Finish Line

6

The car ride home is silent. Dylan doesn't say anything so I don't either. When we finally get to the house, he leads me around back towards the trampoline. We climb the stairs to get back to each of our rooms. I keep my head down and watch my heels click against the wood as I take long strides towards my room. 

"Are you okay," Dylan finally asks, catching my arm before I can get to my room. My eyes snap up to his. His eyes are hard, I can't read him. 

I nod before muttering, "Yeah, I'm fine." 

He turns my arm around and looks at it. I was hoping he wouldn't. His eyes drift along my arm, searching for anything that could suggest I was physically harmed. I pull my arm away before mumbling a goodnight and heading off to my room. I'm only now realizing how late it is. 

I crash down onto my bed, gazing up at the ceiling. I can see the shadows of the city dance across the walls as I lie quietly. The quiet is peaceful. Things have been too fast lately. I mean, hell, I couldn't even stand up for myself. I just froze like a stupid damsel in distress. I should've defended myself. 

I've been in Seattle for two weeks now. I've made memories and I've begun a relationship with my family. I've made friends and I'm not sure that I'm ready to go back to Santa Barbra in two months. I know it's a long ways away but I've already made so much of a life for myself in two weeks. All I'm saying is that it's going to be hard to go back after this summer. This is just the beginning of it all. 

Falling asleep is a struggle right now. I can't get my mind off of one thing, Dylan. He's so confusing. He's arrogant and a total jackass half the time, the other half he's secretive and passive. I want a friendship with him. I hate that he uses me as a doormat half the time. He acts like he couldn't care less about me. However, then he takes me on drives and saves my ass at parties he dragged me too. 

I just don't understand him. At all. I can usually figure people out, like Paris, Katie, Max, everybody. With him, it's like he's a new person every ten minutes. I just want to know the truth. I want to know what's happened in the last four years. I want Dylan to trust me. I want him to talk to me, I want to know why he acts like this. I want the truth already!

I don't sleep. I spend my night working on a new article. I write about Dylan, mainly. Dylan is the most interesting part of this summer. My writing is my everything. I've always wanted to be an author but Boston is convinced I'm supposed to be a journalist. All of his assignments are designed specifically for journalism which almost pisses me off. I listen to Ed Sheeran as I write. When I finish my article, I work on a novel I've been working on throughout the school year. It's coming to a close as I finish up some final touches. 

By the time I check the time, it's 7:30am. I need food and I need exercise. I pull on a pair of black spandex and throw on some Adidas sweatpants along with a black LuLu Lemon sports bra and a Lily's Cafe long sleeve. I grab my lanyard and my phone before finding my way to Adele. I was able to get out the house silently, without waking anyone up. Dylan's car is here so that has to mean that he's in his room. 

Cole is already at The Streets so I'm hoping to swing a breakfast there. I make my way down the busy highways. Traffic isn't awful but i still find myself impatiently tapping my hands against the steering wheel. By the time I get to The Streets, it's 7:45am. I'm proud of my time as I swing the cafe door open. Cole's eyes snap up to mine and a smile spreads across his face. 

I press my hands on the counter and push myself up. "Busy morning?" He laughs, working on an order as I make my way around the counter. I search the bakery before finding a muffin that looks amazing. 

"Nothing out of the ordinary," He finishes off a vanilla carmel latte and hands it to a woman patiently waiting across the counter, "what're you up to this morning?"