The Run In

Chapter 6

Sluuuurp.

Cool liquid flowed up through the straw between my lips.

"Aw dang I'm almost out." I shook my Green Tea frappe to try to get every last drop of the frothy goodness.

Kate and I were walking around at Northdale Mall, an outdoor mall that had about five different Starbucks, a giant arcade, a frozen yogurt shop, candy store and a map of all the best stores and restaurants you could ever dream of. It was sort of like a mini town with its two story buildings and cobblestone avenues. I use to walk Cody down here all the time when I was in tenth grade.

"Yeah, me too." Kate looked down at her Cool Lime Refresher grasped between her white polished fingernails.

"Where do you wanna go next?" I pulled out the tiny mall brochure from my bag.

"Oh my god." She laughed. "You still carry one of those around?"

"Of course. I only do it to map our way through this place. It's efficient."

"Girl, it's hilarious. You and I both know you know this place like the back of your hand." She took a long sip of her chilled drink. Her left eyebrow quirks upwards. "You think we could get refills?"

It's true. I went through a phase in ninth grade where I lived to shop. Shopping was my life. Now, I just keep track of runways and celebrities through magazines and Pinterest. And ofcourse Kate.

I looked down at my outfit.

I was still in my dirty old track shoes and orange tee shirt. Still covered in a thin coat of dust.

I look like the ugly stepsister rolled in fertilizer and was blessed with a touch of bad fashion sense.  

My ninth grade self would probably kill me.

Kate grabbed my arm suddenly and her eyes turned to slits. "Okay, now that I got you here, tell me more about the runner that looked like an angel."

Gulp. "Oh... Aiden?"

"Yeah, Dreamy McRunnerpants."

The thing is, I described the whole situation the day before. Actually, about five minutes after the run, I called Kate and babbled to her as soon as I got home.

"Like I said, he was gorgeous." I smiled up at the gas lamp posts, lighting the way in front of us. "He had blue eyes, perfect jawline- maybe two or three inches taller than me. He was perfect. Our chemistry was perfect. His face was perfect. The whole running-into-each-other was perfect. The setting was-"

"Lemme guess, perfect?" She giggled.

"Yes, perfect. I swear, Kate I don't think I've ever met someone that just clicked right away with me." I could tell I was rambling. "And the fact that he's new just makes it even better. No one knows him! And he's just- ugh- it is so hard to look at his face because its blemish-free and completely tan! Like staring at a flawless baby bunny!" Kate gasped suddenly. "I'm serious! This guy could be some kind of mod-"

"Maddie." Her arm holding the Starbucks container shot in front of my chest and we both stopped walking.

"What?" I looked at her face.

"Is that- that's not him, is it? Runner boy, Aiden? OMG please tell me that's him."

I froze. Following her other outstretched arm to the American Eagle Outfitters in front of us, I squinted into the window of the store.

Whoa.

Inside was Aiden. But he definitely looked different. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts with a navy blue sweatshirt and a back turned flat bill of some baseball team. He was talking to someone but I couldn't tell who.