Count Down discussion

The UCLA Track; wraps around football field in the Stadium

Emily jogged down to the track. She had managed to wake up on time this morning and was pleasantly surprised that Adrianna offered to go running with her. She stopped at the starting block and turned to face Adrianna. "I'm gonna go through my stretched first if you want to do them with me." She said starting to stretch her quads.

Emily led Adrianna through the stretches she did during her conditioning and then turned on the timer on her phone. "I was going to run for a half an hour if you don't mind running that long." She said tightening her ponytail. She hated when hair was in her face during her runs. She glanced around the track, glad that there weren't that many people. It meant more room for them.

Emily laughed and shook her head. "You and your coffee," she teased. "But yes. There will be coffee after this." She shook out her arms and then got down into her starting position. "Ready?" She asked glancing over at Adrianna. She wasn't used to having a running partner so this run was going to be interesting.

Emily shot off the starting block but slowed her pace a little so Adrianna could catch up. Once she matched her strides Emily picked up the pace. She could feel her mind clearing like only running could make it do. Her blood warmed and the bite of the cold wind wasn't so harsh anymore. She glanced over at Adrianna to make sure she was keeping up and was happy to see that she was.

Emily laughed at Adrianna's snarky comment. "It relaxes me and clears my mind. It's the only thing that actually does these days." She said picking up her pace. They only had about ten minutes left and she thought it would be better to sprint the last mile or so. "Don't tell me you are't having fun." She teased, her breath coming out in short pants.

When her phone beeped that the thirty minutes were up, Emily slowed her pace and began her cooldown walk. "Running is fun." She said once she caught her breath. Hair had started falling out of her pony tail and she brushed it back impatiently. "There's freedom in it." She didn't know what she would have done without running when she lost all her friends that terrible year.

"Then what's your idea of fun?" Emily asked with a slight laugh. After they finished the cool down lap Emily went over to her duffle bag and pulled out the water bottle she had semi froze the night before. She took a long drink bringing her hydration back to normal. She always carried water with her where ever she went because she didnt know what could happen.

Emily had her eyes closed when Adrianna trailed off. "Just what?" She started opening her eyes. She stopped when she saw the look on her face. Adrianna was trembling so hard that the water was coming out of her open bottle. "What is it? What's wrong?" She asked hurriedly.

Emily was startled when Adrianna took off sprinting with out saying a word. She stood there silently for a moment before turning around and sprinting after her. She didn't know what was going on but she knew it wasn't good. As she got closer she saw the figure and could barely make out voices.

Emily slowed to a stop when she was standing next to Adrianna. "What's going on? Who is this?" She asked seeing the look of pure hatred on Adrianna's face. She knew nothing good could come out of this and she wanted to prevent it as much as she could. "Look I don't know who you are but if you know what's good for you then I suggest you leave. Now." She had never spoken to anyone this way before but it felt strangely empowering.

Emily turned the color of a tomato when his gaze traveled down her body. All she was wearing was a tank top and short cotton shorts. She felt the urge to cross her arms but she fought it. She placed a hand on Adrianna's shoulder. "Come one. He isn't worth it. Let's just go." She whispered lightly. She didn't want Adrianna to get hurt or do something she would later regret.

Emily's eyes widened in shock. "Adrianna!" She exclaimed. She couldn't believe that she had done that. "Why did you do that? Who was he? What did he want with you?" She asked rambling off questions one right after the other. She watched as he left before turning back to Adrianna waiting for her to answer.

Emily looked up at her knowing she was holding something back. "I know there's more. Come on Adrianna! Tell me what's going on." She took her injured hand in hers and began to look it over making sure it wasn't broken. "You're hands fine, but I know you aren't," She could see her blinking fast to expel the tears.

((I gotta go :( I will reply tomorrow))

Emily bit her lip. She knew that Adrianna didn't like talking about her past but Emily wanted-no needed-to know what was going on. "You're not going to tell me? I thought we were friends. Are friends supposed to tell each other things?" Emily demanded. Her stomach twisted painfully when she used her old voice. If she was going to change though she needed to start acting different.

Emily blinked. She felt like she had been slapped. "That's the reason you should tell someone you don't know. They aren't bias and won't judge." She said quietly. She reverted back to her old habits. Looking at her feet and twisting her fingers in her hands.

Emily flinched Adrianna's harsh tone. "I'm sorry." She said softly. She stood by her own bag not sure what to do. She didn't think that Adrianna should be on her own after what happened but she didn't know what she could say to help anything. Emily blinked back tears and picked up her own bag before trailing after Adrianna at a slower pace.

