Loving Eros

Prologue

"Are you ready, Are you ready for this? Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?Out of the doorway the bullets rip to the sound of the beat.Another one bites the dust." -Queen

 "Grey! Grey, hey!" A girl flailed her arms, trying to gain a boy's attention.

 "Dude, good luck at the track race today," spoke another student, punching the boy in the arm.

 "I'm rooting for you, buddy!" Such a friendly statement could only be completed with a rough slap on the back.

 On this particular day, a young man with rugged rusty hair was standing in his high school track field. The air and sunlight seeped into him, only to find its way out through his own sweat. Only the heat of New York during a heatwave kept him and the other runners separated— who could take it, and who couldn't. Dozens of other athletes in maroon track uniforms were stretching while the rafters were packed full of family members and other students. Busy-bodies were everywhere, and the stench of popcorn and deodorant filled the air. Oh, how he loved it. The adrenaline rush coming before the adrenaline. The ear-ringing sound of people chattering, laughing, and guessing who the fastest runner is.

 "Nothing like starting off your first year of high school by winning a track race." The boy, a young man named Grey, smirked to himself. 

 He'd noticed ever since the first day of high school that the boys in his class were rather sluggish, tired, and a little up in the clouds. Well, that was one way of saying it. Nothing illegal going on in this town, no sir. Not that he would know. It was a new school, new district, and a new city. 

 A whistle rang through the air, followed by all of the runners lining up. The field became quiet. The only sound to be heard was the loud beating of one's heart.

 Bang. 

 Wind pounded against Grey's body with every leap he took, every stride, and every breath. Dozens of other boys surrounded him, arms swinging, legs flailing. Amateurs. Time slowed as Grey's pace quickened. The cheerleaders were in the center field doing their routine, he could hear their high pitched voices sounding out anthems and cheesy cheers. He couldn't stare for too long, so he left a few of the staring girls a charming wink and continued onward, pushing his legs and muscles even further. The other racers vanished from his peripheral vision as he was but a few yards from the finish line. He grinned, tempted to even slow down. No, not now. He couldn't afford to be cocky. Cheers rose, people stood up in the stands, all cheering for him.

 All in vain. A step away from the very line, a breeze passed him. Not the wind or air that he had been fighting against to get this far, but another force. A blur of that darker shade red and brown skimmed his left side. Passing the finish line, his sprint turned into a jog. Leaning forward, using only his knees as support, Grey panted and gasped for air. The sound of his heart got quieter, just so he could hear one, single sound.

 Laughter. 

 He looked up, only to take in the sight of a girl in the same track uniform as him, clutching her stomach and laughing directly at him. All the other runners whipped past them, but it didn't matter. The winner was clear, but it wasn't Grey. It was a dark-haired girl with creamy brown skin. A girl of mystery. A girl who wasn't there when the race started.

 "Sorry I'm late!" Her voice now reached his ears, creating a rising disbelief in his gut. He could still hear her snickering through her words. Meaningless words.

 One word was all Grey could manage. "How?" He looked up at her in awe, sucking in rough air and pushing it back out.

 The girl's face suddenly became serious, her balled up fists landing on her hips. Her wild brown eyes met his pair of blazing green irises, piercing into him."You have to have a reason to outrun those who will only get in your way. Focusing on winning is the one thing holding you back. And winning isn't a reason to keep going."

 Then, she was gone. Week after week he would search for her, unsatisfied with her answer. In the halls, at practice, everywhere. After the semester ended, he gave up. The rumor was, the girl who had won the race had been transferred to another school. She was only a brief moment in his history, he wasn't anything in hers. He was of no importance. She vanished, disappeared.

 That was when he knew he would never see her again.