The Ripper | Simon "Ghost" Riley

chapter three

The next morning, I was woken up by my loudly blaring alarm at 5 in the morning. I slam my finger on my phone to turn off the annoying alarm with a groan and sit up in my bed, stretching out my sore muscles, before standing up and waddling to my dresser. Changing into a sports bra, dry-fit sports tank, hoodie, and biker shorts, I throw my hair up into a ponytail, throwing the hood up as well, and make my way toward the kitchen.

Making a quick cup of coffee as I lean against the cold kitchen counter in silence. The only sound being made is me and this cup of coffee. Rinsing off the mug and placing it back where it came from, I head outside to the tracks to begin warming up for the day.

Putting my AirPods in and playing my favorite playlist, I do some basic stretches before starting my early morning run. I usually do a mile jog, a mile walk, and then a 200 meter sprint to loosen up my muscles and get my blood pumping faster. 

I prefer to do my morning jogs at this time because the rest of the base is still sound asleep and I get to peacefully enjoy myself as I watch the sun begin to rise over the horizon, and shine bright orange and pink colors into my face. The cool air before the sun rises also is a plus to make running a bit more bearable, yet I still make sure to sweat enough which is why my hoodie stays on.

Finishing my first mile, I slow my pace to walking speed as I allow myself to catch my breath and truly get to take in the rising sun. My usual mile is about 6-7 minutes, so I like to walk extremely slow to give my muscles a bit of a break. Nodding my head to my music, I am quickly taken out of my trance as a body shoves me as they run past me.

"Hey watch where you're go-" I begin to say, but quickly stop and let out a sigh as the figure turns around quickly and I see it's none other than Ghost himself. "Why are you awake?" I question as he walks towards me.

"Could ask you the same thing."

"I like peace and quiet when I run."

"Am I ruining your peace and quiet?" He challenges, adding an emphasis on the two words. I roll my eyes at him and continue to walk, him following next to me. "If you keep talking then yes." My answer earns a silent laugh and he runs away without another word, allowing me to enter back into my trance as I focus on the music playing in my ears.

Almost finished up with my walk and here come loud stomping sounds behind me. Taking out a AirPod, as I prepare myself for more of Ghost's banter. "Are you just going to walk the entire time?" His loud British voice grunts out as he slows his pace to fix his breathing. I try not to stare too much as his drenched shirt has made its way to cling against his skin, his abs in perfect view. "My eyes are up here." He speaks out.

"I wasn't looking at you, get your head out of your ass." I attempt to cover myself, but it was honestly no use. I was caught red-handed. He laughs as he walks closer to me, looking down at me while I have to look up at him with squinted eyes to attempt to protect them from the sun that had reached over the horizon. 

"Could you stand like 2 feet to the right?" I ask, to which he obliges and perfectly blocks the sun from my face. I send a small smile his way and he just rolls his eyes at me. "As I was saying, are you just going to walk the entire time?"

"No, I was actually just about to start my 200 meter sprint. Wanna race?" I challenge, placing my hands on my hips. Even though his mask was over his face, I can still see the slight movement of a smile forming on his face as he nods his head. I place my AirPod back into my ear, lowering the volume a bit and get myself ready on the track.

"Don't be upset if you lose, Ghosty." I tease and he just chuckles himself and gets ready. Both of us counting down in unison and we are off. Our paces nearly the same, Ghost just slightly ahead, exerting himself slightly more than me. I keep my head forward and focus on the task at hand. As we round the corner of the track, I make mental note that we have 100 meters left and I decide now is the perfect time to give my all.