The Bad Boy Next Door

Chapter 2 - Day Two

Second summer morning. I stood up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes, feeling more tired than usual. I looked at myself in the mirror, grimacing at my second day hair, smeared mascara, and my fathers old baseball jersey, which I somehow managed to pull on without passing out halfway through the process. I patted down the tangle of knots that gathered at the nape of my neck, then walked to my closet. After grabbing my workout clothes - a simple pink tank and black spandex shorts - I fed Baby, grabbed a bottle of water, and went for a run.

"Color Run...Color Run...", My subconscious reminded me in a sing-song voice. I grew excited and started running faster. My father used to train with my sisters and I for the Color Run in the fall. It is one of the craziest and messiest runs, but it's also the prettiest. I'd be washing pink and green paint out of your hair for days. I snapped out of my thoughts when I noticed an all too familiar shadow following mine, followed by some whispering.

"Hi Nathan." I say, already knowing that it was him.

"Awh, pooey. You caught me." He replied in a sarcastic tone and pouted his bottom lip. I smiled and pushed him away, slowing down a bit so he could keep up with my pace.

"What's up? How'd you sleep?" He asked, already panting.

"Wonderfully." I muttered. I tried focusing on my breathing, but the smile creeping up on my face as thoughts of last night flooded my brain didn't allow me to. I shook my head and stopped to face him, ready to play a little game with the player.

"Listen, whatever happened last night was a one time thing. I just needed to get out of the house, alright?" I barked. His face went blank. I could tell he was a bit offended.

"You're not serious right now are you? I thought you had fun with me." His tone was a hurt one and I wasn't used to letting people down, even just for fun. I only turned and continued running, dodging his question and laughing quietly to myself.

After about a mile and a half, we slowed down when we approached the driveway of my house.

"Skye?" Nate spoke breathlessly. I giggled and shoved him.

"I didn't know you were such a big baby! I was joking. I had lots of fun with you. I didn't think you'd run the whole mile and a half just waiting to get an answer out of me." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, obviously very out of breath from that run and a bit shaken. I looked over at his house and the guys from last night, Shawn, Matt, and Mason, started walking towards us.

"We were not about to run all that to keep up with you." Shawn laughed as he pulled me into a hug.

"Hi Shawn, Nate's dying." I told him. We all glanced at Nathan, who was hunched over and trying to regain a steady breathing pattern.

"I'm not dying...I just...I just have a cramp." He lied, standing straight. We all looked at him in disbelief until he gave in with a chuckle.

"So what are you guys doing today?" He asked his friends.

"We were on our way to the park. Maybe shoot some hoops with the other guys there. You coming?" Mason answered, with a nod of approval from the other two. Nate looked down at me then back up at them.

"Um...no thanks. I have something planned. I'll see you later." He told them, in which they objected to at first, but they eventually sent themselves off with a final handshake. I walked towards my house and invited him in once the guys turned the corner.

"What've you got planned?" I bent over, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, then pegged it at him when I noticed he was staring at my ass.

"EARTH TO NATHAN. Stop staring you fuckin' weirdo." He shook his hair then ran his fingers through it, a small chuckle rolling off his lips. I giggled.