Hot N Cold

"I should know that you're no good for me," she said, starting to walk away. He started after her, reaching out just in time to brush his fingertips against her arm. She stopped, turning and glaring at him, clearly unimpressed. "It's over," she said, forcefully snatching her arm away, out of his reach.
"Please," he said, trying to hide the desperation from his voice. "Give me another chance, or,"" she said, seeing she was about to move again, "at least let me explain."
"What is there to explain?" she asked, arms folded across her chest, brow raised. "You're moody all the time Brady, and there's only so much of it I can take. I've had enough."
"There's a reason for it," he said.
She didn't move a muscle and neither of them said anything until she finally broke the silence. "Well?" she adjusted her stance so there was more weight on one foot than the other as she waited.

Here was his chance. Maybe the last. To explain, to tell her the truth. Yet, he stood there, frozen, silent.
"You're hot than you're cold, you're yes than you're no, you're in than you're out..." she took a breath. "But what gets me most is, you're up than you're down. I feel like I'm stuck on a roller coaster Brady,, and I can't get off this ride. " When she finally spoke, it all came spilling out like the lid had been taken off of a bottle and it was overflowing. "I should know that you're not gonna change."
"No, but I  can't help it, though I try." He finally managed to get out a few words. Her arms tightened across her chest. She'd give him a few more seconds, she decided, because she was kind.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, reluctantly but finally meeting her eyes. "Jen, there's something you should know." Here goes, he though, firmly gulping down his nerves. "I have bipolar disorder," he said, breathing a sigh of relief that he'd finally managed to get the words out. "That's why I'm always so hot n' cold."

As he met her eyes once more, any nerves that he'd had a moment ago dissipated completely. All judgement in her face had gone and her hard expression had softened. "Brady, why didn't you tell me this before?" she asked, stepping forward and touching his arm. "You should have told me long before now! I was starting to think the confident, bubbly you was an act to reel girls in."
He let out a small chuckle. "No. You met me in one of my 'up' phases Jen, but then I got stuck on a 'down'. I'm sorry yo had to deal with me like that so early on," he said, smiling at last. "But you have to know something."
"Mmm.." she murmured, leaning lovingly into him as they walked.
"You played a big role in pulling me up again."

Find Your Way

Glued to the spot, she looked around her, eyes widening at the sea of unfamiliar people. A moment ago, she had been following those oh so familiar bright blue sneakers, her hand firmly clasped in someone else's so this very thing would not happen. She had always been taught that when you get lost, don't move from the same spot you were in and look around. She couldn't move anyway, the sea was that dense. Every person seemed to blur into the next until all she seemed to be able to see was a huge blur of colour. 

She closed her eyes and the sea disappeared into complete blackness. She stood still like that a moment, her sole focusing on breathing. In, out, in, out. She relaxed a great deal when she opened her eyes and the sea of people had disappeared completely. 

The peace, however, only lasted a brief moment before the swarm of buzzing began in her mind. Thoughts. Many, many thoughts, swirling around in her mind. So many that it seemed nearly impossible to distinguish between them or pull any one from the pile. So many that she felt sure her head would soon explode from the pressure. 

She looked behind her warily at the clear, though dark path with the spooky air about it and shuddered as the chills ran their way down her spine. That was one thing gone. She knew, for sure, that she didn't want to go back that way. So, that left the maze of paths before her, of which there were several. But the real question is, which to take. 

Again, she closed her eyes and took a breath. Long ago, the path had been easier. There'd been that bright blue sneaker clad figure with their hand outstretched toward her. Now, that figure did not stretch their hand out toward her, but instead stood on the sidelines, watching. "sometimes, you have to get lost to find your way." that same figure had once told her. 

"Well, I'm definitely lost!" she said out aloud, folding her arms across her chest as her eyes slowly scanned each of the paths in front of her. She knew continuing to stand there would not get her anywhere. She had to take a path. But which one?