Chasing Stars

T r a i n i n g

     "No" I said, with a state of finality.

"No I will not wake up at five thirty tomorrow. There is no way"

    "But you have to!" Austin protested through the phone.

    "No I do not."

     "You have to train for the triathlon"

      "I'm planning on winging that"

     "You can't wing a triatholon"

      "Watch me"

      "I will watch you" Austin said. "I will watch you train"

      "But I don't want to" I whined.

     "I'll pick you up at six" he said, and with a click, he hung up.

    "So bossy" I muttered to my phone.

     With a groan I set my alarm to the unearthly hour of five thirty.

  I fell onto my bed and drew the blankets up to my chin.

   It was time to train.

                            *******

      I waited for Austin in the icy dark, cursing him under my breath. The sky was a dark blue, with tendrils of light slowly creeping out, and the street lights cast a ghostly effect on the setting. 

    I shivered and drew my jacket tighter around my body, as I looked around for Austin.

        Soon I saw the outline of a figure walking at a leisurely pace, hands in his pockets.

     I frowned with exasperation and ran up to him.

     "Why train at six? Why not eight? Eight is a perfectly acceptable time to train" I said as a greeting.

    "Name one movie where they start training at eight" he answered.

     "So I woke up at five thirty because you wanted to feel like we are in a movie?" I asked in disbelief.

   "Calm down Tess. Its not killing you to wake up early. Its beneficial to your health too, you know"  he pointed out gleefully, smirking at my obvious distress.

    "Look around you. There is literally nobody that's up" I said.

    At that moment, a car whizzed by us.

  Austin looked after it pointedly.

     "I found one person" he said.

       "Well, that's just one"

   Another car.   "Right. Just one person"

    I scrunched up my face in annoyance, and rubbed my arms as I walked.

    "You cold?" Austin asked.

         "Yeah, aren't you?"

    I looked at his outfit for the first time.

     He was wearing a tight tank top that hugged his upper body, showing off an array of muscles, and basketball shorts. No jacket or any means of warmth whatsoever.

     I gave him a look, which he returned with a shrug.

    "I'm warm-blooded" he said.

       "Boys" I muttered.

     We walked through the large gates of Central Park. It was the first time I had seen it so deserted.

    Austin led me over to a large field. The grass was wet with morning dew.

   "Well now we're here. Tell me what to do coach" I said.

    He grinned, flashing his brilliant white teeth.

    "We run"

          In two hours, we ran two miles, did five sets of fifty pushups, and by the time we were done with the sit ups, I was ready to be led to Heaven.

    I sat up on the grass, rubbing my aching back.

   "Austin" I said with gritted teeth. "You're completely mad.

     I furiously wiped the trickle of sweat that gleamed on my forehead. By now, the park was filled with joggers, children and tourists. They looked at us with amusement.

     Austin lay on the ground next to me, panting.

    With a growing rage, I noticed that although his breath was short, he was barely sweating.    

    "Oh come on Tess. A small work out every day will definetly help us in the triathlon"

     I looked at him in astonishment. "Every day?"

    "Well yeah."

   "The triathlon can go screw itself" I shot at him.

     He gave me a smug look.

          "Oh" he said mockingly. "Is Tess too tired and lazy?"

    I poked his back. "I am not lazy"

          "Oh really"

            "Yes really"

     "Well then I have a wager for you' Austin said, with a gleam in his eyes.

     "And what may that be?" I asked, despite myself.

     "I bet that you won't be able to train like this everyday."

       "I bet I can" I said, knowing that I had taken the bait.

     He smiled. "Okay" he said, in a business like tone. "We'll see what happens"

       "What do I get if I win?" I asked curiously.

    "Bragging rights" he said seriously. "Do we have a deal?" He stuck out his hand.

    I rolled my eyes.

       I shook his hand. "We do"

                       **********

A/n So guys all comments and votes are really appreciated!

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