When The Lights Go Out
The Car Ride
I woke up before the sun this morning, feeling exhausted and achy. It's my own fault though. I was the one who decided to add an extra two miles to my run yesterday. Let me tell you, not the best idea I've ever had.
But as I walked back into my room, after showering away my aches and pains, I couldn't help but smile. Because outside my window, was the sun, shining in beautiful shades of pink and orange. My day has already gotten ten times better, and it's barely even started.
As I sat down on my bed to put on my beat-up black Converse, my phone vibrated, moving slightly across my nightstand. I finished tying the laces on my left shoe before picking up the buzzing object, pressing 'select' and placing the phone to my right ear.
"Hey, what's up?" I asked, knowing it was my best friend without having to look at the screen.
"Nothing, really," she replied. "But I'm getting ready to head out the door. So, I'll be there in like, five minutes?"
I looked at the clock and laughed. "Bekah. It's 6:30. We don't have to be at school until quarter of eight."
"Eh, I know. But aren't you already showered and dressed?" I could just see her smirking knowingly on the other end.
"Yes," I laughed and put my phone on speaker as I leaned down to finish tying my other shoe. "Come on over. Have you eaten, yet? I was just getting ready to make some pancakes."
"Mmm, pancakes. And no, I haven't. So, I'll be expecting a plate full of them, hot and ready, when I get there." I could hear her laughing and starting her car through the speaker.
"Okay. I'm gonna go now. I don't want you crashing and dying." Although I know that she wouldn't crash her car even if she was on the phone, putting on make-up and changing the song on her iPod, all at the same time.
"Haha," she sarcastically laughed. "Okay, mom. I'll see you in a few."
"Kay. Bye." I laughed and waited for her to respond before hanging up my phone. I walked over to my desk and looked through my collection of CD's. "There you are," I said, grabbing The Maine's newest album Black & White. Bekah brought me to a concert of theirs for my birthday last year and I immediately fell in love.
Also grabbing my stereo, I made my way downstairs to start making breakfast with a smile on my face.
While I was pouring the pancake batter onto the griddle and singing along to Give It To Me, I heard the door open indicating Bekah had arrived.
I took a break from my singing to greet her and I saw the large smile on her face as she sang along as well and looked down at the slightly bubbling batter. I laughed and continued to pour a few more liquid pancakes on the hot griddle before flipping a few, revealing a buttery golden brown. Smiling at the fact that I didn't burn any yet, I turned to my friend.
"So, how are you this lovely morning, darling?" I smiled as she chuckled at my overly chipper greeting.
"I'm doing rather well," she smiled as I laughed at her cheesy English accent. "But I do have to say, I'm rather hungry. So you better get flipping those pancakes, missy." I laughed and she stuck her tongue out at me in response.
"Well, they can only cook so fast!" I flipped a few more before checking the ones that were already flipped. "But apparently it's your lucky day," I said as I placed the ones that were done on a red plate, handing it to her.
"Yay!" She smiled and put butter and syrup on them, grabbing a fork from the drawer to my left and digging in. "Thank you!" She said with a mouthful of pancakes.
I laughed as I put the rest of the pancakes on another plate, turning off and unplugging the griddle. I sat down across from her after putting butter and syrup on my own pancakes.
"So," she said after swallowing a rather large bite. "How are you?"
"I'm pretty good. Kinda sore from my run yesterday, but other than that, good." I smiled and ate another forkful.
She laughed. "Well, that's what you get for adding two extra miles at once, instead of gradually working your way up." She took another bite and waited until she swallowed to continue talking. "You should know better than to push yourself too hard. But, you should be fine by tomorrow. Which is good news," she smiled.
"And why is that?" I asked slowly, knowing that smile. It was the one she used when she was about to suggest something I most likely would not want to do, but would end up doing it anyways. She can be very persuasive.
"Well, it just so happens that there's a party on Friday. And today's only Tuesday, that's more than enough time for your body to be back to normal. So I don't want to hear any excuses. You're coming." Sticking her tongue out she sat back in her chair. She folded her arms with a smirk on her face, just daring me to have a comeback.
But I didn't have one. So I just made a face at her and brought both of our plates to the sink. I rinsed them off with hot water and put them, along with our silverware, in the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
I looked to the clock on the microwave, and saw the glowing green numbers. Turning to Bekah I said, "We should probably leave soon. It's 7:18."
"Okey doke," she said, standing up. "I just gotta use the bathroom first, and then we'll head out."
I laughed at her as she started to dance around. "Okay. Go ahead. I still have to get my stuff together." She nodded and ran around the corner to the bathroom in the hallway. I ran up the stairs and grabbed my backpack and purse, also checking my make-up in the mirror. When I got downstairs, Bekah was waiting by the door holding her keys.
"Ready?" She asked me, jingling her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles keychain in my face. I laughed and nodded, pushing the assorted keys and ninja turtle faces away from my eyes.
In the car, we listened to a playlist of assorted bands and such that we had made specifically for car rides. Currently playing was Hey Juliet by LMNT. Brings back memories, huh? I laughed as Bekah and I sang along to every word.
When the song was almost over, we were about to pass Bekah's house. She slowed down and honked the horn at her brother walking to his car. We smiled and waved to him and he turned and repeated the gestures as we drove by, continuing our journey to school.
