Adrenaline Rush

Chapter One

A/N: A slightly shorter chapter on my behalf, but forgive me as I have more promising creations yet to be revealed in future chapters.

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"Hurry up, Anessa," Adrienne grumbles ahead of me, the aftereffects of a plane trip consuming her. I grin at the scowl she sends me, and I roll my eyes. I know she doesn't react well to flights, including short ones but having Stanley Hudson reincarnated into my sister doesn't fail to make me smile.
"I want to go home. And sleep. I will leave without you." She keeps walking and I continue to grin, pulling up the straps to my duffle bag with one hand and tightening my hold on my suitcase with the other.
"You know, I think I'm going to go get lunch, possibly take a stroll through the park since its such a nice day." I continue to glance around the arrival terminal of the airport, faking deep concentration within such an important and strenuous task. "We need groceries. Maybe I should go buy some. Oh and we also need to buy a new suitcase since yours is broken."
"I will fucking murder you." She glares. I shrug and walk towards the parking station for my car, spotting my familiar sedan and haul our luggage into the back.
"I thought Jack was going to be picking us up," Adrienne grumbles but I shake my head and open the door, breathing in the familiar scent of warmth and the vague artificial smell of "chilled ice rink" I received from merchandising, even though I removed the air freshener months prior.
"He's busy. Plus, why would I park here if he planned to get us."
"I don't fucking know. I'm out of it." She grumbles, and leans on her palm as she rests on the window. I smile gently and decide to let her off since she dealt with the constant judgemental probing of family members into her career and so-called "limited life".
Since Adrienne decided to retire at the ripe age of twenty, the constant questions and judgemental comments from the public, especially my mother and her side of the family flood our conversations and I'm sure, her thoughts. Though her decision still remains unknown to anyone, she has relied on the commission received from the championships and sponsorships, which has been very infrequent even a decade later.
The two-hour drive is peaceful thanks to her sleeping again, and begin to regain my bearings around the familiar area we live in. I glance at my sister to make sure she hasn't somehow suffocated herself to death and see a photo-worthy opportunity of a wild-hair, mouth gaping and dried drool around her mouth. I let out a breathe knowing she is saved from this tremendously embarrassing moment and hope for another opportunity.
Pulling off the freeway and turning into the familiar part of our town, I start groaning realising I need to pee. Badly. "Stop glaring at the car like you're a fucking cat about to pounce." I ignore Adrienne, and continue staring at the car ever so slowly turning into the street. I continue to glare at the car as I realise its heading down the same street. The car continues to drive so fucking slowly that a literal snail could've reached my front door by now. Trying not to jostle my leg and clenching my insides, I check behind me and the other lane before I overtake the car.
It's not a main road, and the only people that use these streets are neighbours or strangers turning off the wrong road so its typically safe. I try not to glare at the driver as we pass them and pull into our driveway.
"Oh look who's grumpy now. This would be a bad time to joke now huh." My sister slowly gets up from the seat, a smile plastered on her face.
"I need to fucking pee."
"Yeah relax I got your keys, give me a minute." My sister starts limping to a mysteriously new foot condition, all the way to the front door as I grab our bags. By the time I reach the front door, she reaches the front door too, and I grab the keys from her hand and shove her out of the way.
"Where are your road manners, Ness?" The only voice I can pick out of a crowd of shouting individuals at a ninety-five percent off discount sale asks as I get the door open. Smiling already, I turn around and see Jack walking up the driveway with his arms already open wearing a grin equally as large as mine.
"Hey ugly." I practically leap into his open arms and relax against him as all the previously-unknown tension disperses.
He grunts, holding me back, being so used to catching me. "Missed you. Had no one to annoy me for weeks." He squeezes me more tight, and I practically melt into his warm arms, just as I do every single time.
"Mom says hi."
"You tell her I said hi back of course?" I feel him starting to walk with me still clinging onto him, and I'm instantly reminded of the urgency to pee again. "Hey Adrienne, you look like crap."
"Fuck off, handsome." I lift my head and start pulling back from Jack, the need to pee becoming so desperate and urgent, I clench so hard I realise if I don't stop maybe certain holes will close up too.
"Why so quick to get away? I haven't see you in weeks." I see Jacks frown and I frown back, hands still on his shoulders.
"Needtopee." I hurriedly say, attempting to push away from him again. He laughs, shaking his head, and places me down in the hallway as I run into the bathroom.
When I return, I follow the sound of voices, to Adrienne and Jack sitting on the couch, and join them.
"And she said 'no fucking way'," Adrienne cackles - quite literally - as her laugh never fails to resemble an evil witches laugh on Disney.
