No Offense But You're Kinda Fat - l.h -a.u

Luke

Sweat trickling down my spine and disappearing into the waistband of my shorts, I leaned over, letting my fingertips curl around the toe of my running shoes.

"Jesus Luke did you get faster?" Evan panted coming to a stop behind me and dropping like a limp scarecrow to the grass.

"You're gonna get bit." I said in way of answer

Sighing overdramatically, Evan stood up then lowered down to a squat beside me, "Maybe cross country isn't for me man."

"Maybe not."

Evan made a face, "What's your problem?"

I considered telling him that I made his sister cry and wondered if it would earn me a punch to the face.

If it did, I'd accept it, I deserved it. My Mom would kill me if I called a girl fat, or anyone for that matter.

That was her thing though, the perfect channel four news anchor, small waist, huge smile, city wide health initiative. She'd be mortified if she found out her kid was going around calling people fat.

"You good?" Evan pressed, since I was standing there like a bit of a dunce.

"I'm fine." I assured him, shoving him slightly, "You've spent too much time with your girlfriend, you've gone soft."

"Shut up." He muttered

Tossing my backpack over my shoulder I shuffled from the grass to the sidewalk, "Let's go home, I'm starving."

Joining me in way of agreement, Evan led the way from the open field by the library towards our house.

My earbuds muting the mundane background soundtrack around me, I shuffled along behind him paying more attention to my cellphone and not my surroundings, resulting in me crashing into Evan's back when he stopped.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, ripping my earbuds out of my ears.

Looking up, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end finding a guy with his hood drawn and his hands shoved in his pockets walking towards us.

"Cross the street." I uttered, grabbing Evan by the strap of his backpack and pulling him across the abandoned two-way road to the other side.

Not stupid enough to take my eye off the guy, I crammed my hands in my pockets, curling my fingers around my phone before continuing home briskly, the tightness in my chest only easing when the guy disappeared into one of the dorm buildings.

"What a creep." Evan breathed, laughing uneasily.

"Chicken shit." I chuckled, feeling suddenly invincible and embarrassed for having crossed the road.

"Poor guy probably thought we were nuts." Evan snickered sheepishly.

Cringing internally, I opened my mouth to reply however before I could speak a blood curdling scream pierced the night moments before the dorm building's doors flew open and an auburn haired girl stumbled out in an oversized t-shirt and socks.

I had two options, run forward and help the hot girl like the honorable hero in a horror movie, in other words, run towards death, or I could run the other way, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I choose the later.