Sun Child |✔|

|23|

But these are days we dream about, 

when the sunlight paints us gold. 

***

"Lexie, hey Lexie."

I groan softly, digging myself deeper in bed as I try to fight off the voice that is calling for me to wake up.

Suddenly I'm thrown to the side, the blankets violently ripped away from me.

"Get up Lexie."

I open my eyes to see Atlas there, standing over me.

"Atlas, it's," I gasp looking at the clock next to me, "It's almost 5:30 in the morning Atlas."

"I know. Now get up."

I stare at him a few seconds more before sighing and getting out of the bed.

He sits down, crossing his arms as I stand there, confused.

I hold out my arms, "Now what?"

He gives me a disbelieving face, "Get dressed."

I sigh and repress my groan, picking at random a black and white stripped dress with a red belt to match.

I emerge from the bathroom to find Atlas shaking his head, "No, put on pants. Something you can climb in." I press my lips together, not knowing if this much violence has ever been stored within my body before.

Following his words though, I take out a light green shirt and a pair of black and white polka dot capri pants.

Atlas raises an eyebrow at my outfit, "Are those pajama bottoms?" I throw my hands in the air.

"I won't change for a third time."

His eyebrows raise in surprise but he doesn't say anything more as he grabs my hand and leads me out the room.

I look at our laced fingers, a heat wave traveling up my arm from the contact.

The house is silent.

Anybody with half a brain would be asleep now.

Atlas leads me outside, opening the passenger door to his truck for me.

"Is this the date? It's already started?" I look down at my outfit, wondering if I should have changed for a third time.

"Yes."

I glance at the house as we drive away. So much for changing.

We drive in silence for almost ten minutes before Atlas turns off the main road, and onto a small dirt one.

Slowly he comes to a stop.

"Come on," he holds his hand out, helping me to the ground as he closes the door behind.

And then we walk.

I say a silent thank you to Jay for putting some small muscle on me within the short week I was with him.

However after a few minutes of climbing up hill, I'm breathing hard, trying to remember Jay's words of 'in through the nose- out through the mouth.'

Atlas glances back at me and sighs.

"We won't make it at this rate."

I look up in confusion, but before I can say anything he grabs me, tossing me over to let me hang onto his back.

"Wha-, Atlas!"

He ignores my cries and presses onwards, up and up the trail, no sign of heavy breathing or exhaustion with my added weight.