Waking up next to Avy was not at all pleasant. Hell no. I don't even know how she ended up in my room in the first place. I wanted to wake her up and ask what she was doing here, but she looked so deep in sleep that I didn't want to disturb her. I slowly exited my bed, freshened up, and left my room. Jammy-jams rule. I love being in track pants. If only a job allowed tracksuits to work, please send my application there. I'll even make the best-looking resume just for them.
Coming down the stairs, I realized how quiet the hall was. My gaze immediately went to the enormous clock hanging off the wall to my left. It was barely six. The quiet made complete sense. I had what was most called an annoying habit. I wake up very early sometimes or sleep late. I prefer being a night owl. But occasionally, Neil checks on me, and I have to sleep on time. I went to the front to check for mail. There was a little sleeping puppy on my porch. Honestly, it looked cute. It even let out a yawn, and I almost pouted. But I wasn't a pet person. It wasn't my fault that I wasn't fond of animals. I just wasn't.
Giving it as minimal thought as possible, I was turning back when something caught my eye. That pup had a collar around its little neck. It belonged to somebody. The brat had run away from its home then. I looked around for anyone who would look like they were searching for their pet. But there was no one. Except, there was a man across the street looking directly at me. I wasn't familiar with him. He never gets out of his house. But there he was today. Was this his dog? If it were, he would have come over by now. Then why's he looking at me? I thought of going back in when he started talking to me. No audio. He wasn't even looking at me when I rubbed my eyes and looked there again. He was just cleaning his front yard.
What was happening to me? Why was I imagining stuff? Probably, I needed more sleep. Weird stuff happens every day. Right? I felt a slight shudder spike up my spine. I thought of going back in. But I had to get some fresh air. It was so peaceful outside that I got coffee, books, and glasses and settled on the porch. The chilly wind and the sun were the perfect combination: slight cold and a little warmth. When I looked up from the book, I felt nothing could make that morning any more perfect. The freakiness started to lose its hold on me. The light sun fell around everything like a golden cape. Just beautiful. When it was almost seven-thirty, I returned inside and woke Maya up.
"What is it with you and mornings?" she groaned.
"I'm going for a jog."
Her eyes fluttered open then. "You're going for a what?"
"A jog. Not intense, I promise."
I could understand her fear, but I needed this.
"Why are you making me say this? Your health condition doesn't support jogging, and you know it, kid."
"I assure you, just a little. I miss it and the climate's too good. Bye."
She half-sits up. "No, no. Young lady, wait. You're not saying bye just like that."
I sigh a bit. "What is wrong now, Maya? I told you I am going to be okay."
"Sweatshirt?"
"Check."
"Battery on your phone?"
"Check."
"Water or juice box?"
"Check."
"A working piece of mind?"
"Che-HEY! What's that supposed to mean, Maya?"
She looks at me with her heart in her eyes. Oh, my poor feelings. "Kiddo, are you sure you can handle it? It's been long since you've done this, too."
"I want to do this for the same reason, Maya. I want to get back to doing routine things."
"I don't know what you young generation think—doing things yourself, going against the doctors? Jesus. Just be safe," she sounded so reluctant that I almost didn't want to go.
A thought popped into my head. Picking up my inhaler, I headed out. The air cracked against my face, and I experienced a minute of pure bliss. I missed this part of me so much. While running, it felt like I was free. Like breaking some invisible chains? I don't know what the expression is here. Not that I love being a rebel because I'm more mature than that. Think, yes. But running is something that always came naturally to me. I think I ran before I walked. That would have been so cool.
I went towards the park. The route was quiet and damn beautiful. The gentle breeze. The falling flowers. The crunch of dry leaves under my feet. So satisfying. I opened the gate to the park and headed towards the running lane. Seeing a few groups of older adults laughing and doing yoga was adorable, and I jogged about four rounds when I had to stop to catch my breath. Four rounds. Good. Not bad at all.
My vision started blurring out a little. I panicked. I saw a bench, siphoned the last of my breath and energy into my legs, and put myself there. I hung my head back and gasped for breath.
"Just breathe. Keep breathing. Don't think about anything," someone was saying.
Even the voice was muffled. After too many breaths, I opened my eyes. Everything around me seemed still. That was a sign that I was okay. There was a hand on my shoulder. I took it and thanked them. When I looked at the face, the world turned upside down again.