The Runaway Partners

Some Shakespeare stuff

"I...Can't...breathe..."

I couldn't help but laugh at David's slumped posture. He was panting heavily and, it was justified because we have been running for the past fifteen minutes. It took us around four abrupt turns and two miles of non-stop running to ditch the burly men from the cafe.

It taught me a valuable lesson to not judge their running skills by their heavy appearance because man those guys could run!

"How are you possibly breathing normally after we ran like a hundred miles?"

I smiled.

I would have told him if it was a normal reason like 'I ran track in school' or 'I was into sports' but it wasn't a generic response. I could run forever because it was what I used to do to put myself at ease after my spiral episodes.

It was a habit of mine. I thought that maybe I could outrun the thoughts. So I ran as far as I could back at home. And clearly the rigor of the habit hadn't completely left my body yet.

David was keenly observing my face. I must have zoned out on him again.

"It wasn't that far. You're just weak."

He chuckled and nodded in affirmation. I looked around trying to figure out where we were. But it all looked the same. Just endless stretches of roads. And a few pit stops and restaurants sprinkled along the way.

Even though I was pretty sure I had never traveled on this particular road, it had a sort of familiarity to it. I couldn't stop it. Nash would just squirm his way into my thoughts.

I saw us on the road in a car just driving away from home.

I had to physically shake my head to drown out the white noise that came along with the memories of Nash's smile.

"The truck... It's back at the gas station."

David looked slightly sad at this point. He did like his truck a lot he even gave it a name which I couldn't recall.

"Well Lolita can't help us anymore. Because if we go back, we can count on the hippy bikers crushing my head between their enormous biceps.

Right, his truck was named Lolita. How am I going to run away efficiently with a grown man who calls his truck Lolita?

I shook my head sighing because he was right. There was no way we could return to the gas station and take our truck back without potentially endangering our lives.

We had to think of something, and we had to do it fast. I mean we were on the run after all.

I mean I was on the run.

"Do you think Elsie and Nash are looking for you?"

That caught me off guard. It took me a while to process what he said.

After what seemed like an infinite pause he coughed uncomfortably.

"Sorry that is... umm none of my business..."

He must have noticed the faraway expression on my face. But unfortunately it was too late to take the statement back. My mind is like a record player of thoughts.

Every time a thought that concerns remotely pops up it grasps it and keeps playing it in an ever tightening loop. Again and again. Until that's all I can think about.

But this time I was able to snap right out of my mind. I don't know how and I didn't pause to think either.

I glanced at David's face. He was leaning against a wall and looking towards the horizon. He was thinking. Probably about me and how I was extremely weird.

"Uhmm. There is no time to dwell on what will happen to the truck. We need to hitchhike."

He nodded solemnly. I figured it was due to his truck. He really liked that old rickety vehicle even though he was a mayor's son and could easily get ten brand new trucks.

"Agreed...We need to walk a few miles that way to reach the main highway."

I started walking with him by my side. It was a quiet stretch of road. It deserted with long stretches of fields on both sides. The only sound was the chirping cicadas.

It was completely dark now. The soft evening light had melted away. But luckily the road had streetlights and the moon was full too.

"You know the first time that we met... I couldn't help but wonder if there was a wild side under that innocent face."

I chuckled. Of course he would say something cheesy like that. But it made sense. I usually didn't do anything of this sort. But ever since I took that road trip with Nas-.

I tried to match my stride with the chirping of the cicadas.

"I wasn't always this version of myself. If you would have met be like a year ago you definitely wouldn't have liked me."

He gave me a side eyed glance.

"So... what changed?"

"I realized that I was wasting my life waiting for something. But the something never came so I changed."

David didn't say anything. So we continued our walk towards the highway. I could tell it was pretty far because the sound of traffic hasn't reached my ears yet.

"What about you? Why are you the way you are?"

He scoffed.

"There was a time when I wasn't quiet like this. I refused to feel nothing. I just did whatever I wanted to and pretended like my actions didn't have any consequences."

He paused for a minute.

"But?"

"But...to make yourself feel nothing, so as to not feel anything. What a waste!"

I thought about that. He was right. I used to be like that too. I felt things, but I suppressed them and was sad because of it. But now I allow myself to feel and it makes me feel more alive than I have ever felt.

"I want to go left. Is that really my choice? Or am I being controlled by some force?

And if I want to go right? Am I overcoming the force? Or is the force controlling me the same?"

David looks confused but he also has a look of understanding. I give him a sheepish grin.

"Sorry the silence is making my brain act up.

"Don't be sorry Mor... I know you are continuously tussling with that brain of yours."

I jerked my head to look at him. He got all that just by spending a few days with me?

"Why don't you have a girlfriend yet? Or maybe you do? I don't know."

He had a faraway look on his face. But then words just tumbled out of his mouth.

"I am waiting... Waiting for someone that makes me smile so hard that my cheeks hurt and loves me so much that I can feel it through her fingertips. When I brush her hair out of her eyes and lean in to kiss her."

Now that was some serious Shakespeare stuff. I had no idea that David, who literally never took anything seriously felt so deeply about love.

I wish I could understand that. But that was a lie. Because I did understand exactly what he meant. Not because I had a capacity to imagine but because I had felt it firsthand.