Before realising it, I feel Jacks arms wrap around me as I slump against his chest, with my legs laid out in front on the couch. His warm breath tickles my ear and I instantly grin again. "And why the hell would she say that?" His attention on me, but asking Adrienne.
"Honestly? Because he's not you." I roll my eyes at Adriennes comment and the whole conversation.
While visiting the family, my whole attention was on our mom and not on finding some hot man I would hook up with, just to consume my whole time and attention, grow attached to the longing, and having those feelings intensify when I came back home. I mean yeah, having guys hit on me was riveting, but I only had enough time, attention, and the mental capacity for one man in my life right now, and that was Jack.
I feel Jack squeeze my shoulders again and lets go when he feels a buzz from somewhere in his pants.
"Obviously, no man could ever live up to the almighty Jack," rolling my eyes and straightening myself, and crossing my arms. "Plus, if I ever did get a man, don't you think he would get territorial over me? Have strong opposing feelings of Jack constantly being with me, or around me, holding me and touching me?"
"You've never had a relationship before so how would you know?" My sister shrugs off her jumper and slumps lower into the couch.
"I have male friends. I've had potential suitors." I mumble and the glint of a joke - at my expense - sparkles in her eyes and fully prepared to say just that before Jack cuts her off. "Coach says welcome back, and hopes you can start training Wednesday," Jack shows me the text and I nod my head, attention back on Jack.
"You cut your hair," I frown, glancing at the new style that was just revealed before me. From the boyish cut he constantly picked for 6 years now, and the 4 years of experimentation before that, his hair is now cut shorter on the sides, and longer on top. Pretty much like every other male's hair, either on TV, social media, or on the streets.
"Yeah, felt like it," he shrugs, running his heads through his hair conservatively.
"You didn't tell me," I jokingly comment with a smile plastered on my face as I attempt to hide the small stab of betrayal in my chest. I glance down at his phone knowing it works perfectly fine as he received a text from Coach Silva.
Hurt begins to grow but disperses after a few seconds of delay knowing the overreaction to the small detail of a haircut on his end isn't betrayal. Knowing this fact still doesn't remove the small pain of him being my best friend for eleven years. Our friendship grew on our partnership, and he's the one person I've been able to constantly rely on all these years. We both know the importance of each other as a person and best friend.
However, ever since we won a silver medal at the Olympics two years ago, our relationship has been experiencing a few tremors. By reviewing an overview of our highlights, the championships we've won would trump any other sub-par achievements. This fact was forgotten when we received our first silver at our second Winter Olympics attendance after receiving a gold metal the previous Games. Those comments on our potential, the support from onlookers at a potential new fan-favourite and subsequent disappointment - mainly on my part - possibly disrupted the easiness with my partnership with Jack. Ever since, I cant help but shake he feels slightly disappointed in me even if he denies this theory.
After securing spots for the next winter Olympic Games at the World Championships, I presumed the feeling would dissipate. Coach even awarded us the mini-vacation after the competition, to which I used to be apart from Jack to rejuvenate. While away, I thought it was somehow fixed, but now seeing him again, I'm not so sure.
"Wanted to surprise you when you came back," he pockets his phone and shoots me a grin. "Like it?"
I run my hands through his hair and it feels somehow softer and smoother as the strands slip easily through my fingers as I play with it. One chunk falls flat onto his forehead, and I push it away, knowing how annoyed he gets to that.
"I like it," I grin back, and pull on my hair tie, letting it fall around my shoulders. "Maybe I should get a hair cut too?" I shake out my hair for emphasis, and begin posing as if I'm a model for MTV or Vogue.
"Definitely not." Jack shakes his head, grabbing his phone when it vibrates in his pocket again. "I've just cut my hair and I'm receiving more attention. But if you do it, it'll all be redirected to you." Pouting up at me, he blinks his eye, attempting at crappy puppy-dog eyes.
"You get enough," I ruffle his hair and immediately like how easy it is to do it with this new haircut.
"Coach Silva?"
"Nah, my friend Chris," I nod and look back at Adrienne, whos also on her phone. Feeling eyes on her,
she looks up and smiles, putting her phone away.
"Jet lag suddenly disappeared?" Adrienne yawns at my comment, and I scoff at the hypocrisy.
"All my unfortunates are cured once I'm around dear Jack."
"Everyone always is, that's why I believe when we retire, I should begin working with the UN. I'd end world hunger." He crosses his ankles, leaning them on the coffee table. Hitting his head with the back of my palm, I shove him to the other side of the couch, crossing my arms.
"Oh please, you'd increase world hunger. The world's hunger for you."

A/N: do they have boundary issues? yes. will that stop me? no. you get to analyse the couple as we dive deeper into their psyche and actions :)