OXRO: Insubordination

Chapter 17

The metal 'Z' attached to the birch door was a clue to who would be lying on the other side. She took a quick breath not fully prepared for the version of her old friend she was going to encounter but took solace in the glimpse of him she caught at Midnight. He was fierce, protective, and noble. His name may be different, his memories recrafted but the core of him remained the same. Her Eric was still there and she was going to get him back and get them off that deleterious campus.

The doorknob twisted silently and she was thankful that the hinges didn't scream as she cracked the door and slipped her shivering body in. Darkness shrouded the generous second-floor room avoiding her the privilege of regarding the photographs and posters on the wall to examine if the boy she knew had the same taste as the one sleeping soundly in the queen-sized bed. She caught the familiar lingering of maple and honey and wondered if it was the same shower gel she brought him eight Christmases ago that made him the essence of a warm kitchen after a day of baking during a cold winter's day. She loved that smell, it reminded her of home, comfort, and admiration.

She held her temple still gripping the doorknob. The faint aroma fluttering around her created waves of pain as a vivid image played in her mind. Her eyes snapped shut as she gnashed her teeth through the ache and let the memories carry her into another time. A time from her past. A time that was scrubbed from her previous consciousness. Though it was a memory, she could feel the sting of the sun against her arm, the line of sweat sliding down her back, and the languidness of her calves as she grinned at the olive hued guy before her. He was spewing nonsense but it still piqued her interest.

******

"You want me to crawl on the ground like a cub?" She said slowly hoping her restating the words that were illustrated with him giving her an example in the grassy field where they stood would help him realize just how asinine his latest exercise was. "Am I getting that right?"

Eric nodded, fastening his hands to his waist which was a shock to her. She was sure his palms would slide right off from the film of sweat sheathing his torso. She wondered why he was sweating so profusely. They were standing under the same blistering sun for the same amount of time but then again he was going at an intensity she refused to perform at triple-digit temperatures.

"Bear crawls," He eagerly nodded. "It's good at strengthening your core."

She patted her flat abs, "My core is great. Sit-Ups and planks work just fine for me."

"Just try one rep." He gestured to the ground. "You want to be the fastest on the track. You asked me to get you ready. It's summer, I could be spending my mornings all kinds of ways but I showed up for you."

She gave him a disbelieving look, "You're going to stand in front of me and lie; like exercising isn't your hobby."

"Fine." He fanned his arms out. "Pushing my body to the limit is the best feeling. I'm a freak like that."

"I guess I am, too." She squatted to the ground. "Show me what I'm supposed to do again."

******

"Are you okay?" The sincere words filled her ears causing her eyes to drag open and she realized his hands were keeping her from colliding with the floor. "Do you need some ibuprofen?"

She nodded. "Please." She needed something for the pain. The memories she could handle. She wanted to remember everything they took from her, the life she had but the pain was going to get in the way of her completing her mission. She couldn't deal with debilitating headaches and get to Vulture's Landing in time without casualties.