Running Song: Somebody Told Me By The Killers
No one ever mentioned the side effects of running. No one told me that every muscle in my body will ache even when I'm not running. No one told me that I will wake up with a pain in my neck. I think that someone should have warned me. Or better yet they should have some type of warning on running shoes. Warning: side effects may occur if person runs for an extended period of time. Side effects may include but are not limited to, burning or aching in muscles and joints, periods of extreme exhaustion, and may even cause said person to never want to run again. Except if you get past the point where your body always aches and you don't always feel like you've been awake for 24hours, then you may never be able to stop running again.
The next three days continue the same way. I wake up get dressed, eat, go on my laptop, shower, then sleep. Oh and I run. Every single time I have even started to lace up my shoes it's like I'm personally calling up Jonathan because I open my door and he'll be there. He'll stand there leaning up against a tree and he'll smile at me as though I'm a long lost friend of his. Even though I'm not. I refuse to fall for his charms and I still hate running with him. Although my real problem isn't that he runs with me, that he seems to know exactly when I'm going for a run, the real problem is that I can't find a single reason why. Why is he running with me? I can think of absolutely no reasons for him to be. Yet he is. That scares me. To my very core.
This morning approximately fifteen minutes before the time I normally go running I sit out on the porch. My shoes are in my hands and I plop down on the steps and start to slip my right foot into one of my shoes. I continue to take my time lacing up my right runner and as I start to work on the left I hear someone walking up my driveway. I glance up through the thin layer of baby hairs that refuse to remain tucked into my ponytail and see Jonathan jogging up the walk way.
"What's happening?" He asks his eye brows scrunching together. In response I give him my own look of confusion.
"I'm just wondering why you're out so early," he explains. "Normally I get here at this time and I'm pretty sure your still in bed."
"Ha, ha," I mutter but this time it's a lot more difficult to keep the smile off my face. "I just kind of wondered what time you always got here because it seemed as though you were always out here before me. I thought it might be magic or something. I guess not though," I say still fighting a smile.
"Hey, I'm pretty magical," he protests standing in front of me as I finish tying my shoe.
"Really?" I raise my eyebrows. (I am physically incapable of lifting only one eyebrow.)
"Yeah. I mean for instance it's magical that someone as talented and charming as me all manages to fit in this hella amazing body. Normally you can only get like two out of three but I'm a perfect score. Ten out of ten..." I'm sure if I would have let him, he would have kept going forever. Fortunately I never gave him the chance.
I bounce to my feet and start making my way down the driveway. "Suddenly I remember why we run in silence."
"Because my voice would distract you the whole time?"
"No because you're annoying," he looks at me with a fake pouting face. "And really cocky."
"You don't even know the half of it," he says meeting my eyes. For a moment no one says anything. Then I shake my head, breaking eye contact and whatever trance had fallen over us.
"Let's run," I declare and bridge the edge of the driveway.
"I can think of a lot of better things we could be doing." I frown at what he said but I know he's joking. So as I'm running in front of him and with him unable to see my face I let the smile I was fighting break across my face. Only for a moment though. My poker face comes back within the next second and my music starts to come on and whatever smile might have been there is gone as the reality of my life comes back to me.
It's barely fiveminutes later and Jonathan runs slightly in front of me. During this part ofthe run we're running on the road and when cars come by we quickly becomesingle file. Thankfully it's a back road so there isn't a lot of traffic. Jonathan is still a far faster and betterrunner than I am, that's why he normally runs in front. He sets the pace whichhelps me not to slip and run slower than before. Another car comes by and I getbehind Jonathan so the car can pass by easily. Although I guess Jonathan doesn'tnotice because as the car zips by Jonathan jumps close to a foot in the air. Hetrips himself in the process and stumbles towards the ground but being thegraceful human being he is doesn't just land on his stomach or catch himselfwith his palms but instead half hits half rolls on the ground. He stays on theground his hands resting behind his back propping himself up and his knees bentand his feet planted on the ground as though he's about to spring into action.I can't help myself. I know I should be concerned but instead of asking if he'salright I burst out laughing. The uncontrollable, loud, stomach achesafterwards laughing.
"Oh... my... god.." I stumbleout between laughs. " Are... you... okay..." except I know it's horribly insincere.I need to get a grip and stop laughing like I'm crazy. Only it was so funny. Asmy laughter slowly dies down I realize Jonathan is staring at me. That ends mylaughing fit quicker than anything else probably could have.
"What?" I ask suddenly self conscious.I reach up for my hair wondering if the pony tales falling out or something. Ipat my cheeks, maybe there's a bug or something. "Jonathan, what's wrong? Is itmy hair? Why are you staring at me like that?" I continue worried. He blinks twice onlyflustering me more.
"No, no, your hair is fine. It's just I've never heard youlaugh before."
"Um..." I honestly have noresponse.
"I mean you've like sometimes sarcasticallylaughed at my jokes or whatever but I had never really heard you laugh untilnow," he explains.
"Oh, well I guess that willteach you not to fall again, then you'll never have to hear my horrible laughagain."
"I'd fall every day if it madeyou laugh as you just did." I pause and it feels as though my heart has forgottenhow to work properly. It feels like I finished our run instead of barelystarting it.
Jonathan holds his hands up towards me since he's still sitting onthe ground. I just stare at him though unsure what he wants from me.
"First you laugh at me and nowyou're not even going to help me up?" I step towards him and lockhands with him before heaving him to his feet. It doesn't work as well as itshould though. Instead of helping him to his feet because he's strong and kindof heavy I end up stumbling forward slightly and bumping into him. Still the endresult is the same, Jonathan is standing again essentially unharmed after hisfall. No one thought this through though because now I'm nearly nose to nosewith Jonathan, barely an inch between us. With Jonathan being taller than me I'mleft slightly looking up towards him and him looking down towards me. Neitherof us moves and I can feel his breath lightly fan across my face.
I'm the firstone to break away and quickly before I can think about anything any longer I takea step back. "Let's get going," I mumble. Istart off without Jonathan, leaving him standing behind me. He starts runningbehind me seven seconds later. I lead us for the rest of our run. 8U
YOU ARE READING
Running With Her Heart
RomanceI really thought this summer was going to be different. I had finally found something new to focus on. I was going to emerge from this summer a different better me. I was going to be a runner. That was before though. Before I met him. -"Don’t believ...
