Love Hurdles

7. Luke

Luke's POV
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"Hey, Luke," Sam asks. "You okay?"

He must have noticed I wasn't paying attention to the movie, but I have seen this movie a bazillion times because it's my favorite.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I respond. I glance over at Nat who is squished between Kris and Cameron. She looks so comfortable with them, probably because she's known them forever. I'm truly not usually the jealous type, but I just can't help by be petty about Natalie and Cam's close relationship. If only I was around more around our neighborhood, we most likely would have been close too.

When Natalie was first grade and I was second, we always hung out around the neighborhood, shooting hoops, playing tag, and training for races everyday. But third grade rolled around and I got in an accident that left me hospitalized for about a year; getting surgery after surgery, tests and experiments, and there were so many needles I lost count. When I finally got out, I was a grade behind all my friends and Natalie was becoming a better runner and I fell behind on our training, our friendship just fell apart. I could have know Nat better.

Natalie's warm laugh fills the room with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I look over to see Cameron and Kris tickling her. Quickly, she leaps up and runs to me,

"Luke," she says giggling. "Protect me! They're attacking me!" She falls over next to me, laughing like there's no tomorrow.

"Oh, I'll help," I tease. Before she can stop me, I tickle her tiny waist. She tosses and turns, and soon Cam and Kris rejoin the action.

"Stop," she says, gasping for air. "Stop!" She laughs and rolls onto the floor. Sam and Laila move out of the way of an uncontrollable Natalie. Nat jumps up and runs down the hall to the kitchen, but before she can get too big of a head start I race behind her.

I grab Natalie from behind and she collapses on the kitchen floor because she is laughing so hard. I slide one arm under her neck and the other under her legs. Because she was caught of guard, she scrambles to grab onto my leg. Slowly, I scoop her up and realize our faces are in a close proximity. Natalie looks away, but doesn't move. I walk back to the living room with a defeated Nat in my arms. When we get there, Laila gives us a weird look, but then goes back to saying good bye to everyone.

"See you later Luke," Cam says and Sam high fives me, once I set Natalie down. Everyone seems to be leaving so I decide to head out too.

"Hey, Nat. Need a ride home?" I ask.

"Mmmhhhm," she mumbles. "Adios, Kris," she calls out to Kris before following me out the door.

I walk Nat over to my hand-me-down red truck, it's not too bad, if I do say so myself. After we both get in the car, I turn on the radio and press my foot to the gas. The only sound in the car is Natalie trying to sing to the lyrics; let's just say she's not ready for American Idol yet.

"Guess what?" I say cutting her off to Ke$ha's infamous lyrics of Timber.

"What?"

"Coach Lynn says I can run in the meet next week!"

"Seriously? That's great Luke!" Nat exclaims. "I'm nervous for the 100 meeter hurdles," she bits her lip out of nervous.

It is so cute when she bits her lip like that, I think to myself.

"Really? You think that," Natalie nervously asks.

"Shoot! Did I say that out loud?"

Natalie laughs, her heart felt laugh. "Yes, you did." Soon we are both cracking up.

"You know, Luke," she says when were are done laughing. "You're really funny."

"Hey! I've got an idea," I start to say. "How about I run with you during hurdle practice on Monday? I do know something about hurdling."

"That would be perfect!" She exclaims.

We sit in a comfortable silence for the rest of the car ride. When we finally reach our houses, I pull up in my drive way.

"See you later Luke," Nat calls as she jumps out of the car. I follow her with my eyes as she hops over the hedge that separates our houses.

"Just like second grade," I call out, triggering the memory of when tomboy Nat would come to my house to shoot Nerf guns and then hop over the hedge to get home.

"How else would I get home," she jokingly replies and then waves good bye before disappearing behind her front door.

"G'night," I say to no one. The stars twinkling in the dark sky and the hooting owl the lives on the oak tree in my front, are my only reply.