Peter

The walls of my room are a light gray. I don't remember the last time I saw them. They are completely covered my plaques and trophies. Some days I think of breaking every trophy in my room and quitting. Track has been apart of my life for the longest time. Fiona, my old best friend, introduced me to the sport. Sometimes I wonder if the day I stepped on the track was a blessing or a curse.

My dad is pretty strict but not about school like a regular average parent. I'm not a genius in school but I'm trying. My dad seems to think that sports is the best way to get me into college. Everytime I don't win a race, every time I'm not the best he gets on my back for it. 

"Are you trying to risk your scholarship?" I can hear his voice rising. "Do you really think I have money for that?"

"No, sir," I say in a soft voice.

"I can't hear you son," 

"No, sir!" I say as loud as possible.

My only escape for sports and life is Cally. Well she was.

We met each other at a party two years ago. I don't really go to high school parties to much drinking, crowds and loud music. My friends dragged me to the party to celebrate my first meet of the season. They ended up leaving me to go swimming when I declined. I sat on the couch next to Cally. I didn't know her name then. 

I decided to make to conversation. "Hey," 

"Hi," She said. I could barely hear her voice of the music. She was so shy and nothing like she is now.

"Your friends dragged you hear to?" I asked

"Yeah," she takes a sip of her drink. "Your on the track team right,"

"Uh- Yeah," I was surprised that she even knew I exsisted. 

"Oh, come on don't act like your not popular,"

"What?"

"I everyone knows you,"

"Not everyone,"

"Most people. Unless you live under a rock." Another song starts playing. Everyone, but us, knows this song. They start shouting the lyrics.

"Do you want to go outside?" I try to yell over the music.

"What?"

"Do you want-"

"What?"

I lean closer to her and yell into her ear.

"Follow me!" She nods.

We head outside I'm glad the air doesn't smell like liquor anymore. 

"So..." I look up to the sky.

"Do you want to go to a diner or something?"

"Uh- Yeah. I just need to get my car," we walked in down the block to my car. The moonlight beening our only guide. We went to a dinner and so began our friendship. Then began our relationship. Then began her relationship with alcohol. Which ended our relationship.

We broke up when she got drunk on our anniversary and forgot that we were celebrating. Then we got back together. She promised to be better. I believed her, I wanted to believe so it was easy to give into her. Turns out all her promises were as empty as all the cans of beer she has under her bed. I know she drinks to cope but I thought I could be enough to make her happy.  She kept her promise to be better for a little while but then she just went to how she used to be. Then we broke up. But this time it's for real. I think I met someone. 

Her name is Annie. Fiona introduced me to her. She's one of her friends. Annie is not like the people I hang out with.

 My friends are jocks, that only care about sports, and girls, that only worry about posting on Instagram. Their the type of people that only care about being popular. Their the people that everyone hates but everyone is to scared to say so.  I mean I actually like them.  Ben, Roy, Brooke, and Becky have been my friends since the beginning of middle school and we stuck together till now. Yes, we have been popular since middle school but it was never a goal of mine. It just happened. I guess were likable. Ugh, I hate how shallow that sounds.

Annie is like a ballon of energy and things to say.  I think I'm falling her just by listening to her. She just says things instead of what other people want her to say. 

Annie: Hi

Me: Hey

Annie: Wanna come over?

Me: Okay. What time?

Annie: Soon

Me: okay

Annie: Okay

Me: Why?

Annie: I want to see you. Do you want to see me?

Me: Yeah. Why?

Annie: Your so inquiring

Me: Your so... what's a big word for people that use big words?

Annie: sesquipedalian

Me: I'll be over in five. Give or take.

I grab a hoodie from my closet and pull over my head. Before I head out the door I grab my keys. I'm about to open the door when I realize that my dad is in the living room asleep. I pear into the room. The TV illuminates his face. If he knew I was going out this late he would say "No drinking, you hear me. Don't do anything stupid or take anything stupid that could risk your scholarship ship." I leave the room and slip out the door.

7 mins later

Me: I'm here.

I look up from my phone when I hear the front door of her house open. 

"Hey," Annie says. Her hair is in a loose ponytail and the hair tie in her hair is sliding down her ponytail. She wearing a gray hoodie and fuzzy pajama pants. I kinda like that she doesn't dress up for me. I like her just how she is, I don't need her to change her outfit for me.

"Hi," we just stare at each other for a moment.

"Are you gonna come in?"

"Uh-Yeah,"

Her room is pretty small. She has a small book shelf with a desk next to it. And a twin size bed and a flat screen TV hanging on the wall. She has a few pictures on her wall of her and her friends. I see one of her and Fiona sticking their tongues out and holding up peace signs. I smile at the sight of the picture. 

"So, why have you summoned me?" I use the deepest voice I could. She giggles. I just noticed she had dimples. I love them. Her smile... I don't how to say it just makes me happy. I want her to smile forever.

"I'm bored. I wanna talk to you. Let's get to know each other." She pulls my sleeves to get me to sit down with her on her bed.

"We've being talking for 3 weeks. What else is there to tell you?"

She looks up to her ceiling and after a second she says "What's your biggest fear?" 

It takes me a second to think about it "Loosing someone or something I love without telling them how much I needed them."

As soon as I say this her hair tie falls down the rest of her ponytail. Her covers her face. I can only see one of her brown eyes. Her looks up at me. Our eyes lock. I've never seen her hair out her ponytail. Her hair is long and thick and wild. Like with her hair down she's a super hero. Genius by day. Kick-ass woman by night. 

She breaks eye contact to put her hair back into its pony tail. Click! The hair tie breaks. 

"Shit," she immediately let's go of her hair and covers her mouth. "Sorry," the hair that was in her face is blow away by her breath.

"It's fine,"

"I'm gonna get a hair tie," she gets up. Before my brain can comprehend what it's doing, my heart takes over. I get up and take her hand. She turns around.

"Your hair looks pretty when its down," She blushes and puts a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm serious. It makes you cool." She looks up.

"Don't I look cool all the time?"

"Yeah, I just mean-"

"I know what you mean."

I take a step closer and she does to. The only thing between us is an inch of space. Just empty space waiting to be full. I put my hand behind her neck.

"What are you waiting for?" She's challenging me. I accept the challenge.

"I'm falling for you Annie." My voice is just loud enough for her to hear.

"Prove it," I do.

I kiss her. I run my hand through her hair and down her back. For a moment I wonder if we are going to end up like how Cally and I did. Cally. No I can't let her break me. She already did. I'm finally over her. I break away from Annie. 

"Is this real?" I keep eye contact with her. I ask her with my mouth and my eyes.

"Yes,"