Emily sighed sadly but didn't run after Adrianna. Now that she had tried to act different and it had backfired in her face, she was reverting to her old self once again. She knew she shouldn't have pushed Adrianna for answers but she didn't know how to help her and the only way she could figure out how was to know what was going on.

Emily saw Adrianna race off towards a clump of trees. She stopped for a moment unsure what to do before she decided to follow her. Emily found her at the base of a tree sobbing. She dropped her bag and ran over, crouching next to her. "Adrianna." She whispered not wanting to startle her.

Emily tentatively put a hand on Adrianna's shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it, but I'm not going to leave you here alone." She said determined. She didn't care if Adrianna hated her for it. Emily would get her back to their dorm if it was the last thing she did.

"Because, even if you don't think we're friends I do. You're my only friend here and I won't leave you here to have something happen to you." She said. The guy had said he would come after her if she was alone. Emily wouldn't let that happen.

"I'm already involved Adrianna. He saw us together and saw how you reacted when he addressed me. Obviously he knows we're friends." Emily said. She hadn't seen Adrianna this way and frankly it scared her a little. Adrianna was supposed to be unbreakable and now Emily had to be the strong one.

Emily shook her head. "That won't work on me Adrianna. I know you have some twisted logic that you need to protect me but if I want to learn to stand up for myself and stop acting like a scared little kid then I have to stand up for myself now. Don't let your past get in the way of you making friends Adrianna. That's what I was doing until you pointed it out to me."

Emily flinched. It was the same thing that Karlie had said that day that she embarrassed Emily in front of the whole school. "I'm just trying to help." She whispered, tears filling her eyes. Why did all of her friends start to hate her? She could never catch a break.

((Lol...we can always figure it out later))

Emily looked away, tears flowing faster. "You don't have to do this Adrianna. You don't have to push everyone away." She whispered and stood. "But if it's what you want then you got it. I'll leave you alone." She ran and picked up her bag before running to their dorm. She would be gone before Adrianna arrived though. She didn't think she could stand anymore harsh words.

((Yeah that sounds perfect!))

Emily bent down and touched her toes stretching before her morning run. It had been a few days since her run in with Jamie and he was true to his word. The mechanic company called her and told her that her car was fixed and they would be bringing it by. She had asked how much it cost but they said it was already taken care of. She didn't know when she would see Jamie again but she knew she would have to find some way to repay him. Once she went through all her stretches she hit the timer on her phone and started at a light jog kicking up her speed after every lap. She felt her tense muscles relax for the first time in days. She still had yet to talk to Adrianna and that troubled her but when she ran that all disappeared.

Paul had dragged Jamie on a Saturday to the stadiums, where they would be doing their weekly conditioning for water polo and for work. Jamie had not been wanting or expecting to go this morning, since he had fallen asleep at twelve am that night. It was too early. As soon as Jamie stepped into the large empty stadium with Paul, he saw there was a runne down on the track. Jamie didnt take too much of it, and followed his brother to the lower steps where they'd be doing bleachers and jump training for leg strength, as well as running the track. The bars that served as guard rails above the place where football players came out on game day would serve as pull up bars. Fantastic. Jamie already felt like throwing up as Paul started to count their jumps.

Sweat beaded down the side of Emily's face. She ran harder and longer than when she ran with Adrianna that fateful day. Her timer beeped and she slowed to a walk. Glancing around she saw a couple people out. Probably training like she was. She walked over to her bag and bent to grab her water bottle. She was planning on making another run but she had exhausted herself in that first one so she needed a small break. She made a lap around the track for her cool down before walking in the middle of the field and plopping down in the middle staring at the sky.

Jamie panted heavily, his hands on his knees, as e watched Paul jog down the steps to the track without breaking a sweat. He felt so out of shape, so iverworked, but he couldn't help it. He had to keep up with Paul. Jamie went down the bleachers shakily, using the railings for support. "Paul..." He groaned, stepping foot and nearly collapsing on the rusty red track and their neat white lines. Looking around, he caught glimpse of the track girl from earlier. Squinting in the sunlight, he realized the familiar face. "Emily...!" He shouted, straightening up and wiping the sweat from his face.

Emily lifted her head startled to hear her name being called. She shielded her eyes from the glint of the sun and squinted in the direction of the voice. She saw a lean figure with brown hair and a boyish face. Jamie. She lifted her hand and waved before standing on shaking legs and making her way over to where he was standing. "Hi Jamie." She greeted. Her skin was still slightly flushed from her run. Or at least that's what she told herself it was from.

