A Running Chance

Ipod? Check.

Cell phone? Check.

Note to parents? Check.

I couldn't help thinking that the last one wasn't really nesicary. If either of my parents came back while I was gone, they wouldn't even bother to read it, or really care about where I am. Shaking my head, I turned up my music incredibly loud and left my house at a fast jog, starting along the sidewalk towards the park.

I found my breathing pattern and my pace as I cleared the thoughts from my mind. The only words in my head were from the song that was playing. I relaxed into this familiar routine, the light sound of my footsteps, almost silent, the pounding of my heart, the music, the smoothness of my breathing...

...and a weird vibration coming from my pocket?

"Crap!" I said as I stumbled, but caught myself before i fell. I pulled out my phone and glared at it. The screen said that I had one new message. I sighed and opened it.

"hey Bee! grad partay 2nite. plz come? my house @ 7. only a few ppl nd no booze."

Smiling at Kayla's attempt to get me "out of my shell" and talk to people, I sent back; "i srsly doubt tht. but ok. mite be there late-ona run. cya there Kay!"

She sent back and "ok bye!" and I checked the time, 6:08, then put it away and continued on my run.

I finaly made it to the park and started running through the gardens. Reaching the end of th eshort garden path, I moved to the road circling the huge park. Once I hit the asphalt, I kicked it up to a sprint. Just as I change my breathing pattern to suit the new speed, I saw a group of boys around my age, 17, up ahead standing around a few motorcycles.

This was gooing to be great, I thought sarcastically. I kept my pace at my ground-eating sprint and fearlessly continued of my path of possible destruction. As I practicaly flew past them, one of them caught my gaze with his. Blazing green eyes made me stumble a bit, but I looked forward again and pushed myself to run even faster.

"Hey! Wait!" I heard a voice yell. I put on more speed. I knew he wouldn't be able to catch me before I got to the crowded part of the road by the pond. No one could. I ran a few more steps, a self-satisfied smile on my lips, then there was a tap on my shoulder.

I whirled around and almost fell, but strong, warm hands steadied me. Dammit, that was the third time in, like, half an hour! I had stopped but my heart was still beating like I was going a mile a minute. The punding filled my ears, drowning out my music, as I stared at the big, tanned hands in my arm. I moved my gaze up his muscled arms, his broad shoulders, to his sharp, angled face and light brown hair.

Even as I terrifiedly thought that he could snap my small, petite frame in half, I couldn't help but think; wow, his eyes are so green...kind of like mine before I run...

Yes, my eyes (being hazel) change color. I was called the "Green Eyed Angel" in cross country because when I run, or before I run, my eyes are a bright green.

"Hey?" he gently shakes me. "You ok?"

"Huh?" I snap back to reality and pull out my headphones, but not before that incredibly stupid reply leaves my mouth.

"You kind of worried me for a minute there... It's like you were far away. Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Uh, yeah, sorry..."

He seemed to realize that he was still holding on to me and dropped his hands from my arm. Suddenly I felt cold, despite the warm sun. Then I realized why we were standing there. I frowned at him. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Sorry, I thought you looked...familiar."

"Well, I don't know you, so bye." I started to leave.

"Hey! If it helps, my name is Adrian!" I kept walking, wondering why he wanted to talk to me so bad. "Wait!" Then he just had to stumble onto my bigest weakness. "Let's race!"

Competition.

I stopped in my tracks, an unnatural grin stretching across my face. I quickly hid it and turned around. "You're on."