Chapter Twenty-One

An Icy wind softly blew the curtains of the small cabin in which we stayed. 
The winter air brought a chill up Audrey's spine as she slowly opened her 
damp eyelashes.

"It's freezing." She said to herself and she slowly arose from her quilted 
bed. She looked over to the other side surprised to find it neatly made and 
with no significant other in its space. Audrey sighed, "Now where can Mandy 
be?" Although, it had only been almost three days she was still very 
depressed. Oh Lance. She suddenly though. Where in the hell did that just 
come from? Audrey asked herself. Her thoughts then came back to reality as 
Goosebumps appeared on her arms and legs. She got up slowly and shut the 
snow-touched windows. "I wish I would of thought about how cold it was going 
to be in this room before I chose it!" she thought to herself. It wouldn't be 
this cold if Lance were here. 'Stop it' another voice appeared in her mind 
'you need to be strong' it barked at her once more. 

She looked at the fireplace that lie before her it was empty with nothing but 
black soot covering the steel log holder. She glanced at the clock and 
realized it was only 6:30 in the morning. "Omg" she thought "I NEVER get up 
this early." "I wonder when Mandy got up." Audrey thought. She got up and her 
bare feet touched the chilled floor. She jumped at the sudden change of 
temperature. "Geez! We really need a heater or something!" She grabbed a 
small blanket and wrapped it around her as she peeped into the motionless 
hall. The only sound heard was the soft rhythm of the clock ticking second by 
second. It was very dark she could hardly see anything. 

Her eyes slowly adjusted as she walked towards the kitchen. Her stomach 
growled at the thought of food. Her stomach growled even louder with hunger. 
"Ok, ok! I'll feed you hold on." she laughed 'mornings are the pits at 
times.' she thought. She peered into the tiny kitchen and slowly walked in 
and searched for something to eat. She was surprised to find me sitting at 
the table with my arms neatly folded in front of me with my head in-between 
them. "Mandy?" she asked I didn't hear her so she spoke up again. "Mandy? Are 
you ok?" she said as she walked closer. "Huh-huh? wha?" I sat up with groggy 
eyes and a pale complexion.

"Mandy...did you stay up all night?" Audrey looked at me with worried eyes. A 
little bit of confusion showed with the wrinkles that formed on her forehead. 

"I uh...I couldn't sleep." I replied suddenly. Audrey walked over, grabbed 
the coffeepot, and started making some coffee to wake her up.

 "Why? Oh let me guess...it's Justin, isn't it?" she said knowingly the 
thought had stricken her almost immediately.

"Um...no. Well...ya" I said as my eyes filled with a sudden ocean of water 
that seemed to appear out of nowhere. 

"Awe. Mandy I had no idea you were like this! Why didn't you tell me? It's ok 
poor girl," she said as she reassured me with a soft brush of my hair. "I 
know it's hard, but they will be back in a week and a half." she said but it 
seems like forever even I am having trouble I can't let Mandy know she needs 
my reassurance and support. The voice chimed in her head. 

"I know, Audrey it's just.... I don't want Justin to fall for some girl while 
he's gone." I said shakily still recovering from my tears and grogginess. 
"It's so hard I miss him so much." I said as I slowly lowered her focus to 
the pine wood table. The silence was broken as both of our stomachs grumbled 
in unison. We laughed at each other when the demanding sounds of I want food 
escaped our stomachs. Audrey had forgotten why she had come to the kitchen in 
the first place. 

"Sounds like nature's calling our names." Audrey chuckled jokingly." I let 
out a suttle laugh and smiled at my best friend "Let's eat, I'm starving!" 
Audrey said she got up and looked through the cabinet. 

"Is that all you do, eat?" I asked as I laughed. 
Audrey looked over her shoulder with an evil, yet innocent grin on her face. 
"Who me? Naaaaaaaah." then let out a huge belch in my direction and let out a 
loud cackling laugh as she clomped on the counter shaking uncontrollably.

 "Ugh! That's disgusting!" I said with an awkward face and an "I don't know 
you" look in my eyes.

Audrey, still recovering from laughing, looked up and said "I'd like to see 
you try that one day." she giggled "I'm trying to cheer ya up here misses." 
Audrey said "Now.... Where's the cereal" she mumbled as she shuffled through 
the cupboard. "Ah ha!" she suddenly choked out "Captain Crunch" 
"yummmmmmy..." she said as she did an impression of the "Homer Simpson" 
drool. "Cinnamonnnnnnn" she joked. I eyed her trying hard not to let a laugh 
escape my lips. "Uh-uh I see a smile!" Audrey said as she pointed to me. I 
stared at Audrey with my hands cuffed around my mouth." I giggled softly as 
my body jolted back and forth "I knew it haha!" Audrey said aloud with a 
triumphant tone in her voice, "I'm so good!" Audrey said aloud "Now. Stomach 
the food is comin' hold your griping'." Audrey joked in a 'Texan' accent 
again pretending her stomach was alive. I rolled my eyes at my friend's 
weird, yet stylish sense of humor.

 "You truly make me question myself at times as to why we are best friends." 
I joked 

"Uh...I'm hurt! The audacity! The nerve!" Audrey said sarcastically and 
quickly turned her back facing the kitchen window "Wow." Audrey said suddenly 
"I never noticed how beautiful this place was." Audrey said again in a daze. 
It truly was beautiful. The sun was just rising and soft colors of purple, 
pink, orange, and yellow splashed the sky with a gentle whisper. The 
mountain's snow sparkled with the sudden touch of the warm sun light. 

"Ya, but not without Justin." I suddenly said aloud-breaking Audrey's 
concentration 

"Mandy, be strong I know it's tough...believe me it's tough for ALL of us." 
Audrey said softly with a touch of sorrow in her voice. Audrey suddenly 
straightened up for she didn't mean to let that come out.

"Audrey, I think you miss him too...I mean as much as me." I looked at my 
friend with a suspicious eyebrow raised 

"Mandy...I do miss Lance, but I know that I have to keep strong." "I keep 
telling myself it's only going to be a few more days that's what keeps me 
going." "Now be strong" "Be all that you can be" Audrey said in a deep manly 
voice copying a famous statement from the  'United States Army' commercial.

 "That was cheesy." I said laughing 

"Well, thank you, I try." Audrey replied in a thankful manor. "Besides, in 
two weeks they'll be back and we'll have them all to ourselves ALONE in this 
cabin by the fire!" Audrey said sexily "Think of the possibilities! 
GrOoOoOOwl" Audrey let out her famous statement that made me laugh once more. 
"Now how about some of that Hazel nut coffee." Audrey said.

 "Yumm. That would be nice." I let out a comfortable warm, smile. As the 
aroma of coffee suddenly filled the small room and tickled their noses with 
its sudden presence.

 "Comin' right up!" Audrey said as she turned away not wanting me to see the 
tears that suddenly formed in her eyes as she had been gazing at a picture of 
Lance over my shoulder the whole time.

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