Falling

33

Vinny Taylor

Running through the park with Luna had become a regular thing. As soon as I got home from school Luna was running circles around me and waiting for me to take her out to the park. I was glad for her enthusiasm because without her, I wasn't sure so would have kept it up.

The park was getting less and less busy as the weather turned colder. The weather didn't bother us though, and I was glad that others stopped coming.

The problem with running is that it didn't really clear my head. It made me think more. And I hadn't stopped thinking about what I admitted to Carson over the weekend. About what happened with Spencer and Marina and how I felt responsible for it and how there was no way to make it right.

Luna slowed on the path and I brought her over to the side in the grass to give her a drink of water.

"Vinny?" a voice called out and it wasn't a voice I was excited to hear.

I slowly turned my glance to the side to see Marina standing a little ways away from me. Spencer was behind her a little further away, but he was taking pictures and not paying attention to the two of us.

My throat closed as the two of us stared at each other. It was painful to see them both, but there was nothing I could do. Nothing was right and nothing would make it right.

"I've been meaning to talk to you at school," she said, awkwardly looking down at the ground. "But I haven't had the guts to do it. You look good."

I looked down at myself then back at her, still not saying anything.

"Do you wanna maybe come hang out?" she asked, pointing her thumb back at Spencer. "We could talk a little?"

I looked over at Spencer, whose back was facing us as he messed with his camera, and then back at Marina. Her expression was pleading, like she was two seconds away from getting down on her knees and begging me to talk to her. Spencer must not have told her about what happened at Carson's. She would have brought it up because that was how she was.

"I have to go," I told her in a rushed tone.

"Vinny, please," she pleaded with wide, glistening eyes. "We miss you so much."

I didn't say anything as I shook my head and turned away with Luna. The two of us ran back through the park and out, not bothering to finish our usual route. I couldn't run the risk of running into them again.

"You're back early from your run," Logan commented as I walked into the house a few minutes later. Dana sat with him on the couch under his arm.

I must have had a look on my face of either anger or sadness, I couldn't tell which, because when Logan glanced at me, his expression changed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting up straighter on the couch.

"Just wasn't feeling it today," I said, letting Luna off her leash. She ran straight to her water bowl and started drinking.

"You or the dog?" Dana joked.

"Me," I said with a tight smile. "She's always ready for a run."

"So," Logan said, stopping me in my tracks as I started toward the stairs.

"Hm?"

"Are you and Carson okay?" he asked. Dana looked insanely interested in the direction the conversation was going.

"Yeah, why?"

"You were both pretty upset the other day," Logan replied. "I just wanted to make sure you guys were good."