On The Run

Chapter Thirty-Two - "Familiar Feelings"

Chloe

There was no other way to put it; I was falling for Fitch. Hard.

I tried to avoid facing it, but the mere fact that he was all I needed for a good night’s sleep was far beyond any deniability.

It had been a few weeks since our tête-à-tête and subsequent make-out session in the swivel chair, and it was all I could think about. Every time my mind flicked to him, I’d remember the feel of his lips against mine, and the inexplicable pull I’d felt as a result, until I was covered in goose bumps – the kind you get from a thrill.

He’d started working the night shift at a club with Trey, and except for the occasional glance and brief conversation when he got up late in the afternoon, I hadn’t really seen much of him. I guess the fact that I was back to my sleeplessness was enough to let the realization of my feelings set in, as well as my never-ending thoughts of him, of course.

Kayla and I hadn’t talked much in a while, and I would have thought it had something to do with Fitch, but I didn’t think anyone knew that there was anything going on between us; I mean, even I was a little unsure what exactly was going on. And since Ricky was picking up the slack for Fitch and Trey, his entire days were spent down at the auto shop, which meant I was back to my status of loneliness. I wasn’t complaining though. Just because I had no agenda didn’t mean everyone else should drop theirs.

I was sitting on the fire escape steps, watching a group of kids practicing skateboard stunts along the sidewalk, when Trey popped up behind me.

“Hey,” he said, sitting next to me.

“Hi,” I replied, with as pleasant a smile as I could muster. The day was dreary and it was rubbing off on my mood. The approaching Christmas season wasn’t helping much either.

“What are you doing out here? It’s freezing,” he said, plopping next to me on the step.

“It’s not that bad,” I said. That was a complete lie; I was shivering under my sweater, but being all alone inside the house was making me think, and thinking, I did not want to do, so I’d been sitting and watching the kids flip and slide and fall, pick themselves up and start all over.

“Are you alright?” he asked, peering into my face curiously, making me smile.

“Yes Trey, I’m fine,” I said, pushing his face away, “Don’t you have to go to work now?” I asked, taking in the six p.m. setting sun.

He grinned, “We’re done for the year; it’s Christmas!” I couldn’t understand the excitement, but then, his Christmases had probably entailed multiple presents, trips around the world, and an abundance of family.

Until Annie and Harold had died, my Christmases were just as blissful, but being so young, I hadn’t been able to fully appreciate the worth of such bliss. With Suze and Greg, they’d always made an effort, but because of their marital problems and my depression following Annie and Harold’s deaths, all efforts were futile. Cam and Susan didn’t even bother to make an effort, and that I didn’t mind so much, because I’d come to accept that Christmas was no different from any other time of the year. And with Robert and Steph, I began to forget what month it was, that I completely skipped through Christmas entirely.

“Yeah,” I murmured. As if the mishmash of Christmas lights at the barbershop and Laundromat next door wasn’t enough of an indication.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like Christmas,” Trey said with a groan.

I shrugged, “It’s not that. I just . . . don’t really care.”

He gave me a sad smile and then said, “Anyway, I came out here to find out if you want to come to Daisey’s with us.”