Why They Call Me Gray

Day 2

Hit after hit I beat the punching bag. Punch after punch I tried to beat the thoughts away. It wasn't working. I hit harder, stinging my knuckles. But I still saw my fears painted in front of me, the same ones that Jack had spoken seven hours ago. My fear to get close to anyone, my fear to be seen, my fear of Jack. In my line of work there are only goodbye's. These fears are why I sit in the back and try to blend in. No one likes goodbye's, but if you aren't attached to anyone, then they are easier.

I'm getting attached. I can feel it starting. He wants to get closer, but I can't let him. I can't go through that. So I will push him away. That's what I have to do. But for some reason, I can't.

I hit the bag once more with all of my might and the cushion popped.

Great. I destroyed another punching bag.

I looked around. I had already exhausted the training platform, the treadmill, and now the punching bag. I looked at my watch.

1:06

I sighed. I was out of things to do here. I started unwrapping my hands and prepped for a night jog. That might help. There was no way I was getting any sleep tonight. I moved the punching bag over against the wall and left for a jog.

When I reached the park in the middle of campus I stopped, not to admire the scenery, but because I wasn't alone. There was a person over by the big tree in the center of the park. I moved closer staying close to the other trees so I would be hidden. The person seemed to be holding their phone up, looking for something, maybe better cell reception?

I watched closely, trying to find any defining features. The person, I'm pretty sure it's a guy, put their phone away for a second and effortlessly pulled himself up onto a branch of the big tree. But that wasn't what got my attention. It was what happened afterwards. The person pulled out the phone again and climbed up the tree with only one hand, while staring at the phone the entire time. The person would have to be extremely fit, balanced, and skilled in order to do that. I decided that I needed to move in closer.

Once I was about thirty feet closer I started to identify some defining traits that I could use to identify the person later. I found out that the person was definitely male. He had short blonde hair and... I stopped in my tracks. The person I was about to state that the guy was around 5'9''. I was describing Jack Cameron. I moved in closer while I was still trying to process the fact that the person in the tree was Jack, so I missed a branch and stepped on it by accident. It snapped under my foot making a loud sound that gave away my position. Jack's head whipped in my direction and he plopped down on the tree branch trying to make himself look less like a pro climber and more like a college kid looking for good cell reception.

My cover was blown so I had no choice but to walk out from under the cover of the tree and confront Jack. The very person I was trying to get off my mind. Nice.

"Hey Jack." I said as I walked up to the big tree. Jack jumped at the sound of my voice. He looked in my direction and smiled a forced smile.

"Hey Silver. WHat are you doing out this late?" I smirked.

"Says the guy in a tree." He held up his hands in defense.

"Touche." I smiled. Jack started climbing down the tree. Two-handed this time, might I add.

"You know, I've never seen anyone do that before." I said once he was back on the ground.

"Do what?" He said trying to figure out what I saw that was so amazing.

"Climb to the top of the tree." He interrupted me.

"Well, you haven't been here very long and..."