Catching Red Eyes

The wind whipped across my face as I ran my normal route around the city. My headphones were in and my feet were at a rhythmic pace on the sidewalk. I let the rest of the world slip away as I pushed harder against the pavement. I felt the sweat start to drip but paid no mind to it. Running was my medicine and now it was one of my favorite things to do during my day. I saw the familiar cameras around each corner and instead of ignoring them, I decided to embrace them with a smile and a wave. I figured it was the least I could do considering they were taking these photos legally.

I turned back and realized I had gone much further then I had anticipated and slowed my pace. I was still about three miles out and needed to conserve my energy for the run back. I took long breathes and threw my hands over my head to expand my lungs. It helped me catch my breath in the humid New York air. After about twenty minutes of walking, I started a casual jog when I felt someone hit my arm. I figured it was a mistake and didn’t pay attention to it until I felt it again. I turned and saw a dirty blonde brown eyed person staring at me.

“Hey, Pryce. What’s up? I’m kind in the middle of a run.” I wanted to get away from this situation as fast as possible. I didn’t need cameras snapping away and interpreting this as something it wasn’t. I also didn’t feel like talking to Pryce right now. I was still sort of traumatized from the other night.

“I know, look, I’m sorry about the other night. That was stupid of me to do. Friends?”

I let out a sigh of relief when he said the F word.

“Friends. Yes. I’ll catch up with you later.” I didn’t let him finish as I slipped my headphones back in and continued my run. The brief encounter caused my heart to beat faster which gave me the rush I needed to sprint the whole way back home. I didn’t stop until I was safely inside and breathing hard.

“Jeez, Row. Are you being chased?”

“Kind of. I ran into Pryce. Well, Pryce ran into me.”

“Oh, shit. What happened?”

“Nothing, really. He just apologized and asked if we could still be friends.”

“What a wierdo. That kid always creeped me out. He always knows where you are, like all the time.”

I shrugged and grabbed a new water bottle. I needed a shower immediately. I turned on the shower and got a fresh towel from my bedroom.

“I’m staying at Alec’s tonight!” I heard Laurie yell from the front. I yelled back a goodbye and heard the front door close behind her. I quickly jumped in the shower and let the cool water rush over me. After the shower, I realized I was starving and grabbed some leftovers. As the microwave dinged, I heard my phone ring. I jumped to grab it and smiled when I realized it was Harry.

“Hi.”

“Hello, love. How was your run?”

“Great. I’m going to be so sore tomorrow though, I went a bit too far today.”

“Aw, well make sure you aren’t too sore next week. When do you leave?”

“Tuesday at 6AM. I work a normal day on Monday then we leave.”

“Good. What are your plans for this weekend?”

I hadn’t even realized it was Friday. I was seeing Harry in three days. “Uh…no plans. Just packing and probably reading. Nothing exciting.”

“No late nights out on the town with Laurie?” I heard him laughing on the other end.

“Ha. Ha. No, she will probably be shacked up all weekend with her boyfriend. He is a chef in Brooklyn somewhere so he is constantly wining and dining her. It’s fine by me because I get the leftovers.”

I didn’t hear anything on the other end. I pulled back my phone to make sure he was still there. “Harry?”

“I’m sorry, love. I’m really sorry.”

Great, what now.

“I wish I was able to wine and dine you. I’m sure you feel like I am the worst when you see Laurie and him. Can I get you a chef or something this weekend to come and cook your dinners? What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Harry, stop. It’s fine. I am fine. You give me more than I could ever need and I am perfectly capable of cooking my own dinners. Really, its fine.”

I heard Harry let out a frustrated groan. “Alright but next week, you won’t be lifting a finger. I promise.”

“Ok, deal.”

“I’ve got to get back, love but three days. Love you.”

The phone clicked off again before I could say anything back. I think Harry secretly knew that I was ready to say those words back yet. I was sure once I saw him, I would be jello.

Fortunately, I had a few more days to sort it all out. I grabbed my leftovers and my book and sat down at the kitchen table. About ten seconds into sitting down, I heard my phone buzz. I looked over and saw it was a text message from Pryce.

*Sorry to bother you again, just wanted to make sure we were cool.*

I read the text then clicked my phone to lock. Why was he making sure we were fine? I already told him we were. I finished my dinner and cleaned up before getting ready for bed. My legs were already feeling sore so I grabbed some medicine and a glass of water. I knew this was going to happen. Maybe I would skip running tomorrow. It was the weekend.
I pulled back my covers and settled into bed. Before I could even finish a chapter, my eyes felt heavy and I was out.

Notes