FREAKING OUT ² ➢ spencer reid

III

The next morning I woke up alone. I woke up around ten, which felt like some sort of miracle in itself, especially since I'd managed to sleep throughout the entire night without waking up. I mentally patted myself on the back, feeling impressed as I got up and wandered over to my luggage. On the closed suitcase there was a small orange sticky note attached. I raised my brow and bent down to grab it.

Sorry we left without saying bye. Didn't want to wake you. Feel free to eat whatever and steal the shower. —- Maggie.

I smiled and tossed the note aside. I rummaged through the other suitcase, grabbing the rest of my toiletries before heading into the bathroom. As I passed through my old bedroom I realized how different it looked. Comic books lined the shelves, while various paintings and pictures hung on the walls. Issac was a lot like mom in that way. He grew attached to objects like they were people, while dad and I were constantly throwing shit out.

I took a long shower, scrubbing and shaving my body until I was sure I clean. Afterwards, I hopped out, grabbing a towel from the rack to wrap myself up in as I stood in front of the slightly fogged mirror. I brushed my teeth again and moisturized my face as the condensation from the glass started to fade away. Once I could see myself I frowned. Even though it'd only been a few days since that night of heavy drinking, I was still surprised at how sick I looked. I dropped the towel from my torso, inspecting my stomach and hips sadly.

I really needed to start taking care of myself. Based on vision alone I could tell at some point I'd gained a couple of pounds. My stomach puffed out and I could see a tiny set of love handles starting to develop at my sides. I sighed and grabbed my towel again, wrapping myself up as I looked away in disgust. Deep down I knew I shouldn't care. It wasn't like my body wasn't healthy. Yet, part of me suddenly felt uncomfortable in my own skin.

I wandered back into the living room and fished through my clothes again, eventually finding some workout gear. I figured now was as good a time as any to start exercising again; now that I was reinventing my life or whatever. I threw everything on and stole a couple of protein bars from the cupboard, quickly consuming them as I did some stretches on the floor.

After I finished, I grabbed my phone from inside my purse, narrowing my eyes at the screen. I swore under my breath when I noticed the low battery percentage, cursing at myself for not plugging it in last night. I thought about going for a run, but without music it'd barely be tolerable. I groaned, throwing my phone onto the couch before returning to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

I took a couple of sips and leaned against the counter. I knew I should probably still run regardless. If I wanted to get better I had to at least put a little effort in. I downed the rest of my water and grabbed some runners out of my bag. Reluctantly, I slipped them on. It'd been a while since I'd worn them so they felt foreign against the balls of my feet. I took a couple of steps, wiggling my toes before I ran in place to get a good feel for them. Afterwards, I gave my arms and neck a good stretch and grabbed my headphones from my purse. I plugging them into the bottom of my phone with a sigh. It wasn't dead yet, so I could probably get a couple of songs in before it stopped working.

I selected the most upbeat playlist I could find in my library and threw my phone into the pocket of my leggings. Afterwards, I let out a couple of heavy breaths, staring at the door as I prepped myself for the sore muscles I'd definitely develop after this.

"Okay, let's get this over this," I mumbled to myself as I walked out the door and down the stairs. I pushed myself through the entrance of the building. Once I made it to the sidewalk I started running. At first I went pretty fast, moving down a couple of blocks, until I rememered running was more about pacing yourself than moving fast. I slowed down after that, catching my breath as I rounded the corner and continued up the street.