Mia & Joseph| (#Wattys2017)

« chapter four »

I bend down to tie my worn shoes. I catch a glimpse of the watch on my wrist reading that it was reaching five in the morning. The weather was getting warmer and the chilly pinch the wind gave my skin was perfect for running.

I didn't like worrying. It just wasn't something I did—or I didn't normally do. I was usually confident with my grades, school and whatever else a teenager could manage to worry about. But this time around, Joseph was on my mind and worry was written all over everything. Worrying about friends was typical, but when it came to Joseph the worry was ten fold.

I didn't want to worry though, and the only way I knew to shake the feeling was to run. Preferably run away from here.

I head to the door but before I could even reach to open it, the door knob twists, clicks, and the door opens. I take a reflex step back, allowing the door to open more before my moms bright blonde hair shows from behind the threshold.

"Mom?" I say as she continues to slowly open the door, making zero noise. She snaps her head up towards me, hair flipping. While she widened her eyes at me, I squinted mine at her.

"Mia! Hi!" She whispers enthusiastically. She steps barefoot into the house, closing the door softly behind her. "Is your father up?" She asks as she sets her stilettos quietly on the floor. She stands up straight, flipping her messy waves over her shoulders. I shake my head, eyeing her eyes seeing that her makeup was smeared.

Once again, a million things crossed my mind. I had a thousand questions I wanted to ask her. Starting with where she had been until now and why she looked like she had just been to one of Jess' parties. Questions about her and dad arguing had been on my mind since I heard them 'arguing' last week about going somewhere. But I'd never been the one to muster up the courage to ask about it. Sierra was always the one to do those things. After seeing my parents fight when I was fourteen, I just liked to pretend the didn't.

Asking something about that wasn't easy for me; running was.

"Where are you headed?" She asks letting out a breath finally noticing me in my shorts and loose tee. I had my short blonde waves tied into ponytail at the nape of my neck with a couple strands escaping.

"Running." I answer side stepping her wanting to go more now than I had at any point this morning. She doesn't say anything in response, just nods giving me a small smile as she made her way past me.

I had decided not to run into old Rivers Edge. I saved those runs for the unbearable nights where my thoughts enabled me to sleep. But this particular morning, I couldn't get back to sleep. So beginning down the street, I begin to play my usual music and prepared myself to oppress everything that had been bothering me.

Getting to school a little late, I'm forced to skip the usual morning hangout we usually have and just go to my locker. I had seem to lost track of time while running, which was a typical thing for me, and had to sprint to school.

I've always kept a spare change of clothes in my locker. Ever since I so desperately needed some when Miles accidentally spilled chocolate milk on my white shirt a couple years back, I made sure I always had extra clothes. I also needed them for occasions like this, when I didn't want to wear sweaty running clothes throughout the school day.

Closing my locker door, ready to sprint to the bathroom, I'm more than surprised when I see Joseph coming down the almost empty hall with a girl tied to his hip. I watched as he looked down at her with his arm around her shoulder, both laughing. It didn't take too long for him to look ahead and when he did, his smile faded and his footsteps haltered.

They weren't but a couple yards from me and I could clearly hear the girls confused words. She looks at me when she realizes who Joseph was looking at, smile dropping as well.