Our Story So Far

Chapter 5

I woke up to the irritating sound of my hotel alarm clock. Rolling onto my side I groaned at how early it was. 6:30?! What the hell? The answer to my next question was written on a scraggly post it not stuck to the nightstand. I squinted in the dark to read it.

Cassandra told me to wake you up, but I didn't feel like getting up early. So get jogging. Sucks to suck ;)

I rolled my eyes. The handwriting was hard to make out- that was Drake's trademarked chicken scratch. He must have snuck into my room after I'd conked out and set my alarm. It was so earlyyyyy. I thought about going back to sleep, but I figured if I skipped my first day of training Cassandra would come and kill me. So I sucked it up and pulled on my work out clothes.

I opted for a white t-shirt that had the year 2013 written on the back in navy blue. I had only gotten in a few days ago, but it was already faded and well worn. Everyone in the graduating class got one, but Drake decided to wear mine instead of his, which stretched it out a lot. I slipped on a pair of light blue spandex and then some navy shorts over those and was ready to head out.

I was all the way down to the lobby when I realized that I didn't know where I was going. Cassandra said someone would meet me down here at 6:45- it was almost 7. There was a table set up against the wall with coffee and basic breakfast staples. I grabbed a granola bar and a banana and sat down to wait. I didn't realize how hungry I was until all my food was gone. I wanted to go get another banana- but at the same time I didn't want to throw up during my run. So I remained where I was.

It was now 7:15. Are you kidding? No one's here. I let out a deep, annoyed breath and texted Cassandra that I was going alone. I might as well run. There's no way that I just woke up for nothing. I slipped my phone into my sports bra and exited the hotel. I started off walking until I reached the street. Cars were zooming up and down the busy street, containing mostly irritated drivers trying to get to work on time.

There were about a billion offshoots to each street and I had no idea which way to go. Well, here's to taking chances. I chose to turn right and jog down towards an area that wasn't as densely populated.  I popped my ear buds in and cranked up the music. I always jog better with music on- it's just a given. It makes me feel like I'm in some sort of music video or something. Lame, I know- but don't deny it. You totally do it too.

An All Time Low song had just ended and I couldn't see the hotel anymore. I could probably find my way back from here so I just kept running. Actually, I wouldn't call this running. I would call it lazily dragging my body around Los Angeles in an attempt to exercise. I was starting to feel that whole runner's high thing that everyone's always talking about until a Momentum song came on. Ugh, really not in the mood to hear Roman serenade me at the moment- exercise is bad enough already. I grumbled and skipped the song in my playlist.

Will told all of us that we should be familiar with the songs before going on tour so he converted his CDs into mp3s. Which he then took the liberty of downloading onto everyone's phone/iPod. Before our nasty little encounter I had actually found this music to be bearable. But now, just the sound of Roman's voice made me cringe. 

For the next hour or so I managed to get lost. And then I somehow ended up in Chinatown. Great. I've taken Mandarin in school for the past four years, but I haven't actually put it into practice yet. This was all in preparation to become an international business major; which is what I would be doing in the fall if we weren't going to be on tour. 

Okay, let's see if I can actually navigate this place... I could make out the signs for a few restaurants and a bank. No signs that could tell me how to get back. I could always ask somebody to give me directions... Nah, I better call someone first. I tried Luke, then Will but no answer. I didn't even bother trying for Drake; the kid could sleep through anything. I even called Cassandra and she didn't answer.

I decided to make the most out of my isolation. The Los Angeles Chinatown was way different than the one back home. This one was, I don't know, cuter? The sun was shining and it just made everything look so pretty and nice. Being stranded isn't so bad, I thought as I passed by a stand selling handmade bracelets. I picked one up and admired it in my hand. I was about to put the piece back on the rack when a body crashed into me. The bracelet fell to the table but thankfully didn't break.

* * * * *

"I'm so sorry, I didn't notice where I was going-" The boy slid the sunglasses off his face and faltered a little. "Mac?"

"Oh great. It's you." I rolled my eyes. Great, the one person in the world that I wouldn't want to be caught dead with is the only familiar face in this packed square. His expression softened.

"Listen, I'm really..." He didn't finish his sentence. He just stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets. Is this kid serious? I guess I really had to force an apology out of him.

"Can I help you, Roman?" I asked in an uninterested tone.

"I wanted to apologize." He said.

"For?"

"For you know..."

"For being a dick? Or for indirectly calling me a slut, or being sexist, or-" I could have gone on and on but he cut me off.

"For all of it." He looked like he meant it. "Seriously I was pretty horrible to you."

"Oh. Ok. Well thanks." I replied. I didn't really know what to say.

"So uh, what are you doing here?" Roman asked me, eyeing my outfit.

"I was out running and I kind of got lost." I explained. "What are you doing out here?"

"I used to take Chinese in high school." He said running his hand through his hair like he was embarrassed. He must have thought I was weirded out because he cleared his throat. "Yeah it's weird, I know." He said sheepishly.

"No, not at all I just had you pegged as the Spanish type." I replied. From first through eighth grade everyone in my school took Spanish. The same course that we had taken in middle school was offered again in high school, so that's the class that most of the slackers decided to take. Then an idea popped into my head. "Say something in Chinese." I told him.

"Uh what do you want me to say?" He asked.

"I don't care. Anything."

"Uh, Nǐ hěn piàoliang." He said clearing his throat. Even though I hated this kid, a small smile slipped onto my face. After all, he had just told me that I was very pretty.

"Xièxiè. Nǐ hěn qīnqiè." I replied, thanking him and saying he was very nice. Roman blinked twice and opened his mouth to speak.

"You- you speak Chinese?" He asked surprised. And I nodded. 

"Yep. Four years." I said, confirming the fact I had understood what he told me in Chinese.

"Oh." He said. I couldn't tell what was going through his mind right now. Was he embarrassed that I had understood him, or was he just stunned because he might have just met his match.

"So are you going to give me a ride back to the arena or what?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Aren't you a little demanding?" Roman rolled his eyes, back to his old self. But he still opened the car door for me.

"Well actually, according to you I'm pretty." I retorted and hopped into the passenger's seat. I closed the door behind me in triumph while Roman awkwardly stood there, stunned.

This kid has indeed just met his match.

picture of roman to the side :)