Knowing [A Novel]

Seven: Checkmate 'Mate

Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne blasts of the dock I keep by my nightstand. I groggily hit snooze in my phone and do a little stretch in bed. A faint bright light streams through the curtains and I realize that it must have been a few times since I hit the snooze button last 7am when my alarm's supposed to go off for the first time. 8:25am.

I realize I haven't changed my clothes from last night and a sudden wave of irratation hits me like a freight train when I remember my distaste in skirts. I stripped out of my clothes in record time to rid myself of the dress and jump in the shower. I change into a shirt and some sweat pants before I grab my iPod from my dock, my earphones and the arm strap that goes with my iPod. It was quiet downstairs, save for the crackling sound of something frying in the kitchen. I make my way there and saw Alex's back faced to me, clearly busy with cooking.

"What's for breakfast?"

He briefly turns his head to me. "Bacon, Eggs... Do you want something else?"

"That was a rhetorical question." I sense him smirking at my comment. Alex knew I read minds, and pretty much everything about me. I make my way to him by the counter and watch the bacon sizzle in the pan.

I struggle to fasten the strap to my ipod across my arm and when I finally finish, I look back up to Alex as he takes out a strip of bacon from the pan and scoops it over to his plate alongside some eggs. "Hey so listen, it's Friday and..."

"And you won't be eating breakfast... I know." He still doesn't face me, "This one's for me--" I hear the toaster click-- "and that's yours" he added, pointing with the spatula at the newly toasted bread. "I might be mortal, but you're not the only one who reads minds here Amber,"

I grab the hot bread and take a bite out of it. "With 8 years of being here, I'd say you know me well, with or without powers,"

He smiles at my comment. "So as usual, your dad's out." He forks chunks of his breakfast into his mouth as soon as he scooped the last piece of bacon fron the pan and into his plate.

"Work here or up in Olympus?" I tie my hair up in a messy ponytail with the band I have on my wrist.

"Olympus; said he wouldn't be back until the end of the week" he said in between bites.

"Where's the other guy?" I finish my toast.

"Out; but by the looks of what he's wearing, he's probably not out for a run."

"Speaking of running and Fridays, I'm going out too," I swipe a piece of bacon and prop it in my mouth and run out of the house before Alex can say anything.

Despite the showing of the mid-morning sun in Central Park, I pulled my jacket in closer around me as I continued along with my run, E.T. by Katy Perry starting on my iPod. It was a strange feeling, to feel the sun on my face again, it was a long week, and it seemed like I really needed to get out. It was a feeling that I had long gone without, and I couldn't be happier that it was time for my Friday run. I lowered my head and continued my run, going faster than I had a few minutes ago and moved across the broken concrete path.

Further along my way, a heavy-set pigeon tummbled its way past me. There was a chorus of coos that surrounded me. My eyes traced the bird's course back to where it came from, only to find an entire flock of them trotting around like they owned the place. They had gathered around Jaxon, who was a few feet in front of me, dressed in a plain tee and old faded jeans. He was sitting alone, his deep blue eyes gleaming as he gazed intently at the marble chess pieces before him on a high table, pondering his next move. I see his white fingers were a stark contrast to the red popcorn bag perched up by the side of the board. Funny. I never pictured Jaxon Hale to be the feed-the-pigeons type of guy.