skinny || h.s. au [Rewrite Now Up!]

fortynine

Harry's eyes flick over to the clock every few minutes. He may be running on a treadmill, but he can multitask, right?

If anything, his mind sure can. As it tells his legs to push faster to catch up to the speed of the girl next to him, he simultaneously thinks about twenty seven minutes from now when the bell will ring.

And an hour from now. Oh the things that could happen an hour from now.

"Is that all you got?" Marley interrupts his thoughts. And good thing because it might be embarrassing to work out with a hard on.

Marley turns up the speed of her treadmill until her brisk jog is nearly a run. Harry does the same. "Not even close."

And game on.

Game.

On.

"Yeah, well... let's see... how you feel... about it in... a few minutes." She smiles, her breathing interrupting her sentences at labored intervals.

Harry just smiles. But doesn't push faster than her speed. She would surely try to keep up and he doesn't want her to pass out. "I could go like this... for hours, baby."

That word.

Marley doesn't say anything. She sort of can't between the way that word makes her feel and the breath required for her physical exertion.

After a while, Marley can feel her body catching up with her. Her head feels light and her legs start to feel numb. For a while she tries to push herself to stay at the same speed. But she can't. Her body doesn't have the right nutrients to give her the energy.

Reluctantly, she slows the treadmill a few notches.

Harry doesn't mock her like she assumed he would. He slows his pace to hers. And doesn't say anything.

Marley looks at the clock. They have about twenty minutes before class ends.

If you keep running you'll burn more calories.

Her head feels even lighter now. And she knows she can't go for much longer, even at this pace. Maria doesn't understand.

Maria never understands.

Keep going. Don't slow down! What are you doing? FASTER!

Marley tries to keep up with Maria's demands. And turns the treadmill a single notch faster just to please her.

Think of the calories. The fat you're burning. Think of what you'll become if you stop. Fat and ugly. That's what you'll be.

And Marley doesn't want that. But she can't take this pace.

Harry nearly jumps when Marley suddenly hits the emergency stop on her treadmill. And leans against the side handle as she tries desperately to breathe normally.

"Are you okay?" He asks. Stops his own treadmill before coming to her side.

"I...just..." She can hardly speak.

"What happened?" He asks. The crease between his eyebrows deepens in concern for the girl with crystal blue eyes that remind him of icicles and frost bitten noses. "Are you okay?"