Existence 01 - Existence

challenging question: Should high school students rely on the aid of coffee in the mornings? Real deep, huh?” I managed a laugh I didn’t feel and reached for my laptop.
    “I think we need to google this one. Because I for one think coffee is the nectar of the gods and, yes, we need it desperately. However, I’m thinking your teacher thinks differently.”
    Leif shrugged. “I hate the stuff so I’m no help. Do you really think the internet is going to have information on this?”
    I glanced over at him as I clicked enter. “Um, yes I do. We will have the health conscious groups’ arguments and Starbucks arguments both at our fingertips in just a second.”
    Leif leaned over, peered at the screen, and grinned. “Cool, so which side do I take for this speech?”

Chapter Fourteen
    The streets were already decorated with twinkling, white Christmas lights on every tree. Shop windows were decked out with holiday cheer. The streets smelled of warm fudge and mountain taffy from the candy shops littered around every corner. Snow was drifting down lazily and sticking to our coats as we walked the streets. Wyatt held five shopping bags already in his hands, full of Miranda’s purchases. An icy breeze made my numb nose throb. I ducked down into the scarf I’d wrapped around the bottom part of my face several times. I was not accustomed to this weather. Our winters in Florida never got this cold. Leif pulled me close to his side. “Come on, let’s go into this coffee shop and get something to warm us up.”
    “Good idea. I need a break from these bags and I’m pretty sure Miranda won’t find anything in there to buy.” I laughed at Wyatt through the scarf covering my mouth.
    I reached up and pulled it down, glancing up at him. “You’ve got to be kidding. You know she can find something in any store we step inside. So far we’ve been in five stores and you are holding five bags.”
    “Pish posh,” Miranda said with a wave of her furry gloved hand. “What are all these cute little stores for but to buy things?” Leif chuckled behind me and we all went over to a table. I sighed as the warmth of the coffee house seemed to thaw out my frozen nose. It was the only body part I hadn’t been able to cover up.
    “What do you want?” Leif asked, taking off his scarf and hanging it and his large black down coat on the chair beside me.
    “Caramel latte with whipped cream,” I replied. He turned and joined Wyatt at the counter and I glanced over at Miranda.
    “My nose feels as if it may fall off from frost bite,” I grumbled and rubbed it with my gloved hands.
    She nodded and rubbed hers as well. “I know what you mean. Now that I’m inside and not focused on the shopping, I feel the numbness.”
    I started to say something else when I noticed the soul standing at the counter watching people order with a confused expression. Now I knew what they were and why they always looked so lost and confused, and I wished I could do something to help them. They could have lived more lives if they’d only moved on. Instead, fear had held them back and all they could hope for was to wander, lost.
    “Who are you looking at as if you want to cry?” Miranda asked, poking her chin out over the scarf wrapped around her neck.
    I jerked my gaze away from the soul and stared back at her, “No one, I was just lost in thought.” Miranda glanced back over her shoulder but all she saw were Wyatt and Leif walking back toward us, holding steaming cups of coffee. Well, at least everyone’s but Leif’s, his would be hot chocolate.
    “Here we go. Let’s see if we can get the frozen blood in our veins moving again,” Wyatt said jovially as he put Miranda’s latte down in front of her. I took mine from Leif and took a small sip, needing to have some warmth flow through me. Miranda took her mug and held it to her nose. I giggled and Wyatt rolled his eyes.
    “Laugh all you want but it feels good.” I studied my cup and decided I didn’t care how silly she looked, I wanted to warm my nose too. The cup’s heat felt wonderful to my nose.
    “You Florida girls sure have a hard time with a little cold weather.”
    Miranda lowered her cup and stared at Leif incredulously. “A little cold? Are you crazy? It’s like thirty below out there!” She whined and held the cup back up to her nose.
    “Um, no. Actually, it’s only twenty degrees out there. Not even close to being below zero.”
    I put my cup back down on the table. “Um,