"You came." The woman's grip tightened on the handle of her bicycle. "I ho-hoped you would..."

"Have we met?" While Dawn wasn't sure if she'd even recognize the people from her own classes, this person was very memorable - even though the lower half of the person's face was covered by a scarf, staring at her made Dawn drool on her mind.

"No, n-not really." The ruby-hued eyes were directed at the ground, only now and then glancing upwards. "Though I've wat-watched you on my way to college sometimes. You are... curious." Her speech had no rhythm to it. It resembled an accent, but not a foreign one. It rather seemed like she wasn't used to speaking at all, especially uncommon words troubled her.

Dawn suddenly felt self-conscious. Lack of confidence had never been an issue for her until now, in the face of this aesthetic person - who waited for her on the fated crest no less. "Oh, so you've watched me do that."

"You seemed so... ca-carefree. D-Dancing on every hill." Is that what I look like to people?

"I was looking for something, for a long time actually. Though I think I found it now." Finally, I have found the crest Mom has told me about.

"That's good. Uhm, do you want to be f-f-friends?" the woman burst out. Her expression said that she immediately regretted it.

"What? Uh, I mean... I don't even know your name yet. Let's start with that - hi, I'm Dawn." It seemed that Dawn's opposite lacked any skills in conversing with people. There was no flow to this dialogue whatsoever.

"Oh... right. Hello, I'm Cyn-Cynthia. So, do you wa-want a ride to college?" She patted her bike. It was one of the more extraordinary conversations Dawn had taken part in, she- Extraordinary. That's what I have been looking for.

Dawn would make this work, however weird things might become with - "So, can I call you Cindy?" and her opposite nodded hopefully - with Cindy.

"Okay then Cindy, I'll take you up on that offer." The tall beauty's eyes - Heavens, but she is tall - beamed and she paced to where Dawn was standing. Dawn was quite short with her five foot three, but when Cindy ran up to her, her face was only on the height of the woman's chest. She felt tiny.

While this wasn't a bad thing - she seemed to find that a very pleasant surprise - Dawn's neck complained when her head kept moving upwards as Cindy approached her. Apparently also not having any sense for personal space around strangers, Cindy almost crashed into her as she made a step or two too close.

It probably should have been intimidating standing inches away from a stranger that was hovering over Dawn with more than a foot difference in height. Especially since Cindy had naturally broad shoulders and hips, and her ears and mouth were covered.

But it wasn't. This is my destiny. Nothing can go wrong now. Dawn straightened her back, standing confidently and as tall as possible.

Cindy swung herself into the bike's saddle and then silently looked at Dawn. The short girl took the hint and sat down on the rack, folding her coat beneath her butt to keep the cold away. Cindy had done the same with her frilly black coat, although seemingly less intentionally.

Once Dawn had settled on the red bicycle and gripped the other girl's waist, they took off. It was only once she was sitting that Dawn noticed how much higher the bike was than ones she'd use. She could swing her legs freely without coming near touching the ground.

"So Cindy, what year are you in college?"

The response came belated and quiet. "...I'm not in co-college. N-Not really."

"What do you mean?"

"I never f-finished high school, I dropped out. I... failed."

"Now you try to get your high school diploma with the support of the community college?" Cindy nodded in response, stiff.

"How many semesters are you missing, then?"

"This one and two more. B-But I think I will fail this se-semester again." High school never was that hard really, maybe I should help Cindy?

"Well, I'm a sophomore in associate arts of education, I plan to switch to university and get a bachelor's in adult education."

A moment of silence followed, Cindy not responding to the big words she just heard. As they were passing the beautiful scenery of snow-covered fields and hills which Dawn had seen and admired times and times again, Dawn decided to continue the conversation, "And what do you do in your free time?"

"Um, I don't know..." What's that supposed to mean?

"Like, when you meet with friends, what do you do?"

Cindy stayed silent and seemed to fidget with the zipper of her coat, holding the handle with only one hand. Oh...

"So do you live with your family or do you have your own place?"

"I... I don't live with my fa-family, no."

"And once you get back home from your classes, how do you spend your time?"

"Um, I try to s-study or I go on the in-internet. And sometimes I go to the hospital."

"The hospital? Why?"

"I go visit the children. Es-Especially on Christmas."

"I see... and don't you read or have any other interests?"

"Reading is... hard for me. I look at p-picture books, sometimes." Explains why she has trouble getting through high school.

"Cindy, how about I help you study so you can learn to read properly and pass your high school exams?" Cindy turned her head and looked at Dawn, bewildered.

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because that's what friends do," Dawn gave her a wink, "besides, I can use the teaching practice." I'll make the time to help Cindy with her studies. I have to, somehow.

"So, we are f-friends?"

"Yes, of course." Cindy slowed the bike and seemed to shake.

"Thank you."

×××

"Shortly after, we had reached the college and said our goodbyes for the day." Dawn was sitting on a small wooden table, swinging her legs. Retelling all those experiences - how Cindy felt when Dawn held on to her waist, how her long hair faded with the surroundings' snow - made her fall for the tall girl all over again. She should be forgetting all of this, not remind herself of every single detail.

"It was only after she had vanished from my sight that I realized I had no way of contacting her. But seeing as she seemed to have watched me for a long time, I was sure she'd find me again."

Outside, a snowstorm had started. Wind was throwing snowflakes against the rattling window. She'd have to walk through that soon.

"And, of course, she did." Heavens, she did.