Josh couldn't think of anything he hated more than winter. He pulled his scarf over his face, bringing little relief to his already frozen nose. The screen of his cell phone glared at him as he furiously walked down the street. She left him. The unread messages stared back at him, only deepening his rage. Anger quickly turned to weary gloom. How many times had this happened? He rubbed his hands together, the cold even reaching his guarded fingers. 

Turning his eyes to the storefront glass at this side, he wondered what he did wrong. He examined his face, he wasn't a half bad looking guy, though a bit more soft around the middle than he cared for. His job was reasonable, being a teacher didn't bring in a lot of money but certainly enough for stability.

The corners of his lips turned down. Was it his personality? He scrolled through the countless messages on his phone, revealing that he had sent way more messages than he received. A frosty sigh escaped his lips as he stuffed the phone back into his thick jack pocket. He thought things were going well, she joked with him and smiled, they went on a couple of trips together, they had mutual friends. Then one day she vanished, like a glimpse of a ghost. Snow started to fall, making his mood worse.

 Winter was a terrible time of the year. The plants all withered and died, everyone starts shelling out money for people they don't even like, smiling to strangers they wouldn't give a second look to any other time of the year. The cold was the worst of it. He hated how it burned his skin, and how he could never seem to get rid of entirely.

His spotted his usual coffee shop up head and made a B-line for it. He dodged the people who shared the sidewalk, ignoring any meaningless words of cheer and greetings. Unsurprisingly the coffee shop was crowded, but the smell of a strong cup of joe kept any annoyance he had at bay. The almost scalding heat of the coffee pouring down his throat sent goosebumps of warmth over his body. 

As he walked down the road, he realized he wasn't ready to go home. While the idea of kicking his heater on to full gear enticed him, he knew he would feel just as cold as he did now. He didn't even clean up from the small gathering his, then girlfriend, had the previous night. There were too many memories in his apartment that he didn't want to deal with.

Josh's feet lead him to a park he walked through often, but the green grass and blooming trees he usually sought comfort in were bare, brown, and lifeless. Still, the place didn't bring up any foul memories of the past, making it the best option for him to stay a while. He sat on an empty bench, watching the people go by. Anger slowly turned to pain with each sip his drink, reinforced by the sight of every couple who walked by, snuggled against each other and holding hands.

“No point in dwelling on it,” Josh told himself, leaning back on the bench. He stared up at the sky, it was a perfectly clear blue day, if it wasn't so cold, he could almost picture a beautiful spring day. Though, closing his eyes erased everything for him, but only flooded him with sound. Birds chirped, children laughed, footsteps casually walked by. The world seized him again, and somehow, he felt better. The bitterness slipped away as he watched the happy people walk by, completely unaware of his pain.

He nearly jumped when he turned his head. Beside him sat a woman, wearing a pink tank top, blue jean shorts, a long white scarf, and roller blades. Her eyes shown like a foreign sea, golden brown hair framed her face. He continued to stare as she tucked away loose strands behind her ear, catching him out of the corner of her eye. She nearly jumped as well at the sight of him.

“Why are you dressed that way,” Josh asked before he could stop himself.

“W-what?” she replied. “Oh, well no one has seemed to noticed.”

“How could they not notice? Aren't' you freezing?”

Josh started to slip off he coat but was quickly stopped. “Oh no, please don't. I'm not cold. I promise.”

“Not cold? Only penguins would like this weather.”

“Then, I guess I'm a penguin.”

Her voice was soft and eager. She smiled brightly at the statement, or maybe the possibility of being a penguin, Josh couldn't be sure.”

She waved. “My name is Riley.”

“Josh,” he replied, feeling awkward for waving at someone so close to him.

“You seem down,” Riley observed. “Do you need a friend?”

He almost laughed at the childlike response, but the excited look on her face gave him no doubt she was serious.

“My girlfriend has left me I think. So I'm not sure who my friends are right now.”

“I'll be your friend.”

“You don't know me.”

“Well, that's why you get to know each other. Making friends isn't an interview process silly goose.”

“I guess you're right.”

She stood suddenly, rolling out in front of him. “Well then, friend Josh, I'll see you around sometime.”

“Wait! What's your number?”

“I don't know!” Riley yelled back as she sped away.