Persephone- Completed

Eight.

How the hell was it 10pm already? I'd been out here for 2 hours? Jesus. Time really does fly when you're not thinking because the music is too loud. 

I beat my new record though. I'd have to show Mia tomorrow morning. I could feel someone's eyes on me and I sat up, taking an earphone out as I looked in the direction the burning was coming from.

"Music's pretty loud huh?" I smiled at him as he offered me a hand to pull me up and I took it. 

"Do you just stalk girls now then Sonny?" He chuckled as I pulled my shorts down slightly. 

"I was just coming to kick the ball around." He threw a ball down onto the grass behind me "You being here is just a coincidence." 

"I've been meaning to talk to you actually." 

"Oh yeah?" I nodded as I walked around him to where my water bottle and hoodie were laid down on the floor, bending and picking the bottle up and taking a sip. 

"How are you doing? With the whole Ashley thing?" 

"I'm fine." He nodded, half his lips raising ever so slightly. "It sucks. But we were only together together for a few weeks. I should've known really. That's how I met her." 

"Yeah. I'm gonna need more details on that." He chuckled. 

"Run with me?" 

"Sure but I'm fast." 

"I know you are." He chuckled again. "I watched you run that last lap."

"Pretty good right?" I smiled brightly and his own smile grew. So proud of myself, that had been a good lap.  He took off in a jog and I followed him. 

"I was the guy she cheated on her ex with." He turned his head to look at me before looking back. "She didn't tell me until after and then she ended it with him. It was a few weeks later before we saw each other again." I nodded in understanding. At least she ended it with him after I guess. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. She's the one who fucked up not me." 

"That she did." I picked up pace a little. I wasn't getting a rush at this pace. He chuckled at me. 

"Don't race me. I'll have to win." 

"I'm not racing you Sonny. You don't need another loss right now." 

"What makes you think I'd loose?" 

"The fact that I've seen you run. You'd have no chance." 

"Right. That's enough of that. Race me so I can beat you." 

"No." I stopped running as we'd run one lap and he was still behind. "I'm not racing you Sonny." 

"Fine. I'll race you." He took off faster than he had been running and I shook my head. If he wanted to loose to me. He could. I pushed myself off my feet. If I lost to him now I'd never hear the end of it. I had to win. 

I passed him, my feet battering against the floor. I was barely struggling to breathe but I could see him panting. He wasn't even 3/4 of the way around. What a light weight. And he called himself a sports player. 

I stopped at the finish line, putting my hands on my hips as I took deep breathes. He wasn't far behind me and he dropped to the floor as he reached me, making me laugh in between struggling for air. 

"You're a lot faster than I thought." 

"I did warn you you'd loose." I handed him his water bottle and grabbed my own as we both took silent sips. 

"You did but I didn't think I would when I even had a decent head start." 

"You're fast, it's just your endurance that needs work. That's easy to fix." I held out a hand for him to use to stand up now he was recovering. 

"How do you do it?" 

"Well I run everyday. No matter what. And I started just pushing myself every time, try to beat my speed, my distance. Anything. Only took me 2 or 3 months." He nodded and I tilted my head. "You sure you're okay?" 

"I'm fine Pops." He put his hand on the top off my arm to assure me, dropping it after a couple of seconds. "How are you doing?" 

"Living my best life. Well I will be tomorrow night." 

"Are you ready for it?" 

"So fucking bad. Oh by the way. Tell the guys to wear all black. Not him though." 

"Black?" 

"It's his funeral. Black is essential." Sonny laughed loudly at me. "What?" 

"You're really enjoying this aren't you? I watched how you were with him this morning in the hallway, still acting like his but with an attitude. I had to calm him down after, he was so angry." 

"As he fucking should be." 

"He's more mad that you're not acting like his sweet little princess now." I rolled my eyes taking another sip from my bottle. "It suits you though." 

"What does?" 

"The attitude." He crossed his eyes and smiled. "It's like you've come into your own. You were so soft before, like too innocent for the world. It didn't look right. But now, you're fighting back, you've got your shoulders back, your confidence is glowing from you. It's just a good look."

"That's sweet of you to say Sonny." I smiled whole heartedly at him. I'd never thought about how my confidence would come through when this was all burning to ashes. I didn't think I even had any confidence. Not after how much he'd taken from me. 

Apparently I did. And people could see it. They could feel the difference in me already. Imagine how it's going to be when I'm back in school after spring break. Imagine the possibilities. 

Imagine the eyes all on me as I strut past him in the hallway. Imagine watching him burn as guys finally have the chance to talk to me. Imagine him crumbling under the hatred when they know what he did. Him crying as hard as he'd made you cry. Every. Single. Time.