Shutout

Inconveniences

"Aw, a kiss on the cheek? You're adorable!" Briar exclaimed, reaching out to squeeze Rmona's cheeks like a grandma. Ramona rolled her eyes, not bothering to look over at whatever patronizing face Briar was making.

"Shut up. Can you pick up the pace? A fifteen minute mile is amateur territory." Not being able to call the previous day, Briar opted to catch up on Ramona's weekend events via a pre-school run. Ramona speeds up and pulls a few feet ahead of Briar. A few feet quickly turned into ten feet and counting.

"I am an amateur! This is torture. Why would you ever do this everyday? I think you might be insane." Briar says, groaning. She swiftly sprints to catch up with Ramona, heavily panting in the process.

"Yeah well, if you don't hurry it up we're gonna have to go to school looking like this." Briar takes one second to look down at her giant pair of sweats and sweat stained hoodie and quickly begins running faster. But her new found 'motivation' only lasts a few minutes before Briar stops, placing her hands on her knees and breathing hard. "That must've been at least a mile, I need a quick break."

"We've literally run down one block." Ramona turns her head to look back at where Briar is paused. Although apparently, running while looking backwards isn't the best idea. One dangerously placed rock and Ramona's ankle twists right under her. It only takes a second for the rest of her body to crumple down on top of it.

"Briar rushes over to where Ramona fell, Fuck, Ramona, are you okay?"

"That's my second fall in like two weeks, I quit running."

"No you don't." Briar knows Ramona would probably brink on an actual psych-ward level of insanity if she didn't find peace in her morning runs.

"Yeah, I won't."

"But you're definitely gonna need to take a break."

"No. I'm fine." Ramona tries to stand up. "Fuck!" She exclaims as her ankle gives out immediately.

"Are you sure?"

"Help me up." Ramona concedes. Briar grabs Ramona's hands, pulling her off the ground and throwing one of her arms over her shoulder to support Ramona's bad side.

"Well we're definitely going to school like this now. You're lucky I love you, Romie. Anyone else and I'd leave you here for the wolves." Briar and Ramona hobble over to Ramona's house, it being the closer option between both of their dwellings. By some miracle they just happen to intersect Lucas on his way to get in the car. He's got car keys and an english muffin smothered in butter in his hand.

Through his full mouth Lucas yells out, "Yo Mons I texted you like fifteen times, we gotta go." He throws his bag in the trunk of the car and inches closer to Ramona and Briar, giving them a slow up and down look. "Hey, why do you both look like shit?"

Ramona takes a swift step to push Lucas's shoulder but is rapidly reminded why she's been holding on to Briar for dear life. "Oh shit." Briar is reaching out to grab Ramona as she falls face forward. Lucas, the much stronger and quicker one in this situation, ends up coming to the rescue. He holds Ramona by the shoulders as she regains her balance.

"What happened?"

"I twisted my ankle on my run."

"You should get that checked out."

"You should mind your business." Ramona sneers.

"Tough words coming from the girl who just fell into my arms."

Ramona rolls her eyes, from the frequency she repeats this gesture you'd think her eyes would be stuck at the back of her head by now. "We're gonna be late. I need to get my bag. And we need to stop by Briar's so she can get hers too."