My distaste for Josh doesn't change by the end of day one, or week one, or month one. All I want is that college response that hasn't come yet! But, it's fine. I get decent pay and the customers aren't all that cranky anyways.

What I can't get over is everyone ordering this fake soft serve ice cream. What is it with that? Is it cheap? All it tastes like is cold frosting. Granted, that probably wouldn't taste all that bad but it isn't ice cream!

August draws near, and I begin to wake up earlier in the mornings then I want to. The anticipation of the berry harvest is gnawing at my nails, but there are no berries around this pathetic city that haven't been shipped from china. So fed up with this change, I bike out towards the edge of town after work one day to maybe find some peace and quiet like back on the home farm. 

But, to my disappointment, out there is just filled with sounds of larger engines then a lot of small ones. Building projects and planes are more plentiful then trees or animals. Nothing is right about the city. No one should be forced to live in these terrible locations of human enrichment. It's all a big, fat, lie.

I scream into the air, my lips closing again when tears fill my eyes. I want home. I want to move on with life. I want to stop acting like a baby. I want to succeed. I want my parents happy. I want berry ice cream. 

And with that thought, a hand comes onto my shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?" Comes a females voice. 

I just let more hair fall around my face without responding.

"You seem lonely," She continues, taking a seat in the grass next to me. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" I notice that there is a hint of an accent in her voice. Something... Not from around here. Yet, I've never been great with accents.

I hesitate, biting the inside of my cheek instead of responding to her for a long moment. But she is patient, keeping her gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Ice cream..." I manage. She doesn't jump on it, maybe knowing that I wanted to be more specific with: "Mixed berry, homemade... ice cream."

"That sounds delicious. A family recipe, I presume?"

I give a small nod and I can somehow tell that she is smiling without even having seen her face yet. "You must've biked here." She states the obvious and I almost snicker but just nod again.

"I walked, so I hope you don't mind that someone will have to walk your bike. But my car is not too far from here, I could bring you to my grand mamas place," she offers sweetly.

"You sure about that?" I ask, pushing the hair out of my face. Her soft spoken words had stopped my tears, but I have a sinking suspicion that they will be back to haunt me sooner or later. 

"Of course I am! And if you need to tell someone you will be gone, I have my phone in the car too." Ah, shoot. I had left my phone at home this morning! I really hope my parents aren't freaking out right now...

That thought alone almost brings the tears back but I bite my cheek and withhold them. After a moment, I take a liberty to look at over my shoulder at the girl. She appears to be younger then myself, maybe fifteen or sixteen. But her voice soothed my broken heart, and I couldn't deny her offer. 

"Yea, I will call them when we get to your car," I say. She seems a little surprised that I am a young woman, maybe she was expecting us to be a year or two closer in age. "And, I can walk my own bike."

She nods. "My name is Jessie, but feel free to call me Jess or Swiss."

"Why Swiss?" I giggle.

She chuckles. "Old family joke to my grandmother who's middle name was Swiss."

"That's really sweet," I comment and she smiles. "We should start walking."