In Between the Lines | Completed

Chapter Fifteen | Running Away or Towards

Xiao Mei Cheng

"Remind me why I agreed to help you with this?" Vivian complains as she runs halfheartedly next to me.

"It's your hot assistant who is making me want to run, therefore your responsibility to run with me."

"Your logic is infallible," Vivian huffs. "When you said you wanted to go on a run, I thought you meant for ice cream. Or pizza. Not for an opportunity for me to meet my maker 50 years too early."

After a 1-mile loop, we've reached the front of our apartment building where I was preparing to drop my friend off after using her as my warmup lap.

Best not to kill my best friend and be responsible for writing her eulogy. She promised she'd write it for me when we have matching wheelchairs in the nursing home. She has to wait until at least then to die on me.

"How about I pick up some Tteokbokki after I finish my run?"

"You're going to KEEP running?" Vivian's exasperated mewl spurns my competitive edge further and I preen under her questioning gaze.

"I've come to the conclusion that if I don't have a boyfriend by my mother's deadline in two months that I'll have to go to that stupid auction and since that seems the more likely of situations, I'm gonna be the best prize there and bring the most money home."

"You don't get to keep the money from the auction, it's a charity event," Vivian reminds me as she holds onto her knees and sucks in air.

"I don't want the money. I do want to take home my pride in one way or another. Especially when I see Chang that week." I wince as I unconsciously stick out my tongue at the mention of my older brother.

"Be nice, it's not his fault your mom is making you participate. And it's for a good cause!" Vivian chides. "I'd better head in. I'm picking up Sj bright and early tomorrow morning so I'm gonna spend the day catching up on housework and rewriting the last couple of chapters so Charles' head doesn't pop off."

I laugh as I think about her nerdy, anxious editor who we left back in the States.

"I'm sure he loves that you have even more responsibilities and less time to write now that we're here."

"Maybe, but I'm sure he loves his cut from the royalties from the series, so he's been pretty tame recently."

"I'm gonna head back out. I'll order dinner when I get back!"

Vivian nods and waves me away as she practically crawls inside our building.

I vamp up my headphones and begin running to the new album for Maneskin, an Italian group I had recently fallen in love with. As their music flows through my ears, I find myself running down the sidewalks and streets of my new home. Recognizing the familiar buildings and faces feels slightly strange as I think about the dozens of places I had been over the years.

It's nice to have a home.

I near the park in our neighborhood and see that the swings are taken by a young couple in high school. I sigh, slightly disappointed that I can't enjoy a breather on them but as I near a slightly familiar face walks into the park. I stop running and watch curiously as the guy I had sat with last time goes over to the swings. With one glance and no words exchanged, the two younger highschoolers look at the man with the metal arm and bow their heads, quickly dispersing from the swings and practically me down as the pass me.

He lets out a huff and sits on the swing, head bowed as he uses his legs to push back and forth.

What just happened? Those kids seemed... afraid?