Waves

CHAPTER 14

"Want food before you go?" Mouse asked her.

"No, I'll throw it up," Nora finished her stretching and popped to her feet. She grinned at Mouse and then said, "See you in an hour."

"Wait-how many kilo-er, miles are you going?"

Nora shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe like five or six, since I haven't gone on a run in a while."

"Well what do you usually go for?" Mouse asked.

"Ten, maybe more. Anyway, Imma go. Bye!"

Nora turned and trotted out the front door, closing it softly behind her. She clicked the little start button on her PassedoutOmeter, and then the start button on her free running app, and took off.

The beach was beautiful as Nora ran past it. She waved at Reidy, who appeared to be just walking into work. He waved back and then entered the tower. The crowd on the beach was insane, but Nora had learned from her hours of binge watching Bondi Rescue that Christmastime was always insane.

She passed the beach and continued down the road, admiring the small businesses and little apartment buildings that lined the street. Tourists and locals mixed together, a strange combination of cultures that made Nora want to laugh at the absurdity of some of them.

She spotted Matt Dee and Deano, whom she hadn't seen since the party, and waved at the both of them. They waved back and called to her to join them, but she declined with a polite grin and continued onward.

Twenty minutes later, her phone beeped that she'd gone three miles. Usually, Nora ran a six minute mile. On a good day, maybe even a five minute mile. But she hadn't run in a few weeks, so she would take a ten minute mile. At least for starters.

Nora turned around and started running back home, following her GPS directions. There was one point where she got a little light headed, but nothing more than that.

Three more miles and one ab workout later, she found herself stumbling inside the apartment, her legs already jelly.

"Hey," She called out a greeting, slightly raspily as she was out of breath.

"You're back," Mouse poked his head around the island counter and grinned at Nora.

"Yep," Nora flopped on the floor and laid there for a moment, "A few weeks off really made me lose my endurance," She added breathlessly.

Harrison walked in right at that moment and chuckled at the sight of Nora on the floor, "Hard run?" He asked her.

Nora nodded, "You know, I usually go about ten miles in that same amount of time," She said.

"You'll work back to it," Mouse reassured her as he turned away. Nora heard the fridge door open, and then Mouse said, "Chocolate milk?"

"Please," Nora hopped from her position, wincing as a cramp started to build in her leg. She never liked the afteraffects of running, but oh well.

Mouse passed her a glass of the stuff and Nora lifted it to her lips with shaky hands. Her adrenaline had all but left her, and her whole body was trembling ever so slightly.

"When's your birthday, Nora?" Mouse asked out of the blue as Nora downed the chocolatey goodness and then began to stretch.

She paused, glancing at him, and then said, "June 8, you?"

"August 23."

"I'm December 30, if anyone was wondering," Harrison added from where he was leaning against the wall.

"JANUARY 13!" Maxi's voice filtered from his own bedroom.

The three in the main area exchanged a look, and then burst out laughing. "Good to know, Maxi!" Mouse yelled back.

Nora giggled again as Harrison let out a smaller chuckle, but they were both cut off when her phone dinged.

She pulled the old device out of her pocket and clicked the on button a few times to get it to light up. There was a new email on there from the Australian school she was going to go to, called New South Wales High.

It said that school was starting on January 25th, which was about a month away. Classes started in the mornings at 8:45 and went until 3:00, which was a lot shorter than her public school at home. Nora wished Talia would be going to school with her, but Talia was homeschooled. Still, the two could hang out after classes and stuff. Nora was supposed to be allowed to leave school grounds during study halls, so she hoped that she would have a study hall at the end of the day, that way she could get out early.

"What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Harrison asked Nora, breaking her out of her train of thought.

Nora started slightly, and then said, "Oh, I just got an email about school. It said I'll get my classes soon, at least. I can't believe it starts in a month!"

Harrison nodded, "I'm glad I don't have to go to school anymore, and instead I just get to hang out at the beach with my friends," He said in a teasing manner.

Nora rolled her eyes playfully at him and grinned, before saying, "I'm gonna go and shower. I'll be out in a little bit."

Her phone dinged again as she walked into her room, but she didn't pay it any attention. A ten minute shower and a fresh pair of clothes were the only two things on her mind. She grabbed leggings, since it was supposed to be a chilly day, and also one of her most comfy sweatshirts that she'd brought from Nebraska. It was a Lifeguard* one that she'd used when she was working at her local pool.

And that's when she found her old, crumpled up red bikini at the bottom of her suitcase. The only swimsuit she'd originally owned, and the one she thought she'd left behind. Oh, well, she'd save it for a later occasion.

Nora left her room and went to shower.