Chapter Two

Branches shake as the cold breeze sweeps overhead. It looks like it may rain later this week. Sigh. While I like the sound rain brings, how empty and peaceful the streets become I can't stand the cold. I blow into the air to test the temperature and sure enough, I can just barely see my breath. It is that time of year I suppose. The time 'of change', when the leaves turn colors and die off. People like to pretend it's more than just the weather, but really everything just stays the same. Although maybe that's just for me- a sweet little moment frozen of time. A moment like the clawing need for air as you're drowning, a feeling of overwhelming emotion, as it's turned into a subtle nothingness.

"Hey, Raina, you forgot this. It was in the lunchroom with your name on it?" Says a woman running up from behind me. Her badge reads 'Hannah', her dark heels clacking on the cement as she tries to catch up with me. She hands me a sweater blazer and runs on ahead. I see my name written in marker on the tag, but this isn't mine. Who would've done this? Well, it's suspicious, but I'm cold. I may as well test it out. I pull my arms through the sleeves as I turn towards the main road. It's a little big, but it really is comfortable. If only I knew who to return it to. Then again... if they wrote my name on the tag permanently, maybe they don't want it back?

The next day I show up to work with warmer clothes, the blazer in a bag. Since I'm not very social, I find myself struggling trying to depict Hannah's brown hair from the piles of heads scattered throughout the room. Red, black, blond, brown-but the wrong brown. Black, dyed, grey, blond, white... I find her in a corner of the room near the coffee maker. Perfect. I even have an excuse to go over there.

"Hey, Hannah, right? Thank you for bringing me the blazer yesterday. It has my name on it, but it isn't actually mine. Do you know who's this is?" I ask. She shrugs, but then chuckles.

"Ask Jake in the cubicle two over. Blond hair, light eyes. He kinda has that nerdy dork look to him, you can't miss him." She smiles and turns back to her desk. Jake, huh? I go peak over into his cubicle to see if I can get his attention to ask. He is working hard on some number sheets, but when I turn to walk away, I feel my sleeve pull.

"Did you want me?" He asks.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Do you know anything about a borrowed sweater blazer?" I ask nervously. I only expected to talk to one person today, and while it's silly it seems my solitude has reflected poorly on my people skills.

"Oh, just that? Keep it, it's alright. You should stay warm or else you'll catch a cold." He responds nonchalantly. So Hannah was right.

"H-hey, I don't like owing favors. I washed it, so if you want it back... Otherwise I can buy you lunch sometime."

"This weekend?" This weekend I don't work.

"Sure, how much do I owe you?"

"Hmm? Just meet me at Mary's Diner at 2. Saturday work?"

"Oh, I mean-" I stop. I meant to just give him free food or cover his meal, not hang out or converse with him. But one meeting won't change anything. "Yes. Saturday should work."