Jamie tried to not look like he was going to barf then pass out, but his exhausted panting an shaking legs protested. Jamie sat down on the floor, guzzling his water greedily. He gave up. "How are you? How's your car?" He asked after a moment of recovery, breathing heavily as he squinted up into her direction. He wished Paul hadn't worked him so hard on the bleachers, so that his legs felt like noodles! It made him look weak an out of shape, which wasn't a very good thing. Especially when he was trying to make friends left and right. He was pleased to see Emily, having been disappointed with not seeing her the past few days.

Emily plopped down next to Jamie on the bench. "I'm doing good and my car is great." She said taking another drink of her water. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do another thirty minutes of running. He legs already felt like jello. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you. I can't believe that you paid for it too!" She exclaimed looking at him in disbelief. "I was you that paid for it right?" She didn't know why he would pay for something for a girl he had just met. It made her feel uneasy taking that from him.

Jamie let a smile cross his face, despite body's misery. "Good, good," he nodded, blinking as Paul passed by, already on his second lap and still going strong. How? "Yeah, I paid," he shrugged, as if it were no big deal. He didn't mind spending the money he did for her car, feeling like she deserved it anyway. Helping homeless people? Definitely worth the money. "It wasn't that much," he lied, grateful he had told the man on the line to shred the receipt and not tell Emily the total. She would have been uneasy about if he hadnt! "Don't worry about it, at least now your car is guaranteed not to break down for the next year or so," he promised, beaming as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I still feel like I should pay you back somehow. It isn't right that you had to pay for my car. You barely know me." She knew that it had to of cost a lot of money to fix the problem in her car and she didn't feel right taking that from him. Maybe it was because of the way her mother raised her to be independent even though it kind of backfired. She turned to him. "Let me do something? Please? It'll bother me if you don't."

Jamie opened his mouth to did an excuse for him paying, but failed to do so. "It's just money, and I figured I could spare some," he reasoned, turning to face Emily completely. "No, no no, you don't need to do anything for me," he promised, shaking his head as a friendly charitable smile crossed his face again. "Honestly, the pleasures all mine," he promised, hoping Emily would relax and forget about the whole incident. Why did people always freak out when he paid for them?

Emily bit her lip but finally relented. "Fine. But just this once. I can't take anymore money from you." She said. Why was is so hard for her to accept things from others? It's like she could only give and never get. "You know just because I said it was okay doesn't mean I don't still want to do something." She turned her head giving him a teasing smile. She watched the guy running by. He was already on his fifth lap in 8 minutes. Emily could help appreciate another runner. Most people didn't get why she ran. That guy obviously did.

Jamie laughed, leaning back into the grass as comfortably as he could, his eyes closed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Emily," he grinned, amused with her wanting to hve repaid him still evident on her determined face. "Just keep doing what you normally do," he suggested, his eyes stuck on Paul's bright red nikes as he passed for his who-knows lap. "You're gonna get tired...!" Jamie hollered into the sky, listening to hear if Paul replied. He didn't, of course, and kept running at a steady pace. "That's my brother, Paul... I'd introduce you, but he'd probably not even acknowledge you," he sighed, rolling on his side to face Emily.
((Me too! Sounds good)

Emily looked back at Paul and then at Jamie. "That's your brother? He's a great runner." She complimented. She would know. Everyone always told her that if she kept up her training she could compete in world wide events but it was never something she aspired to do. She watched Paul complete another lap before laying on the grass and staring at the sky. "Don't worry about introducing us. If he wants to meet me he can but it's up to him." She yawned and closed her eyes. This was the only thing she hated about morning runs. Getting up to damn early. "What sport do you play that has you out here this early?"

Jamie shrugged, rolling his eyes at her praise towards Paul. He was athletic, and insane. "Me?" He asked lazily, still taking deep breaths from earlier. "Yeah it probably wouldn't go down too well!" Jamie laughed cheerfully, his laying in the grass and talking with Emily helping him recover. "I play water polo, and so does Paul," he explained, sitting up and feeling his world flip upside down. Not to mention the sun dots in front of him, dancing around in odd patterns. "Are you on the track team?" He asked, closin his eyes wih his hand over his eyes.

