Soccer Star

[Friday]

I woke with a jolt as my alarm clock went off, and cringed when I saw the green 6:30 flashing from across the room. Wow, I thought, what idiot put the alarm clock across the room? And what idiot forgot to turn it off? O ya, that would be me. I pulled myself out of bed with a sigh and walked across the room turning the alram off. There was no use going back to sleep now. And I might as well not change anything, digging through my dresser I found runnign clothes and put them on. There was no use not running. Besides it always made me feel better and after last night I needed all the mood boosting I could get.

[Friday]

I tied my shoes and went down into the kitchen. I grabbed a banana out of the bowel on the counter and peeled in taking a bite. I knew Landon had talked about us getting breakfast before we went paintballing but I was hungry now. This at least would tide me over.
"Kelly, is that you?!" Josh called from the living room.
"Yeah, it's me," I replied.
"You going running?"
"Yup, you coming with today?"
"Sure, let me go change really quick"
"Make it fast," I replied and sat down at the kitchen table. "I'll be here."
I heard him running up the stairs two at a time. While I was waiting on Josh I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. I was trying my hardest not to think about Jake, but he kept coming back to my thoughts. Him and Heather both. I wasn't sad and hurt like I was last night, I was just mad and hurt. Mad at them both. But most of all Jake. Hell hath no fury like I woman scorned. I gave new meaning to that.
At that moment Josh popped his head around the corner and said, "Woah, Kelly, you look like you're going to bit someone's head off."
"Huh? Oh, I'm just thinking," I replied a bit startled. I quickly wiped the frown off my face, I wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet. "Let's get outa here."

[Friday]

Josh and I, while not consistenly, ran together sometimes. I wasn't as fast as him, but I could run forever. My mom used to joke around that I was like an energizer bunny. I just keep going and going and going. No one was out this early in the morning, and it was nice. I enjoyed running with Josh. He knew what the plan was and was easy to keep pace yet. we ran but it was a nice easy run, too fast to be a jog. And the one thing I found the most attractive, he didn't find a need to fill the silence. Beyond our feet hitting the ground it was just the sound of outside. Which was fine with me. I wanted the time to cool off and think.
We headed to the park in our neighborhood and found the trail winding in and out of the trees. The routine was so familiar to me. It settled my nerves, and I calmed down as I started to warm up. My thoughts wandered as my body automatically follwed the same old path, habit pulling it forward.
Why had Jake kissed Heather anyway? She's pretty, but I've alwasy thought I was more attractive. So it's not physically she outdid me. I know I'm not that smart, but I wasn't failing anything like Heather always does. And Jake said he was drunk. That much is true. But enough that he would kiss her? And not remember me? And if he was having an affair with her, would he really be that stupid to have it openly in front of everyone? Things just didn't add up. I was almost surprised that I wasn't mad, or sad yet thinking about all this. I was just analyizing, with really no feeling. Maybe us breaking up wasn't a bad thing.
"We running the full trail today or just half?" Josh asked only slightly breathlessly, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced down at my watch. It was just now getting to be seven. If we did half we'd be home by 7:15. Full by 7:30. thirty minutes would be enough time to get ready.
"Full," I replied, keeping it short and sweet. Josh beside me just nodded and kept on running. While I went back to my thoughts. Now, I'd tell anyone that I was in love with Jake. But was I really? Did I even really love him for that matter? Crush, certainly. Huge crush. But was it love? I liked the way he always said hello to me first, at least I've alway thought it was first. I like the way he takes me with him. And let's me be around all his friends. But the more I thought about it the more I realized something. I was more into him than he was into me. If I was upset about something he never paused to listen, not the way Landon had. Landon. His name popped inot my thoughts. Now Landon, who I had just met, had held me when I cried didn't care that I was a mess. But Landon could never replace Jake. Or could he?

[Friday]

By the time my thoughts had taken those turns we were already back on our street. "I'll race you," Josh said as he looked over and grinned at me.
"You're on," I replied and took off, sprinting as fast as I could. Josh wasn't far behind me in changing gears. Any other day, he would have beaten me no chance, but we had already run over 3 miles and it was starting to tire. He pulled even with me as we neared the house and I gave it all I had. I barely hit the driveway before him but I had one this time. I grinned and stuck my tongue out at him as we both collapsed in the grass of our yard, both of us out of breath. We both laid there for a couple minutes getting our breath back.
"Ok, you beat me this time, but next time you won't. You're just lucky we ran the full trail." Josh breathed out.
"Ya, ya." I huffed back my eyes twinkling," But I still won."
Josh made a face and pulled himself off the ground and then offered his hand to me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to his feet and we both walked inside.
"What are your plans for today?" Josh asked, he pulled two water bottles out of the fridge and tossed one to me.
"Ah, I'm going paintballing with some friends, and after that I don't know." I replied taking a drink of the cool water.
"Hey, not fair I've been wanting to go. Too bad I can't see you. You're going to be wishign you didn't do it. I'll have ice packs ready when you get home," He said teasingly.
I just rolled my eyes. "why does everyone think I'm going to suck?" I didn't wait for his reply but headed upstairs to take a quick shower before Landon got here to pick me up.

[Friday]

It wasn't long before I had showered and changed into a pair of black soccer shorts and a red T-shirt. I knew I was making a target of myself wearing red, but hey might as well give it as much challenege as I could. I bounced down the stairs with phone in hand and tennis shoes on ready to go at 7:55. I had put my hair back up and I sat down on the couch next to Josh who was watching Sunday morning cartoons.
He looked over to me and raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously wearing that? I would go put on jeans and a long sleeve shirt," he said with clear amusement in his voice.
"Why?" I asked, I knew the answer but I was going to make him tell me.
"Um hello, excuse my french, but It's going to hurt like a bitch if you get hit."
"I figure I'm going to get hit regardless, and that it will hurt regardless, I'm hoping I'm going to be fast enough to not get hit that much," I stated matter of factly.
"Oh I upset I'm missing this," Josh said laughing again. I stuck my tongue out at him but before I could reply there was a knock on the door and I was up imeadiately jumping across Josh's legs to be at the door. I'm opened it and smiled at Landon waiting there for me. I was pleased to see that he too was dressed like I was. Shorts and a T-shirt although his was blue instead of red.
"You ready to go?" he asked smiling at me.
"Yeah, I'm ready," I said. "Josh tell mom where I went and that I'll be back sometime, I have my phone," I added ducking my head back inside to look at him.
"Alright go have fun, like I said, I'll have the ice packs waiting."
I slammed the door behind me and bounced down the front steps where Landon was waiting.