Like That

Chapter 14 - Changes in Attitude

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. - Winston Churchill

Chapter 14 - Changes in Attitude

Emily's POV:

Time changes and traveling doesn't help with my inability to sleep. I'm up before dawn waiting for it to be light enough to go to the track. I'm glad to be home, but I'm not looking forward to joining the real world. I took a personal day to recover from this trip, before I go back to the classroom.

Sitting in the living room enjoying the view of the woods, my thoughts wander to all the things I need to do. Laundry, grocery shopping, clothes shopping for the boys, organize summer closets, job hunt for next school year...the list seems endless and overwhelming.

I fumble through my book bag looking for paper and pen to write myself a list of things that needs to be done before tomorrow. I only have this one-day to get as much of this taken care of as possible.

Breathe...breathe. I can feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. Leaving the list on the table, I walk over to the window to watch the sunrise through the trees. It's been a while since I have had a rush of panic, and I wasn't expecting that making plans would bring on such an overwhelming feeling.

Even though it is early, I send a few texts before I forget my thoughts.

I grab my shoes and head out the back door and down the path. As I make it out onto the track I turn up my IPod and find my pace with the music. I'm focusing on my run trying to clear my earlier thoughts. Crap! My knee hits the track hard. I have enough momentum to slide along the ground across my shin. Crap! That burns. The light running pants were not enough protection to keep from scraping my leg from knee to almost ankle.

I bend over and roll up my pant leg. There's not a lot of blood, but the road rash on my shin looks terrible. Securing my pant leg so that I could walk home without the material causing any more irritation, a warm hand touches my shoulder.

"Are you ok?" I look at the hand and then to the face of its owner. "Emily? Oh my, are you ok?"

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're here. What are you doing here?" I stand up and wrap my arms around my friend and he picks me up and gives me a swing. I waited for his answer.

"We'll talk in a minute. Let's get your leg fixed up." I hobble beside him as he walks me a few yards to his house.

He opens the back door and yells, "Hun, you need to come here with the first aid kit. We have an injured guest." No sooner were those words spoken, when Linda Breda comes out the back door with the kit and the biggest hug imaginable.

Tears fill my eyes as I hug my Linda. I've missed her. "I can't believe you're here."

"We just moved in. Garrett starts work next week." She lets me go and looks down at my leg. "That looks awful."

"It feels awful, too." I cringe as she cleans my leg.

"Sorry," she says as he wraps up my leg with gauze.

"It's ok. How long have you guys been here?"

"We bought the house last week. Movers dropped our things off yesterday." Linda looks out passed her backyard and asks, "So, which house is yours?"

"You can't see mine from here, but do you see where the woods begin?" I ask pointing in the direction of my house. "There's a small path that leads to my backyard. It's nice and secluded back there."

She smiles at me. "So, how are you doing?" She asks without the look of pity on her face. Garrett adjusts himself as he also wait for my answer. I feel the need to answer honestly.