Love Me | Series Book #1

TWENTY FIVE

The weeks after my birthday flew by fast. It was only the beginning of the new year, and January was already gone. Each day I felt like I was watching myself go through motions without really living. It were as if I was living someone else's life. After being apart of chaos for so long, without it there was nothing.

I might run again.
I miss it.
Rather than running away, I'll be running towards something for once. A goal. Something to better myself.

I placed my pen beside my journal as I breathed in a sigh. Peering through my shades, I caught sight of Aly's Volkswagen outside. I made a move to pack my things before she could start blowing up my phone. Strapping my bag around my shoulder, I slid into my shoes and headed out.

"I got you vanilla bean," she said as I opened the door to passenger side.

"Thanks," I said, grabbing the Starbucks out of the cup holder.

"You're welcome."

I took a sip, and relaxed as the caffeine sprung my body to life.

"Sorry about this," I apologized. This was the third week in a row of her giving me a ride to school. "I was hoping there'd be a car outside on my birthday."

"Don't sweat it." She reached for the radio nob. "As long as you can handle Madonna every morning without complaints, it's cool with me."

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

I faced the window as Like A Prayer flooded throughout car. Within seconds her off-key voice joined in. I couldn't help but tag along, and soon enough we were both drowning out the singer as we shouted the words for the rest of the way.

***

My day continued to sing the same tune until third period, PE. I headed out of the locker room, joined by Leah who had the class this semester as well. It made gym a bit more bearable having a friend there, because it was the only class that I shared with Mason. Exiting through the back doors at the end of the hallway, I saw him jogging across the field, joined by Drew and Seth. Since the weather had returned a more natural temperature of sixty-degrees, our gym classes were being held outside.

"Ignore him," Leah commented, seeing where my attention had strayed. After hearing her side of the story about what happened at Drew's party, all I wanted to do was apologize to her. Over and over again. I didn't want to believe that Mason had dared touch someone else, but I knew that he did. He was unstrung and falling off the deep end; a walking grenade, threatening the life of anyone who got in his way.

"I'm trying," I responded. We joined the rest of our class who had gathered in a circle in the center of the field. Mr. Hopkins had yet to appear which gave the athletes an opportunity to start choosing their favorites early. The routine was always the same. Mason and his friends formed a wall on the sidelines and began picking teams, starting with the most-athletic and ending with the remainders. I continued to make conversation with Leah while I started to stretch.

"How are things with Chase?" I asked, sitting down on the grass. Since the two of them became official, I'd only heard stories from Chase's perspective. The two of us were alike when it came to relationships, meaning that we didn't share a whole lot of details. Once in a while, he'd reference a joke that she told him, or mention how lucky he was to have her, but other than that, I didn't know anything about them.