Free A Chance for Sunny Skies by Eryn Scott

helped him get his shoe out of the road."
    "A green shoe?"
    I nodded. "His friend was with him and... I freaked." My face got hot all over again. "I ran."
    God bless Rainy for not looking too surprised about the me running-and-being-athletic bit. She simply pressed her lips together. "Hmmm... was he cute?"
    My eyes focused on the ground, but I smiled despite myself. "Yeah."
    "And now you're trying to figure out what this means..." she pointed up at the sky, "to the universe." She pulled me to a stop.
    My smile disappeared. I let my arm go limp and drop away from hers. "There's nothing to figure out. I've ruined it. All of it. I turned my back on a vision. I'm pretty sure it means I lose that one. Maybe even the whole lot of them."
    Rainy grabbed me by the shoulders, surprising me. "No way!" she said.
    I jumped. "What?" I looked around, patted down my hair, expecting a huge spider or crazy bird to have nested there.
    "You didn't tell me the visions came with a rule book." She slapped my arm playfully.
    I squinted at her. "I -- I don't --" I stammered.
    "Oh!" She nodded. "So you're coming to this crazy conclusion all by yourself, with no evidence at all?" Rainy wrapped her arm back up in mine and started us walking forward again. "Stay positive. Things will work out. You'll see."
    I tried to let her words feel real, sink in, make a difference, but as Rainy and I walked past the place I'd seen the green shoe guy in the street, I couldn't tear my eyes away or seem to shake the feeling this might be one time that Rainbow Gold wasn't lucky.
     

 
7
     
    We parted at my building, sharing a quick smile and a wave. Something about the whole interaction just made me feel warm. Loved. This was what it was like to have friends. This was what I had been missing. This was what I had convinced myself I would never have.
    The universe had been damn right to mostly drown me.
    Walking back into work even felt different. Or was that the yoga? Was I standing straighter? Did I feel less jiggly? I'll tell you what, I felt good as I got back to my office and got to work. I mean, it was normal for me to feel pretty great when I sat down in front of a computer. Computers meant I was either at work (where I kind of rocked the whole captioning gig) or on the BBC message boards for my favorite shows at home (where people loved sunnygirl516 and looked forward to my witty insights on our favorite characters and their fictitious lives). Having that feeling in the rest of my life, from anywhere but behind a keyboard was an oddity, one I welcomed.
    The I-feel-taller-and-slightly-thinner sensation lasted until quitting time and I walked with my head up as I left for home. I think that might be why Amanda, my department-head spotted me as I passed by instead of ignoring me per usual.
    "Hey, um -- Sunny." Her eyes flicked down to a note or screen in front of her as she checked my name. "Spencer wants to see you." Her face smiled, but it looked like an apology.
    Was I in trouble? Shit, shit, shit.
    I shuffled into the elevator, poking the up button, instead of the down you-get-to-go-home button. By the time the elevator spit me out onto the right floor, I had myself convinced I was 1.) not in trouble, 2.) probably getting an award for something, and 3.) yes, some sort of award was on its way. Fitness during lunch award, presented with pride to Sunny Skies, girl whose life was turning around.
    So my shoulders were back and I stood straight, walking with a purpose, and knocked on his door right when his secretary showed me back instead of curling in fear for a few seconds like I normally did. I hadn't called this meeting, so I didn't know how to prepare myself, how to practice like Tim had taught me, but I was New Sunny. I had a friend; I was making some progress. The knowledge of all that helped me walk forward.
    "Come in."
    I poked my head in the door first. When he nodded at me, I slipped the rest of me in. "Amanda said you needed to see me, Sir?" I pressed my