Running Into You

Chapter 10

Henry

I drive to the school with a lump of coal in my stomach. On the way there I stop at a  drive-thru coffee shop and pick up two coffees. I'm not sure if she drinks coffee, but I know I'm not going to make it without it. I fly down the road with the music cranked up real loud trying to settle the uneasiness in my stomach. If I think too hard on what I am doing I won't go through with it, but every time I remember those articles I pulled up online this weekend I cannot not go through with it. Those bastards. Most of the bastards were with more than one girl and some of the girls were under eighteen. In those cases I wanted them to burn, but where is the fine line between what I'm doing, what I want to do, and what they did? It doesn't matter. If I have to justify it then it's wrong. I'm not going to take advantage of a student. When I arrive at the school there are no cars in the parking lot and the sun has not risen yet. The sky is still black with sprinkles of stars everywhere. When I get out of my car it's a bit chiller than I'm used to. I zip up my jacket before I grab the coffees and shut the door. When I step out on the track I don't see her anywhere. I go to sit on the cold concrete bleachers to wait for her when out of nowhere she emerges out of the darkness towards me like a ghost and I'm reminded of the dream I had of her. If she were to sprout wings and fly over to me I don't know that I would be surprised.

"Hi, what's this all about?" She asks rubbing her upper arms back and forth trying to warm up. She is wearing a pair of blue runner shorts that stop right below her hips and a white T-shirt that has a brightly colored unicorn on it. My blood starts to warm up from the look of her. I am sick. I am really sick. She should not turn me on dressed like that.

"I brought us some coffee if you want to sit and warm up a bit."

"Okay." She takes one of the cups and sits down beside me.

"So you run in the dark every morning?"

"Yeah, it's kind of nice don't you think? When I started it wasn't as cold or as dark, but I warm up rather quickly." She takes a sip of her coffee and glances over at me.

"Do you mind if we sit in my car? Just so we can stay warm?" She nods and gets up and walks towards my car. I open the door for her and let her in before I go around to the driver's side and get in. I put the keys in the ignition and crank the car back up.

She looks up at me waiting for me to begin.

"I have good news. I'm going to talk to the guidance counselor and see if you can get back in that Physics class you were in." I smile, but it's weak.

She looks confused. "I don't understand. You don't want me in your class?"

"It's not that. It's just I think it's for the best."

"I thought she said I had to have a P.E. class before I graduated. How are you going to get me out of that?"

"I think if I tell her about how you like to run in fun runs and if you will agree to join the track team then she will let that be your credit for P.E."

"There isn't a track team coach. Remember?"

"I know, but I'm sure the school is going to find one. There were fourteen kids on that team last year. I just know they won't let it fall apart especially since they just built that brand new track around the football field."

"What if they don't? Are you going to be okay with me being in your class?"

"I think it'd be best if you weren't in my class. You're a student, a child in some people's eyes. I don't want us to be on the front page of the gazette."

Her eyes flash and I know I've said something wrong.

"Let's get this straight, I am not a child. I am eighteen and an adult in all ways that count. If you don't want me then just say so, don't be a coward."