Going Down In Flames

I was walking to no immediate destination, all I knew was I needed to get out of there. My rage was welling up inside of me waiting like a ticking time bomb waiting to burst out in a mighty explosion. I watched as the sky grew fierce as distance was put between the track and myself.

I somehow ended up at the local park which was only a short 5 minute walk from my apartment. A light coverage of rain rested upon the vibrant yellow seats of the swing set. Without care I lowered myself and gently rocked backwards and forwards; resting my head on the chain that held them.
Rain began to drizzle from the murky clouds concealing the sky above me. I watched my clothes begin to turn a darker shade as the droplets landed on them. I didn’t care though. The cooling sensation of the water saturating my hair and cascading down my cheeks soothed my burning rage.

I didn’t know how long I sat there for, it didn’t feel like very long but I was completely saturated from head to toe. The entire environment surrounding me was also replicating the inundated with water characteristics.

My body began to uncontrollably tremor; goose bumps erupted on the entire surface of my skin. The previous warmth of my skin had diminished and I was left with nothing but the burn of the wind on my features; freezing me completely.

I enclosed my body in my arms and began to jog back home. My teeth chattered at an unmeasurable rate and my body continued to violently shake. It appeared to take more than the expected 5 minutes to get back home.

I finally reached the front door. With three rasps my body unconsciously collapsed and I fell to the ice cold concrete. I rolled my body into a tight ball and clenched my arms around my knees.

“Hello?” I heard the door open and Denae’s recognisable voice. I heard her shriek “Travis, Greg! Quick!” she yelled desperately.

I closed my eyes as I heard her trying to talk to me, I knew I wasn’t dying or anything but I was so unbelievably frozen my body had seized up. I felt my body being lifted into someone’s arms. Their body heat immediately ignited my skin; I could feel the colour rush back into it.

“Get her into her bed, stay with her and keep her close your body heat will warm her up! I’ll get some hot water bottles heated up” Denae yelled frantically “And make sure you get her changed into some dry clothes before you do any of that!” she continued her orders anxiously.

“Ally” I heard Travis’s voice, just hearing him made me want to slap him; unfortunately, I didn’t have the strength for that. “Ally please listen” he continued “I’m going to sit you down on the chair in your room so I can grab you some dry clothes and a towel okay, just stay here” he placed me down with a concerned tone.

I nodded and rested my head on the arm of the chair beside me. I heard Travis creating a racket as he rustled harshly through my draws and grabbed out clothes.

“Do you mind if I change you? Or do you want me to get Denae?” I heard him ask.

“J-j-just d-do i-it” I mumbled through the chatters of my teeth.

I felt Travis’s warm touch as he removed my clothes entirely. As much as I didn’t want him to, I knew I needed him to do this so I could get warm and make sure I didn’t end up horribly sick. Soon I felt the dry clothes being replaced on my bare skin, I felt slightly warmer.

My body was lifted again and I peeled my eyes open to watch Travis place me gently into my bed as he slid in beside me. He pulled me up onto his chest, wrapped me in his toned arms and rested a towel underneath my wet hair.

I looked over to my open door as I noticed Denae and Greg appear bearing multiple hot water bottles. They both smiled warmly and scattered them in and around my bed. There warmth instantly ignited the heat of my bed and body; I was noticeably starting to defrost.

“Are you okay?” Denae asked softly holding my ice cold hand.

I nodded and showed her a weak smile “Just c-cold”

“You’ll warm up soon. Try and get some sleep, it’s already 8:30pm so you were out there for a good 2 hours. I’ll see you in the morning okay?” she smiled and kissed my forehead.

“Thanks” I whispered addressing it to both Greg and Denae as they exited my room and closed the door.

I frowned as I felt Travis’s fingertips run through my wet hair. Narrowing my eyes i rolled my head and looked up towards him.

“I’m only l-laying on you because I’m c-cold and you’re warm. In any other circumstances you’d be s-sleeping on the couch” I said in a rude tone.

“Ally…” he said softly in an opposing tone.