But as I walked back into my room, after showering away my aches and pains, I couldn't help but smile. Because outside my window, was the sun, shining in beautiful shades of pink and orange. My day has already gotten ten times better, and it's barely even started.
As I sat down on my bed to put on my beat-up black Converse, my phone vibrated, moving slightly across my nightstand. I finished tying the laces on my left shoe before picking up the buzzing object, pressing 'select' and placing the phone to my right ear.
"Hey, what's up?" I asked, knowing it was my best friend without having to look at the screen.
"Nothing, really," she replied. "But I'm getting ready to head out the door. So, I'll be there in like, five minutes?"
I looked at the clock and laughed. "Bekah. It's 6:30. We don't have to be at school until quarter of eight."
"Eh, I know. But aren't you already showered and dressed?" I could just see her smirking knowingly on the other end.
"Yes," I laughed and put my phone on speaker as I leaned down to finish tying my other shoe. "Come on over. Have you eaten, yet? I was just getting ready to make some pancakes."
"Mmm, pancakes. And no, I haven't. So, I'll be expecting a plate full of them, hot and ready, when I get there." I could hear her laughing and starting her car through the speaker.
"Okay. I'm gonna go now. I don't want you crashing and dying." Although I know that she wouldn't crash her car even if she was on the phone, putting on make-up and changing the song on her iPod, all at the same time.
"Haha," she sarcastically laughed. "Okay, mom. I'll see you in a few."
"Kay. Bye." I laughed and waited for her to respond before hanging up my phone. I walked over to my desk and looked through my collection of CD's. "There you are," I said, grabbing The Maine's newest album Black & White. Bekah brought me to a concert of theirs for my birthday last year and I immediately fell in love.
Also grabbing my stereo, I made my way downstairs to start making breakfast with a smile on my face.
While I was pouring the pancake batter onto the griddle and singing along to Give It To Me, I heard the door open indicating Bekah had arrived.
I took a break from my singing to greet her and I saw the large smile on her face as she sang along as well and looked down at the slightly bubbling batter. I laughed and continued to pour a few more liquid pancakes on the hot griddle before flipping a few, revealing a buttery golden brown. Smiling at the fact that I didn't burn any yet, I turned to my friend.
"So, how are you this lovely morning, darling?" I smiled as she chuckled at my overly chipper greeting.
"I'm doing rather well," she smiled as I laughed at her cheesy English accent. "But I do have to say, I'm rather hungry. So you better get flipping those pancakes, missy." I laughed and she stuck her tongue out at me in response.
"Well, they can only cook so fast!" I flipped a few more before checking the ones that were already flipped. "But apparently it's your lucky day," I said as I placed the ones that were done on a red plate, handing it to her.
"Yay!" She smiled and put butter and syrup on them, grabbing a fork from the drawer to my left and digging in. "Thank you!" She said with a mouthful of pancakes.
I laughed as I put the rest of the pancakes on another plate, turning off and unplugging the griddle. I sat down across from her after putting butter and syrup on my own pancakes.
"So," she said after swallowing a rather large bite. "How are you?"
"I'm pretty good. Kinda sore from my run yesterday, but other than that, good." I smiled and ate another forkful.
She laughed. "Well, that's what you get for adding two extra miles at once, instead of gradually working your way up." She took another bite and waited until she swallowed to continue talking. "You should know better than to push yourself too hard. But, you should be fine by tomorrow. Which is good news," she smiled.
"And why is that?" I asked slowly, knowing that smile. It was the one she used when she was about to suggest something I most likely would not want to do, but would end up doing it anyways. She can be very persuasive.
"Well, it just so happens that there's a party on Friday. And today's only Tuesday, that's more than enough time for your body to be back to normal. So I don't want to hear any excuses. You're coming." Sticking her tongue out she sat back in her chair. She folded her arms with a smirk on her face, just daring me to have a comeback.
But I didn't have one. So I just made a face at her and brought both of our plates to the sink. I rinsed them off with hot water and put them, along with our silverware, in the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
I looked to the clock on the microwave, and saw the glowing green numbers. Turning to Bekah I said, "We should probably leave soon. It's 7:18."
"Okey doke," she said, standing up. "I just gotta use the bathroom first, and then we'll head out."
I laughed at her as she started to dance around. "Okay. Go ahead. I still have to get my stuff together." She nodded and ran around the corner to the bathroom in the hallway. I ran up the stairs and grabbed my backpack and purse, also checking my make-up in the mirror. When I got downstairs, Bekah was waiting by the door holding her keys.
"Ready?" She asked me, jingling her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles keychain in my face. I laughed and nodded, pushing the assorted keys and ninja turtle faces away from my eyes.
In the car, we listened to a playlist of assorted bands and such that we had made specifically for car rides. Currently playing was Hey Juliet by LMNT. Brings back memories, huh? I laughed as Bekah and I sang along to every word.
When the song was almost over, we were about to pass Bekah's house. She slowed down and honked the horn at her brother walking to his car. We smiled and waved to him and he turned and repeated the gestures as we drove by, continuing our journey to school.
♠ ♠ ♠
EDITED