into the night [cazzie]

five

CASEY FELT LIKE SHE COULDN'T BREATHE. She was heaving for breath as sweat beaded at her forehead. She felt a burning all around, especially around her legs. She looked around, trying to find the end of the road, but couldn't seem to. She inhaled sharply, trying to keep up with the raven-haired girl next to her.

"Slowing down, Newton?" Izzie teased, turning backwards. Even when jogging backwards, she seemed to stay several paces in front of the other girl. "What happened to the girl who beat that 400m record>"

"I'm not built for long distance," Casey grumbled. "Who the hell runs 15k's for fun?"

The two girls were on a run. They had to keep fit for the school year, and they did promise one another to run together in the summer. Casey was happy at first, but that changed quickly when she realized Izzie's form of running was running 15k at a time. Even though Casey preferred sprints, she could manage 15k normally with some struggle, but she was out of shape. She had forgotten how important training often was for track, and this was a dark reminder. She silently swore to herself to keep running.

"You'll live," Izzie brushed it off. "It's all about breathing. Here, let's take a break."

The two stopped on the side of the road. Izzie kept her heart rate up, constantly shifting her weight from foot to foot. Casey, on the other hand, who much preferred sprinting, was beat, so she just drank as much water as she could. Her face was pure red.

"We're on the 15th kilometer. Come on,"

"Okay, if we run any long, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go into respiratory arrest,"

"Fine," Izzie looked around, recognizing the area, before walking off in a different direction. "Come, I know a place we can sit."

Casey nodded, capping the bottle. She followed Izzie, trying not to stare. Her legs looked really good in her shorts, and they rode up just a bit when she stepped. Casey thought about how nice Izzie's soft skin would feel pressed against hers. How perfect their lips would meld together. How amazing her touch would feel. How good her long, slender fingers would feel tangled in her brown hair. But she forced herself to stop, pushing the thoughts out of her head. They were just friends, and besides, she still was with Evan. Despite her mother's urges, she hadn't found the time to break it off with Evan that day, and now, a week or so later, Izzie and her were on a run.

They arrived at a fence, which Izzie climbed easily. Once more, Casey tried not to stare, but this time she failed. When she looked up, she met Izzie's eyes, who definitely saw her staring. Izzie smirked a little bit, then hollered down.

"Alright, climb this fence," Izzie instructed. "I don't know why it's a fence right in front of a wall, but the wall has this little ledge thing that I like sitting on. There's space for two."

Casey looked at the daunting fence, unsure of what to do. She knew once she reached that wall that her fear of heights would kick in, and she was sure Izzie knew it too. Izzie knew exactly about Casey's fear of heights, yet she still told Casey to get on the roof, and it wasn't that bad. Izzie seemed to be made to push Casey's boundaries, from sitting on rooftops to almost-kisses and more. And Casey seemed to be alright through it all - actually, Casey was happy through it all because she had Izzie with her.

With that thought, Casey sucked in her breath, beginning to climb. She quickly made her way up the fence, and with Izzie's help, she was pulled onto the small ledge. Casey looked down, seeing cars driving past below their feet. She felt slightly dizzy, and Izzie could tell. The track captain wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist, resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder.

"It's fine," Izzie said in a soothing voice. "Nothing's gonna happen. You got me."

Casey smiled, feeling calmer already. She looked to the left, past Izzie, seeing the bridge with the train tracks several hundred feet down. To the right was the downtown area, where shops and restaurants lined the streets. They were maybe ten feet above street level, and it was pretty tall, but Casey was confident in her abilities to not fall.