"Mimzy!"

I stopped on the corner of Main and 54th, looking for whatever being dared to pull my out of my dazed walk to Mona's Café. The morning was rough and cold, the wind flying by and piercing through my bright red scarf. I'd had a terrible night's sleep, a nightmare I couldn't remember, and could feel how heavy my body was from lack of sleep. Above the busy heads of the pedestrians, one mop of brown curls bobbed through, shoving past the unhappy bystanders. My annoyed feelings went away as Nikki jumped up beside me.

"Mona's?"

I nodded, and turned my face up to the electronic hand that forbade us to move. I could feel Nikki beside me, bubbling over with a coffee to-go cup already in her hand. She was my height, fairly, and her brown curls were streaked with red. Today she wore a simple black coat and green scarf, with adorable black and white leggings. I felt like a total slob in my layered sweatpants and coat.

The light winked into a walking man, and the traffic slowed to let us walk by. Nikki was in-step beside me, chattering about the amazing cookies her mom baked and how I needed to try one. Honestly, I was trying harder to focus on not being run over by the swarm of pedestrians that came at us either way. An older guy elbowed my in the ribs and I swore under my breath. Nikki had gone up ahead, talking to someone she must have thought was me. Someone else stepped on the back of my shoe, and I turned to try and find out who it was just as another person ran into my shoulder. I stumbled to the right, tripping through the crowd until I fell out into the street.

Pushing myself up, I brushed off the grime and whatever the heck that was from my coat. My palms stung and I brushed off the gravel. A lady behind me screamed. Bright yellow lights filled my vision as the taxi came barreling towards me. And, doing what every human did when they thought they could stop their oncoming death, I threw my hands up over my face.

Something latched around my waist, jerking me to the side and deeper into the traffic. Horns blared all around me and voices rose in the air. The presser around my waist pulled me aside as a caravan swerved. If I had stayed where I was, I would have died for sure.

The pavement beneath my feet was slick with ice. I flailed my arms around, trying to keep my balance as the cars kept honking and screeching and swerving around me. Falling on my butt, I slid and rolled beneath a parked car. I lost my cap to a mud puddle and a very angry driver.

Boots stepped around the car I was under, a very clean pair of UGGS in particular. Nikki dropped to her knees and reached her hand out for me.

"Oh my gosh! Mimzy!" Nikki set me up against the hull of the car. My heart pounded in my eardrums. I set a hand on my stomach. The pressure there was gone. Other people swarmed around me, asking if I was alright or cussing me out for jumping out in the middle of traffic.

"She didn't jump, asshole," someone stated firmly, shutting the younger woman up. The speaker was lost in the crowd.

"Are you alright?"

"Do you need a doctor?"

"Yes, 9-1-1?"

I sat up suddenly, eyes wide. "No, no, I'm fine! Good, all's good."

Some of the bystanders, their worries dismissed, walked away to continue on with their day. An elderly woman stayed behind for a moment, patted my hand and gave me a butterscotch, and left me with Nikki. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"That," she huffed, her breath coming out in a white cloud, "was. Freaky. Mim, you could've died!"

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't, huh?" I tried to laugh but I came out all choked and warbled. The tears filled my eyes before I could help it, and I did my best to hold them back. Nikki frowned and hugged me, and I breathed heavily into her shoulder. That… that was freaky. It happened in slow motion. I saw the cars, the lights, heard everyone screaming… It took me a second to realize that I had screamed, right before I rolled under the car. I pulled away quickly, embarrassed at my reveal of emotion. Nikki smiled, and stood, lifting me up with her.

"Alright. Off to get a double shot of espresso."

I laughed. "Definitely."