“Don’t” I snapped and rolled my head forward and closed my eyes once again. “Asshole” I mumbled to myself.

~~~~~

I woke up in an empty bed. The sunlight was penetrating my eyes viciously and I no longer felt the cold that immobilised my body last night. I smiled as I slid out of bed and noticed the muscles in my arms were sore. I know I’m weird, most people would complain about being sore but this was a good thing, it meant my body was getting used to racing again and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
I sniffled lightly and walked out in the living room to find Travis sleeping on the couch. I frowned and walked over to him; sitting on the floor below him. I poked him ignorantly and he began to mummer.

“What?” he groaned stiffly.

“Why are you on the couch?” I asked.

“Well you did make it perfectly clear that you didn’t want me in the same bed as you. So, when you were warm enough I left and slept on the couch; like you wanted”

“Travis…” I sighed.

“What did I screw something else up as well?!” he snapped.

“Geeze, calm your farm!” I whisper yelled.

“I only did what you wanted; I don’t see why you’re getting all up my ass about it”

“I’m not! None of this would have happened if you didn’t snap like a 2 year old because I beat you”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you okay, you don’t understand! I’m just really competitive”

“And you think I’m not competitive either? That’s why I didn’t take it easy on you, just because you’re my friend and we have a sort of thing doesn’t mean I’m going to sacrifice my career just so you can have the glory. That’s how it may have worked in your other relationships, but it’s not happening here, now or ever!”

“Whatever, we’ll see who gets the glory in the end” he scoffed.

“What the hell? Not everything is about winning Travis”

“Yeah but it’s not about losing either!” he retorted rudely.

“Is that all you care about? The fame? The glory? You should have a love and adoration for the sport you compete in and not just care about winning. It’s about doing what you love, for the love of it not because you want the boasting rights of being number 1”

“Whatever I don’t even care anymore”

“Haha, yeah” I rolled my eyes in an extremely sarcastic manner. “You obviously do” I scoffed.

“Look, I said I was sorry now can we just drop it?!” he sat up.

“Okay” I nodded “As a repayment for causing me to nearly freeze to death go get your cousin and you and him can cook us girls breakfast” I smiled.

“What?!” he retorted wide-eyed.

You heard me, off you go” I giggled with a smile. I basically just wanted Travis to make something but I didn’t trust him in the kitchen all on his own. I’d end up with a burnt down apartment, so that’s were Greg comes into play. I trust Greg with his cooking skills so with Travis under his supervision, nothing can go wrong… Right?

Travis frowned and pulled me off the ground as he stood up with a noticeable slump. “Can I have a kiss at least?” he pouted adorably. I uncontrollably smiled and let my walls shatter. I nodded softly and wrapped my arms around his neck; his arms slipping around my waist. Our lips connected vibrantly and travelled lustfully over each other.

I felt his hands wonder over my body and trail down to sit on my ass. I pulled away from his touch with a muffled laugh and placed my hand on top of his. “You don’t get all the luxury’s straight away Mr” I teased.

“You’re no fun” he pouted sweetly again before slumping off to Denae’s room.

I assumed that Denae and Greg had a thing between them now which was a good thing. I got one cousin, she got the other; sounds good to me. I heard Greg yell profanity at Travis from the room and watched as Travis ran for his dear life.

Greg emerged shuffling to pull his boxers up over his privates; I chuckled to myself.

“You idiot, coming in waking me up. Dude, I was fully naked and you just decide to whip the covers off” Greg yelled and chased Travis around the room. “You’re going down!” he continued to threaten.

“Ally! Help!” Travis yelled and ran behind me with Greg not far behind on his tail. I shielded him for a moment before I winked at Greg playfully.

“I’m not protecting you baby, you’re on your own!” I laughed and pulled him out from behind me pushing him towards Greg before making a run towards Denae’s room.

I laughed hearing Greg yelling in anger and Travis yelling and screaming in fear. “You decent?” I called into the door of Denae’s room. “Yep come in” she replied.

“Morning” I chirped and smiled as I slid into the bed beside her. “Wait!” I pulled a disgusted face “Should I be lying in this bed let alone touching the sheets?!” I said frantically.

“Depends, do you want a taste of both cousins?!” she laughed hysterically.

“EWW!” I screamed and jumped out of the bed. I ran to the other side of the room and sat down on the chair which I assumed would be safe from the line of sexual activities.

Denae and I discussed everything from Travis to Greg to racing and everything in between. We listened to Travis and Greg make an absolute mess in the kitchen and living room. It turned out that Greg and Denae weren’t an official ‘thing’ but they were kind of like Travis and me on a less friendly level although… we did get into the conversation of sexual details.

The boys soon announced that breakfast was ready. We both headed out to be greeted with burnt bacon and undercooked pancakes. I sighed and looked emotionally at the “food” they had prepared. Travis looked pleased with the outcome of his creation whereas Greg stood there arms crossed, head shaking in disapproval.

“I take no responsibility for the cooking of this food and any adverse results we may have after eating it!” Greg blurted out.

Denae and I decided against Travis’s creation and just go for good old cereal while Travis forced Greg to have their food. It wasn’t long before we were all at the table eating various different types of breakfast beverages. I smiled seeing Greg tenderly kiss Denae’s cheek when she giggled at him after he dropped a piece of bacon as it missed his mouth.

I felt Travis’s hand take mine under the table, I looked at him and he smiled preciously. I wanted to know if what Travis and I had was a relationship or if it was more a friends with benefits sort of thing. Either option both had its pros and cons which made me more confused into what I personally wanted out of the relationship.

The side I seen of Travis yesterday was definitely a con. I don’t know how much of his 2 year old whiny attitude every time I kicked his ass. Like I said before, I wasn’t going to go easy on him just because we were a… thing. I tried to help him out by giving him pointers but they obviously went in one ear and out the other. His also extremely jealous, oh and there is that Jim factor…

But, there are the pros. He is adorably sweet when he wants to be and literally makes my heart skip multiple beats. I get butterflies when he kisses me or when he just wraps his arms around me. I think I was slowly growing to more a love then I like of Travis. Hence the word, slowly.

There’s so many pros as there is cons, it was just a matter of working out did the pros outweigh the cons or was I just digging myself an early grave of heartbreak.

The boys were sent on the duty of clean up since they made a horrendous mess of the kitchen and living room from their wrestling match. I sighed as Denae reminded me I had an interview in an hour. I reluctantly headed for my bedroom and picked out an outfit for the interview.

I applied minimal makeup and left my hair and its natural wave to hang down my chest. Once completely changed and ready I groaned realising I had to leave probably around 5 minutes ago. I gathered my essentials quickly and said goodbye to Greg and Denae.

“Babe I have to run, I have an interview” I ran my mouth quickly kissing him.

“Calm down” he smiled holding me.

I breathed and let me heart rate slow. “Thanks” I smiled “But I do really have to go. I’ll see you later” We kissed singularly before I dashed out to my car.

My phone beeped indicating I had a text; Denae’s name appeared on the screen.

Good luck with the interview. I lobe you! <3

I laughed knowing that the auto correct on the iPhone had made a mistake.

I lobe you too ;) <3

I replied with an enormous grin. I must say, I love my life best friend. Most of the time.