Robbers

three

// three //

 

          Ella woke up very late that Saturday morning, and from the moment her eyes opened to the bright noontime sunlight, she felt an anxious pit formed inside her chest.

            She was restless and slightly agitated, immediately disentangling herself from the sheets to roll out of bed. Her failure to get any answers out of Ryan yesterday was still haunting her, and she couldn’t stop picturing the way he’d nearly run over her toes with the tires of his truck just to get away from her. Now it was the weekend, and Ella knew how difficult it would be to try and approach him again when Monday finally arrived.

            Time was not working in her favor.

            Filled with an ugly kind of annoyance, Ella attempted to wrestle her unruly hair into a braid as she paced beside her messy bed. She couldn’t find it in herself to sit still for more than a few seconds, and there was simply no way she could spend the entirety of the day cooped up inside her house with nothing but raw frustration. She had to get outside before her anger could get the better of her.

            Ella tugged on her only pair of worn out sneakers, tying the faded, light blue laces a bit forcefully. She hadn’t gone out running in several months, since physical exertion was not something she particularly enjoyed, but the idea of letting out her frustration in the form of exercise was too good to pass up. Besides, Ella was oddly craving the feeling of pavement pounding beneath the soles of her feet, and the breathless state of her lungs that came with running quickly.

            When Ella arrived downstairs, Rosie was splayed out on the couch with the bright glow of cartoons from the television washed over her. She waved to Ella from her place on the deep red cushions, the remote balanced expertly on her stomach.

            “Morning,” Ella said, though it was well past noon. “Where’s Mom?”

            “She went to get groceries,” Rosie sighed. “And Dad’s been in the garage all morning working on the car. I’m bored.”

            Ella bit her lip and twisted the wire of her headphones in her hands, debating whether or not she should forget about going for a run to stay and entertain Rosie. But the anxious pit was still pressing against the inside of her chest, and she knew she needed to relieve her annoyance somehow. “Sorry, kiddo, I’m going for a run. When I get back we can watch a movie or something, okay?”

            “Yeah, yeah.” Rosie rolled her eyes, huffing and turning her head back towards the television. “Whatever.”

            So Ella had no choice but to lean over the couch and kiss Rosie’s cheek, her lips pulling into a smile when her sister defiantly tried to pull away and not giggle at the same time. Ella poked Rosie’s cheek as she straightened back up, dramatically blowing a kiss towards her and grinning, “I’ll be back soon. Don’t miss me too much.”

            Rosie stuck her tongue out childishly, but Ella decided to ignore it. She exited the living room and headed towards the front door, feeling more and more anxious every minute she spent indoors.

            Once outside, Ella found it much easier to breathe. The afternoon air was surprisingly warm with sunlight, a cool breeze ruffling the few pieces of Ella’s hair that had escaped the grasps of her braid. She stepped down towards the sidewalk, putting her red ear buds in and turning the volume up on her iPod. Taking off at a run almost immediately, Ella exhaled and fell into an easy-going pace along the cemented pathway.