Trying to Find a Way

Chapter seventeen

Troy and I watch Paul leave our driveway.

"That was the most awkward dinner I have ever been to." Troy confesses.

"Don't worry. I had the same feeling." I reply to him.

We go up to my room and lay down; my head on his chest and his hand around my waist.

"I think we are the laziest couple on Earth. All we do is lay around and eat." I say to Troy.

I feel him laugh under me.

"Now that I will agree on." He said as he laughs.

We lay in comfortable silence for a while.

"Do you want to go running with me tomorrow? I know you're really good. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow." Troy broke the silence.

I think about it for a minute. I guess I'll go.

"Sure." I say.

"We should get some sleep." Troy suggested.

I nod.

I curl up beside him.

"Love you." Troy whispers.

"Love you too." I reply.

I fall into a dreamful night.

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I wake up to the sun in my eyes.

I groan a complaint to the sun, wanting it to go away.

"Good morning beautiful." Troy whispers in my ear.

I decide we both need a wake up call.

"Good morning!" I scream.

Troy winces at the loudness of my voice.

"Well now I know not to say good morning to you." Troy mumbles.

I laugh and peck his lips.

"Ready for that run?" I ask excitedly.

He nods and slips into his room with ease.

I go through my closet and pick out work out pants that will keep me warm. I slip on three layers of different shirts that'll keep me warm enough.

I go into the bathroom and brush my teeth. After I brush my hair out of the knots that made its way through my hair. I pull up my hair into a high pony tail.

My body makes its way to my drawer and pick out socks and grab my sneakers.

As I tie the laces, Troy makes his way into my room. He is wearing jogging pants and a sweatshirt.

"Come on slow poke!" Troy jokes.

I finish tying the laces and look up at him.

"I'm ready." I say to him.

We make are way down the stairs.

"Where are you two going?" My mom asked us as she makes herself breakfast.

"We're going for a run." I say to her.

Her face goes up into a smile.

"Okay. Be careful!" She says.

I nod and walk out the door with Troy.  I could see my breath as I walk into the cold air.

"I'll lead." He said.

I agree and we start out with a slow jog.

I pace myself and my breathing.

I watch the sky as the clouds pass by. All the different shapes and sizes. What look like animals, or faces, it's amazing.

I zone looking up into the sky. My focus is on it.

"Carolina?"

The sky is talking to me?

"Carolina?" Troy asked.

My eyes go on him.

"Sorry. I guess I zoned out." I reply.

Suddenly I'm embarrassed.

"It's fine. I want to tell you to tell you that we are going right." He says.

I nod and follow him.

Troy slows his pace a little but I keep going.  Running makes me feel free, it's a stress reliever.

"Carolina!  Lets take a break." Troy says as he breaths.

His breaths are hard and rapid, he needs to slow it down.

"You need to slow your breathing down." I say to him.

"Follow my breaths." I say to him.

I take his hand and put it by my collar bone.  I take a deep breath in, Troy copies my motion.

I repeat this until Troy's breathing regularly.

"Thank you." He says with a smile.

"No problem.  Just keep a pace for when you run.  You don't want to go to fast. Where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see." He says and starts to jog again.

I push my legs to catch up with him. 

A gust of wind comes and whips my pony tail around.  I feel like I'm in a movie, in slow motion and my hair is going back and forth.

We make a left.  I have never been down this place before.  I don't dare to ask where we are going because he would not answer me. 

We make another right and soon we are by a lake.  It is frozen over by thick ice.

"Why are we at a lake?" I ask and look towards him.

Ice skates are in his hands.  Where'd he get those?

"Um what are those?" I point at the ice skates.

"Ice skates." He simply replies.

"Why do you have them?" I question.

"We are going ice skating!" He said excitedly.

Troy hands me the skates.  I take off my sneakers and place my foot into the skate.  After I finish putting them on, I wait for Troy.

"Get up." Troy says to me.

I give him a 'are you serious' look.

He nods.

With shaky legs, I try to get up.  The key word is try.  I fall hard on my butt.

"Ow." I yell.

Troy starts to laugh at me and helps me up.  He is so balanced!

He brings me over to the ice and glides onto it with ease.  I on the other hand, is holding onto Troy like my life depended on it.   Troy vibrates with laughter.

He only both of my hands and spins backwards facing me.

"How are you so good?" I question.

"I used to skate for competitions." He answered.

"Really?" I ask.

He nods and smiles.

I could never see Troy being in the skating business.

He helps me glide around the ice.  Troy even showed me how he flips into the air.

He spins around the ice lost in the moment.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him.  He was amazing.

Troy goes on and around the ice.  I wanted to save the moment so I recorded it.

"Hey!  Are you recording me?" He yells as he glides towards me.

I nod and smile.

I guess you learn something new everyday.