Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“We’re both adults. You’re just being a big baby.”
“You’re being insensitive to my stomach. You’re an only child. You can’t truly appreciate how horrific this is.”
“Fine. I won’t say anything else.” She pouted. “Your best friend takes on the biggest penis of her life and you force her to keep her journey inside.”
“Write it in your journal.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Well, now’s the time to get it.”
“Party pooper.”
I ignored her and focused on the run.
A cool wind rushed by and chilled my sweaty skin. The leaves and branches on the trees swayed and bobbed. No clouds lurked anywhere. Just a clear blue sky hovered over us.
Even better, guys in tight, colored body suits zoomed by on shiny bicycles.
On my right, couples lounged together on benches or cuddled on blankets in the grass. Further ahead, a kite contest was happening. Crowds of parents helped their kids hold onto colorful kites that glittered in the sky. Everybody enjoyed themselves around me and I relished in their delight for life, drinking in as much as I could like an emotional vampire.
To keep me out of depression, I attempted to surround myself with as much positivity as possible and Rower’s Way Park was one of the best places to do it.
The area was massive and boasted a ten mile dirt path, big lake, baseball fields, doggy park, playground, obstacle course, and even a skateboard area. It was the type of park I wished I’d lived next to as a kid.
The parks in South End only possessed broken playground equipment and were full of loitering drug dealers or crazy bums that lay on park benches, fondling their groins.
“You’re getting faster,” Vivian said. “Soon I won’t be able to maintain my pace with you.”
“Stop trying to suck up. I’m not talking to you.” I returned my mind to my run.
Sweat drenched my neck and hair. My thighs, waist, and arms burned. I was addicted to that burning sensation. It made me feel powerful, as if I could conquer anything ahead of me. I inhaled the soothing fragrance of nature—freshly cut grass and blooming flowers.
“I’m glad I came out here,” I admitted.
“You always say that after we run for twenty minutes.”
“Even your nasty talk didn’t ruin it.” I wiped some of the sweat on my forehead as we rounded the pathway. “I can’t believe you both hooked up.”
“I blame you.”
“Me?” I scrunched up my face in confusion.
“If you had come home like you were supposed to, then we wouldn’t have sat there smoking and drinking all the ‘Congratulations’ champagne we bought you.”
“Oh.” I rolled my eyes and laughed between panting. “Well, that makes perfect sense. I do apologize for forcing you to hump my innocent brother.”
“Innocent, my ass.”
“And now what will you do?” I darted to the side as two kids on bikes rushed by. Neither one of them were paying attention to where they were going.
“What do you mean what are we going to do?” Vivian slowed her pace until I got back on her side. “It’s not like anything will change.”
“It won’t?”
“No.” She turned to me. “You think it will?”
“Will it?”
An exasperated growl left her lips. “Stop answering my questions with questions.”
“You seem to have it all figured out.” I slammed my feet against the dirt path as we approached a small hill where I’d coined the Mountain of Pain and Torture. “I assume lots will change. It’s already awkward being around both of you.”
“It’s because we’ve seen each other naked. We’ll be fine by tonight.”
“Will you?”
“I swear if you do that again, I’m going to trip you.” She pointed at my feet.
I chuckled, but widened the distance between us as I trekked up the hill. She’d tripped me once when I mocked Noc’s poem he dedicated to her, called Roses are Blonde.
“Things will go right back to the way they were with Troy and me,” she declared.
“Okay. Nothing will be different,” I agreed. “You’ve just given each other earsplitting orgasms. Now Troy and you will return to normalcy.”
“Yep. Nothing will change. Troy is just having fun. He’ll be with someone else next week.”
“Will he?” I laughed and sped up so she couldn’t catch and trip me.
Dust rose behind me, or at least that’s what I liked to think when I raced at a fast speed.
I approached the mid-point of the hill, the part where some days I quickened my pace like an Olympic runner and other days I collapsed to the ground, panting and whimpering at the pain in my chest.
What will it be today?
My stomach twisted, but this time no bile rose.
You can do it.
I switched into a sprinting mode and traveled up the hill faster than I’d ever done before. Conversation ceased between Vivian and I as we both mentally pushed ourselves to make it to the top without stopping. A rush of wind smashed against my skin. Pain ripped through my thighs. I tightened my hands into fists and concentrated on just the steps ahead of me.