"Water Polo huh? So does that mean you have to wear those silly little speedos all the time?" She asked teasingly. She didn't get why the guys couldn't wear regular swim trunks to play in. She stayed laying on the ground staring up at him. "Yeah I am. I've been doing track for as long as I can remember." Emily sat up alarmed when he put a hand over his eyes. "Are you okay? Jamie?" She laid a hand tentatively on his shoulder. "Are you feeling lightheaded? Because that happens if you sit up to quickly right after you work out."

Jamie bobbed his head up and down, taking a deep breath before taking his hand away from his eyes. "They're not silly!" He protested. "They improve performance," he pointed out, in mock hurt and defensiveness. "I'm a little dizzy, I'll be fine," he groaned, appreciating Emily's attentiveness. "Stupid Paul, he worked me out too much I think," he frowned, picking grass off of his leg. "But look at these muscles...!" He bragged, flexing his arm and kissing it, before the fresh muscle forming made him feel pained when flexing. "Ow," he grumbled, refusing to stand up any time soon.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. They're not silly. They just make you guys look funny." She said a teasing glint in her eye. She bit her lip. Dizziness after a work out could either mean nothing or could be a really bad thing. "Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't work out with him that much anymore," She suggested. She knew he would wave away her concern because that's what guys did but for once she wished that they could know when to stop. She laughed and rolled her eyes when he flexed his muscle. "You're such a guy." She said nudging him gently.

(( brb lunch))
Jamie scoffed, turning in the grass towards Emily. "Stop working out with him? If I don't work out with him, I probably won't be working out all," he laughed, teasing himself. Paul was his motivation, his trainer. "Unless I could work out with you, of course," he raised an eyebrow. "Speedos aren't so hot," he shuddered, remembering every horror scare he's had at a polo game. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" He laughed, surprised at her concern.

Emily raised her eyebrows surprised. "Work out with me? I only do running. Don't you have to do all the upper body stuff to?" She asked biting her lip. It would be nice to have someone to train with. She needed to start doing other training exercises that weren't just cardio. "I mean if you wanted we could train I guess." She shook her head. "If you insist." She said although she was't so sure that he was completely fine.

Jamie perked up at the idea, straightening in interest. "How about we do running and stuff first, and then I'll teach you some upper body strengtheningexercises? Girls need strength too, ya know," he teased, pinching Emily's arms. "I insist," he laughed weakly, still worn out by the exercise from earlier. "It can be your way to repay me," he suggested. "Do you train here everyday?" He asked, uncertain how muh physical exercise he was willing to do. Jamie wouldn't mind a new training partner, who was fun to talk to and not as intense as Paul, and he was sure Paul wouldn't mind his freedom and quiet.

Emily scoffed. "I have plenty of strength. Thank you very much." she said poking his arm. "I don't want to end up with muscles like a guy." She shuddered at the thought. Girls who looked like that had to be on some type of steroid. She perked up at the idea of this being repayment. If he counted it that way then she wouldn't feel so bad about the car situation. "I try to come out every morning and run but some days it just doesn't happen. I either sleep through my alarm or just don't feel like going." She said shrugging.

"We'll see about that," Jamie tsked, mocking disapproval. "Muscles like a guy oh sure, a bit of push ups aren't gonna hurt," he murmured, already assessing Emily's body type, structure, and weaknesses. Leg muscle wasn't one of them. "I think it'll be fun, the two of us," he grinned, getting slowly to his knees and offering both hands gentleman-like to Emily, to assist her in standing up. "I'm exhausted for now, what about you?" He asked curiously, guzzling the rest of his water bottle until it was empty.

Emily grinned, already anticipating the next training session. She took his hands and let him help her up. "I think it'll be fun too." She checked the time on her stop watch and saw that they had been sitting for awhile. So much for her second run. "Well I was going to run again but you took up all my time." She said in mock disapproval. "That wasn't very nice of you." Her calf muscles screamed at her when she put pressure on them and she decided that it was probably a good idea she didn't run anymore. She would end up dead before her next practice.

Jamie held up his hands in surrender, cringing as she accused him of taking up her time. "I'm sorry," he bit his bottom lip, smiling sweetly like a four year old would to get out of trouble. "I'm not nice now?" He scoffed, grinning as he couldn't take anything too seriously. "We'll, I figured I'd ditch my brother... Would you be interested in finding some breakfast?" He asked curiosity, ready to take on rejection by the horns. Just in case. Emily seemed like she would be a good friend, and he relaxed at the thought, even though she was a girl. Jamie tried to not look for her watch, his eyes flirting from her arm to her eyes.