location: somewhere in chestnut hill
availability: open | @philly-starters
It was a very distinct feeling, one that she used to get only on the odd occasion, say if Addie hadn’t slept very well the night before, or if she had somehow had too much caffeine, or when she was sick – the feeling that everything was too loud and too bright and that too many things were touching her all at once. The distinct feeling was that of true agitation, and though Addie was easily annoyed, she had been thankful that that kind of whole-body experience was one that rarely reared its head. That was, until after Jane had passed. Since then, Addie never slept well. She was drinking more caffeine in a day than she used to drink in a week. She always felt sick to her stomach. And suddenly, now that Jane was gone, everything was too loud and too bright and the whole world seemed to be caving in on her, crushing her.
Addie had just finished a shift at Adelina’s and was meant to be headed home for the evening, but she didn’t think she could stand having a conversation with her parents at the moment, so instead she was headed for the first quiet-ish looking place that she could find. It was dark outside, and despite it being January, she was still too worked up to wear her fuzzy coat that touched her in all the wrong ways, making her skin crawl. Instead, she held it folded over her arms, still heated enough from her near-meltdown that she couldn’t feel the chill of the air. She was so wrapped up in herself, staring in through the windows of each shop she passed, to notice the person in her way until she had bumped full on, face-first into them.
The words that should’ve been apologetic instead came out flustered and rude. “Um, hello! Is there a reason that the other side of the sidewalk isn’t good enough for you?”


















