the fallen;; zm {slow updates}

forty three

CHAPTER FORTY THREE;;

     "Wake up, sleepy head!"

I groan, rubbing my eyes, "Rose? What are you doing here? What time is it?"

"It's seven in the morning," Rose says, making her way to my bedroom window.

Her hands reached for the the curtains, grabbing it in her hand, "Don't -" I tell her but she had already pulled it back, letting the sun shine into my room and burning my eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"We're going running today," She put her hands on her hips and it took me awhile to realise that she had her sports bra on and black running tights. "I just got a new pair of tennis shoes and I need to break these bad boys in,"

I pulled a pillow over my face, blocking out the light, "I'm tired. And since when do you like running?"

"It's no secret I'm carrying around a few extra pounds," Rose says. "There's a guy out there named Niall Horan and if shedding some extra weight is what it's gonna take me to get up the courage to go after him, then that's what I'm going to do. I want Niall to look at me the way Zayn looks at you. Starting from today, I love exercise. It's my new bff,"

"Your new bff? And what about me?"

"As soon as I loose this weight, you'll be my number one girl again. Come on," I feel the covers being pulled away from me before a slap on my thigh. "Get up!"

"I'm grounded, remember?" I mumbled on the pillow. Not long after, the words she said sank into my head and I sat up instantly, "Hold up. Niall Horan? You like him? When did this happen?"

"Awhile," She grins at me and walk toward the door. "And asked Maria if you could accompany me for a run and she agreed. I'll be waiting in my car. You have ten minutes to get dressed,"

"Rose," I whined. "I just woke up,"

"And don't forget a sweatband. Your hair does scary stuff when it gets damp,"

* * *

Rose drove her mini cooper across town, humming to herself as I looked out the at the scenery. It was nowhere familiar for I have not been to this side of town before.

"Where are we going?" I asked, tying my hair up in a ponytail.

"I was thinking we should run hills. Hills are good for the glutes," Rose grins, turning the car onto Gerard Road and I knew that she was hiding something from me.

"He lives here, doesn't he?" I raised an eyebrow at her, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What? You think this morning was planned and I brought you along so I don't look stalker-ish?"

"Oh god. You are a stalker,"

"That's a real sad hat way of looking at it, girlfriend. Why not think of it as a motivation? Eye on the prize,"

"What if he sees us?"

"Niall is best friends with your boyfriend. I'm pretty sure he is there with him and if they see us, they'll probably come over and talk to us. And it would be rude not to stop and give them a couple minutes of our time,"

"In other words, this isn't about running, is it? This is a pickup,"

Rose wagged her head, "You're no fun at all, you know that?"

She cruised up Gerard Road, a winding stretch of scenic road bordered on both sides by dense evergreens. In another couple of week, they would be frosted with snow.