Half of the Story

Chapter One: This isn't like the movies.

Dakota always woke up early, ever since moving into the dorm she just couldn't explain it. Spending the few hours before Callie promised to go for a run with her working on a project. She tried her best to stay ahead of her classes, wanting to spend her free time on weekends exploring the town and helping Callie break out of her shell. Tying her long blonde hair up into a pony tail and slipping into some workout clothes she crossed the small hall way towards Callie's cave. Pausing a moment to listen for any sign of life, she started to knock when some pop song ended.

"Callie, wake up. It's almost seven in the morning and you promised you would go running with me!" She stopped, listening closely at the mumbles that came from inside the room.

She wanted a moment longer before trying the door only to find it was indeed locked. Dammit, she prepared for this, she thought.

"I don't know what you just said, but it better have been you saying how excited you were about running!" She yelled and walked away from the door. Needed to grab some headphones, this run was going to be a sole one and she just needed to accept that. Dakota was pleasantly surprised to watch Callie slowly walk out of her room and into the common space. Biting back a comment on her attire and instead giving her best friend a quick hug.

"Keep your feet at the same pace. Watch your breathing. Hurry up, Callie. Come on. You're slacking. Callie. Stop making that face. It's running. It's just like walking, but faster." She ran along a few steps ahead. Always checking back to make sure Callie was keeping pace. The light pace felt nice. It was even nicer to finally run with Callie. The sunlight warming her skin as she bounced along.

"Dakota, I love you, but if you don't shut up..." Callie could hardly get the words out as she ran along. Sweat dripping down her forehead and fogging up her glasses.

"Oh, Come on. It's not that bad once you get used to it. We're almost done too, so be happy about that." We were not almost done, but Callie doesn't need to know that.

"How far do we have left?"

"A little over three and a half miles, I think." She shrugged and gave her a half smile, watching as Callie threw herself into the grass.

"THREE AND A HALF MILES?!" She rolled over onto her back. Spreading out like a star, "D, I can't do three and a half more miles, I am a weak fragile duckling. You just can't ask someone whose typical day consists of eating kettle corn and watching reruns of 90's shows to run 5 miles. Even in high school, my shortest mile was 14 minutes."

She watched Callie's chest rise and fall as she tried to catch her breath. Oh... Callie did have a different PE...

"Yeah I probably should've thought about that."
She agreed on cutting the run down to the 3 miles it would take to get back from where they were now. By the time they returned, Dakota had to carry Callie back into her room.

She left her best friend to rest as she ran for a quick shower. Class was starting soon enough and after all, she could find her prince charming in her English Comp class any day now. She sat in the back as per usual, thanks to the unofficial seating charts and worked quietly on another class' essay. It was writing after all. The hour passed as uneventfully as normal. Saving the copy and sitting back as the rest of the zombies from her university left. Checking her phone and sighing. Callie would already be off to class now, and she didn't have anything else until after lunch. Closing her laptop down and sliding it into her bag.

Somehow, she always found her way to the campus coffee house. Sitting in the corner and nursing a cup slowly while she drew slowly. Working on capturing the piano player across the way without being overly creepy about it. Is this illegal? Can you be sent to jail for sketching someone? Maybe I'll just not add in all of his tattoos... that's not illegal right?

It didn't take long before the little shop was filled with soft music. Her pencil stopped as she looked up to watch him. Captivated by each keystroke.

"Wow..."

It wasn't until the song finished that she noticed him looking over at her. Blushing as she went back to her sketch. The small conversations all around her fading back into existence as he was joined by two others and left. Finishing the sketch quietly and titling it, Piano Man.

She finished her day like always, sitting through one class while working on the next. Callie was already in bed by the time she stumbled into the dorm and laid down. The same melody playing through her head as she drifted off to sleep.