Identity

Chapter 5: The Run

Saturday, July 8th....
*First Draft*

Knocking on the door of the quant two-story house no more than two blocks from mine, I rest my left shoulder up against the wall as I wait. I fold my arms over my 'I Don't Exercise' pink and black tank top, not bothering to cover the sudden yawn that's broken out.

I suppose staying up until 1 A.M watching Breaking Bad with mom and getting up at 8 was a bad idea on my end. No pun intended. Which then I ended up walking to the Patricks' house because Mom was dead to the world and I didn't have the heart to wake her.

It was only a fifteen minutes walk, but damm, maybe that wasn't such I good thing to do before running....at least when it comes to me that is. Not to mention I haven't had breakfast yet because I can't eat before running unless I want to get a seriously bad cramp. No thanks.

So why don't you just call me grouch this morning?

There's the sound of a lock sliding out of place before the door is pulled open, revealing a stoic Drew dressed in blue and black running shorts, a black tee, and Nike tennis shoes, looking far more awake than I feel right now.

His eyes quickly skim over my own outfit before he raises an eyebrow. "You look like you fell in a hole and died." He deadpans, face blank. I groan, letting my head fall down to my chest. "I'm not a morning person, okay?"

Nadine suddenly pops up from Drew's left, stopping next to him as she smiles at me. "Nicki, good morning!" She beams like it's not 8:56 in the morning. She wraps her blue nightgown tighter around her before looking up at Drew, who's still standing in the doorway. "And Drew, be nice." She chastises, making me smile.

Drew looks out the door before rolling his eyes. "Alright. Well, we're going now." He grabs something to his right, keeping his face impassive as he walks through the doorway and past me without giving either of us a second glance.

He doesn't waist a second, now does he?

"Take it easy today, Drew!" Nadine calls after him, stepping partially out the door. Drew does a half-wave, without turning around, to signify he heard her, still heading down the sidewalk. She stares after him with worried eyes, her jaw set. She seems to suddenly remember I'm standing next to her.

"Well, have fun I suppose." She smiles softly. "I'm glad you're going with him." She almost whispers, a gentle look growing in her eyes. I blink a few times, sure there's some double meaning to what she just said.

I've got nothing.

"Well," she suddenly perks up, turning to head back in the house. "I'll have cinnamon rolls ready by the time you get back." She winks at my baffled look. "Cat already told me you haven't eaten yet." And with that she shuts the door, leaving me standing at her doorstep, yearning for this run to be over already.

Why did I agree with this again.....Oh wait, you're the one who set it up. Duh.

I blow a loose strand of hair out of my face, huffing in annoyance. Trotting down the two front steps, I pick my head up, locking my eyes on the retreating back of Drew, who's already at least three hundred feet away.

Speed walking to catch up to him, I pull my iPod and earphones out of my poor excuse of a pocket, unwinding the earphones from around it. Falling in step beside Drew, I see he already has his earphones in his ears, his attention down on his dark iPhone's screen.

Geez, he has that down on like, as dark as possible. How do you even see anything?

Before I can try to make anything out on the screen to prove my hypothesis, he presses the off button, quickly shoving it down in the large pocket his shorts provide, unlike mine. Completely unfair.