cup close to my lips and blow, making small ripples into the drink. I look out the window and even the city's beautiful sunset seem to lose it's glow. I just wonder. Wonder if we could have changed the past. It's been three years. Three years since I last saw him. They say that a guy and a girl can be friends but one day they will be more than that. Is that what really happened? We split; two different paths ahead of us with different rays of light. A vibration snapped me out of my daze.

Taking my phone out, I slide my finger along the screen, "Hello? Winter Maeve speaking." A familiar voice speaks on the other end. "Winny, I need to be working overtime." I heave a sigh and rub my temples. This hasn't been the first time Andre did this. Andre Lewinson and I became friends back in middle school. Being the social gal, I fit in every social group back then. I thought everyone was my friend. But it was the opposite. Turns out, I never was welcomed to any group. To the popular group, I was the Queen Bitch. To the nerds, I was the perfect girl with a sense of CU. TE. (Copper: CU and Tellerium: TE). In other words, the smarty with a GPA of 5.0. To the punks, I was the dream lead gal. What more can each group ask for? Andre was there when I was bullied. He was there to be my science fair partner when the others despised me in their dreams. He was there to help me up. To help me smile.

Nothing about him has changed since we graduated high school. He is still hard-working and protective Andre.

"Again? Seriously, Andre? We can't keep on going on like this. You. need. to. relax! For goodness sake, just once! It's as if the word, "relax" isn't in your dictionary." I sigh and hang up the call. I cut Andre off most of the time if on the phone or I'd shut the door on his face. Ranting was one of the reasons why he was infamous throughout his work and one of his few talents. Everything has changed. Everything.

I thought maybe splitting with him , I might be alleviated from the emotional pain. But either way, I'm stuck with another man in my life. Andre is now my pea pod. I don't love him. I just am very close to him. In a sisterly way. I leave the diner and put my blood red ear muffs on. The cold wind twisted each lock of my hair. My nose was hugged by the gale of the wind which made the trees wave side by side. As I ambulate to Elmhurst Park, I feel like as if the stoplight has dimmed and was taking longer than ever. I close my eyes for a few and open them again just to feel the wind.

Most certainly, there is something about the wind today. Something... eerie. It irks me. Clutching my scarf around my neck, I cover my face until my eyes and I walk.

As I sat down on a bench, I wonder. Life changed its aspect on me. One after the other, things go wrong. I press my back against the side of the bench and close my eyes. The wind kisses me face and it's howls and moans were like a lullaby. I slowly zone out, almost as if I was in a trance.

I never had people think well of me. I was labelled as a liar, drama queen, or attention seeker. It never was a happy life for me in high school. But in all honesty, I just wanted to go alone. That way no one could hurt me and I couldn't hurt them. I had best friends that I thought would be there 'till the end' but the end was too short. I was heartbroken, losing people like that hurts. I wanted to start over. But it wasn't possible with the past in way. So I sealed it. I see a couple walking down the sidewalk. Oh their grins and the laughs that rings in the air. I smile down looking at my folded hands. What does fate have in for me?

I get up and start walking once again. Taking in the wintry view, I exhale sharply. The sky's dimming into evening. I need to get home. I turn around to walk back from where I came from when I heard a gunshot. My eyes widen and by the time I turn, a scream comes out of me. I clutch my right shoulder and fall to the ground, in agony of my pain. Realization just hit me.... I got shot. I just lie there, feeling the blood oozing out of my shoulder. My eyes start to get droopy and everything becomes a blur. Shouts from all directions can be heard and I can see a small group encircling me. I close my eyes and I fall unconscious.

****

Blaze

I pace back and forth in front of the ICU where the female was being operated. As a police officer, I have to get her statement as well as to see if she was really her. He got away once again. From my hands. Fuck. It's all my fault.

I was drinking water from my bottle in my car when I get a voice on the dispatch. "Officer Sands, are you there? I repeat, are you there? Over." The urgency in the dispatcher's voice was alerting. "This is officer Sands, state your emergency." 

"Sir, I need you to report to north of Elmhurst Park. A victim was shot. It's a female, early 20s, was identified as Winter Maeve." My heart dropped into my stomach and I replied with an urgent "Okay". I ran over to Elmhurst Park and as I ran mindlessly, I couldn't help think is this the same Winter that I separated my paths with? I can hear commotion just 3 yards away from me where I see a small group of people with their phones to their ears. As I got closer, I can hear one of them say, "Hello 911? I have a woman who has been shot. I need help. Okay. She is on the intersection of Palmer Avenue and 16th Avenue. Yes, north of Elmhurst Park." With little hope, I try to ignore the person's statement and praying that it isn't her. 

Shoving some people on my way, my eyes were wide as saucers. It's her. Her body was in fetal position with her left hand clutching her shoulder. Her skin was pale and her lips had no color. Her chocolate hair was splayed everywhere. All these questions were running through my head, who did this? Why did they do this? What is she to the person who shot her? But one thing I noticed as soon as she was laid on the stretcher was the mark where she was hit. It was two parallel lines with an 'X'. 

Shit, Sergio's back. 

End of Flashback

The door opens to reveal a young male doctor. His tag read, Dr. Silva. He notices my presence and approaches me. "Are you a family or relative of the patient?" He asks. "Yes I'm her...husband." I gulped as I said those words. Hell, what the fuck did I say? He nods and opens the door to her room. "She was shot right on her shoulder blade, any closer to the shoulder gridle or neck, she could've been in a critical condition. You may visit her." He states as he looks over his clipboard which I suppose has her medical status. I thank him and close the door after I enter. She was facing the other way and from the looks of her breathing, she's awake. She didn't notice I came in.

"Winny.." I whispered. She stopped breathing for a second and her body becamse tense as soon as she heard me. But her voice was still as angelic as three years ago.

"Blaze?"

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