Always Running

Chapter 1

TIANA

"That's a lot of lifting I done did." I complained.

Plopping down on our toffee brown sofa, brand new, just like everything else in the two story house. It was a lot cooler in New York, great running weather, it got cool in Texas but only in the winter, if we're lucky sometimes it might get windy in the fall. Texas' weather is bipolar. I kicked off my all pink workout shoes, airing out my perfectly pedicured toes, relaxing for the moment. Today is the biggest day for the rest of my life with my husband. Yes, I'm happily married, going on two years.

Landon Crowwell, the man of my dreams, I met him eight years ago, in middle school.

We met in the hall, I was looking for my math class, not very hard though, I hated math with a purple passion. The final bell had just rang making aware to the lingering students they were tardy, most scrammed in the directions of their classes like roaches, others still loitered in the main hall. Giving up, I turned around starting towards the attendance office for a pass, before I could make it, I ran right into tall, scrawny, lighter complexioned guy. His curly hair was in serious need of rebraiding, his edges were all curled up and strayed away from the start of the braids. He looked down at me, taking a step back, he steadied my arms, preventing me from dropping my binder for all seven classes.

"My bad" he apologized, he looked at me with a confused expression, "You do know that the tardy bell rung? Oh, I'm Landon by the way." he introduced himself politely.

His eyes, they were so big and brown. Such an ordinary color, but the way the way they were complimenting his face had me feeling some type of way. I felt my heart speed up when his lips curled into a smile, my palms became sweaty, I felt my stomach knotting up. I was stuck, sort of lost, he was talking to me, but I didn't hear a thing. I panicked when his face fell a slight bit.

"You okay?" he asked me, concerned.

When I snapped out of it, I nodded, he smiled at me, "Your name," he demanded.

"Tiana."

"Cute name, you got a nick name?" he asked. That one was sort one stupid, maybe he was trying to make conversation. If it was a cute name, why would I need a nick-name?

"Nope. I like it just the way it was made." I replied, looking around for a clock. 8:35, I was obviously late, and here I was standing here making conversation. He was cute, but not that cute, he wasn't getting me to pass this grade, and into college, "Look, Landon-- right?" he nodded his head, "I really appreciate you making conversation, but long story short, I have a class to get to, and I'm late. I need to get to the office for a pass and directions."

"Where you goin'" he wondered.

"Math, Ms. Karewall." I replied annoyed at all his questions.

"Oh, you're a fifth grader girl, I'll show you." he grinned, pulling me by my arm in the opposite direction, "You new here, huh?" he questioned. I nodded my head.

"I just came here from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My dad got a better job here." he nodded his head in understanding.

"Cool, my dad doesn't have a legal job, what does yours do?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. I didn't feel bad telling him what my dad did now.

"Neither does mine, if you catch my drift."

" I guess we kind of the same huh?"

"Sure." we might've had the same kind of father, but we weren't alike.

"My moms just stay at home and work, she sell AVON. What about yo moms?" he asked, I looked up at him, my heart felt heavy.

"I don't know her." I admitted looking down, "I've never met her, she been MIA since I was a month old."