Destined

Eleven

The next day, I spent as long as I could in bed before finally getting up. I got dressed and grabbed my running shoes deciding to take a jog, something I did very rarely. Plugging my earphones into my ipod, and locking the house behind me, I ran off.

It was a little chilly but nothing that would keep people indoors. My theory was proved as I came across two other joggers. I raced around the street, heading into the forest so I could make my way back up to my house.

It was while I was in the forest that I saw him. He was running in a direction perpendicular to me, dressed in variations of grey. But it was his hair that made me recognise him. It was for the first time untied. So it was like a blur behind him as he ran, and he was fast.

I realised I had stopped running and was now watching him. As if he sensed me, he stopped and turned to me. He was several metres away but I noticed the exact moment he pressed pause on his phone, then he smiled and jogged over to me.

"Kristina," Vince said as he reached me.

His voice was hoarse and husky and my legs felt weak. It was from the running, I told myself.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked and he laughed, exposing his teeth.
"I could ask you the same thing,"
"Except you're the one who keeps sneaking into my room,"
He smiled again, "Touché. No, I'm not stalking you, scout's honor," he raised his right hand in promise.
"Were you a Boy Scout?"
He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head, "No, but see? I'm honest. Fancy meeting you here," he said.
"I didn't know you run, uh, of course you run, you obviously do some kind of work out,"
"Well writing only exercises my brain, have to handle the rest on my own apparently,"
"Well, you handle it pretty well, I mean look at you," my cheeks heated and I gasped when I realized what I'd said. "Oh wow, I think I'm just going to stop talking now,"
"I'd rather look at you," he stated and I was ready to combust.

His hair, now that he was standing still, framed his face like a dark mane, curling in on itself and making him look... godly.

"Why are you all the way out here?" He asked. "It's not safe, with recent events, there's still a killer on the loose, "

"God, I hadn't even thought of that," I blurted out loud making him frown.

"You forgot that your friend was murdered last week?" He sounded accusatory, angry even, causing my guard to lift.

"I didn't forget, I just didn't think of the safety precautions,"

"You didn't think of the safety precautions?" He arched a brow and gritted his teeth in frustration. "Have you no sense of self preservation?" His voice rose several octaves.

"I...I don't have to explain myself to you," I said, because really, what could I say?

"It's dangerous for you to be running around in these woods with what's happened, you know that, right?"

"What about yourself?" I retaliated. "You're running around here too,"

I realized that was dumb. He clearly could take care of himself. I don't know why, but I wanted him to know and believe I was smart. Not some foolish and forgetful freshman. And it angered me that he carelessly demanded answers from me when it was none of his concern.

"You don't have to talk to me like I'm some foolish child!" I shouted.

"Well you're acting like one!" He yelled back and suddenly we both shut up. His expression turned apologetic, "You could have at least come with a friend," he was saying but I shook my head not wanting to listen.

"I should go," I said.

"Wait," he tried to reach for me and I hastily stepped back, and lost my footing, causing me to tumble over and roll on the ground."Kristina!"