Playing the Field

[SplendaWeReGoingDown]

Mel was behind the school in the fall morning smoking a cigarette before classes started. There was a slight chill in the air, but Mel hardly felt it after her morning jog before coming to class. The chill was enough that her breath came out in short puffs, mixing with the smoke burning from the cigarette between her fingers until they became one.


She had a love/hate relationship with smoking. On the one hand, she recognized it was a nasty habit, especially being the athlete she was (Coach loved to give her flack on her smoking constantly) she really should stay away from the stuff. On the other hand, however, Mel figured if she could still run a 10k with all of the tar in her lungs practically daily, then surely her habit wasn't affecting her all that much, right?


Taking another drag of her cigarette, Mel felt her muscles loosen after the long run and then the proceeding bike ride to the school. Come winter, she would have to find new ways to stay active since she flat out refused to be one of those runners who went jogging in frostbite-inducing cold. But for now, she simply enjoyed waking up early and letting the autumn chill seep into her bones and wake her up as she got ready for her day.

 

[Jeccka]

Just as Trevor poured milk into a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a horn sounded from outside. Trevor cursed and began to shovel spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth, not his most attractive moment. Milk spilled on the counter and trailed down his chin, bite after bite. Another honk outside.


Finished, Trevor tossed his bowl in the sink and ran to the hallway closet, pulling out a wool lined, heavy, denim jacket and a navy blue beanie to keep the cold air out. Slamming the closet door, he rushed to his backpack at the staircase, beep-beeeeep from outside.


Trevor swore again, hoping his parents were already awake upstairs or gone for work. He hurried outside, his face immediately feeling the cold. "Oh, look who it is! Sleeping beauty." Noah said, rolling down the window to his car. Trevor climbed in the front seat and stuffed his backpack between his feet. "Yeah, yeah, just drive."


"Hey, did ya finish that paper for English?" Noah asked, crunching down the snow paved road. Snow tires always sounded funny to Trevor. "Shit. No. I went to Mel's last night for dinner, didn't get anything done."


"I don't think she likes me very much. Of all the people you're best friends with, you chose the hardest to get along with." Noah said, referring to little skirmishes they'd had over the years. "What's that supposed to mean? She's great, I've known her for as long as I can remember. Maybe you're just ass and she sees right through you."


"Me? Best friend number two, an ass?!" Noah scoffed. "Ouch, my friend, ouch." Noah was coming up on the school, Trevor didn't live too far away but he never got up early enough to run to school with Melanie. He probably should be running more, now that Cross Country season was coming up but he didn't want to run alone. "Hey, speaking of Melanie, isn't that her?"


"Yeah, just be nice." Trevor said.


"I'm always nice." Noah slowed, honked his horn a few quick times, and rolled down his window. "Hey, Melanie! Want a ride up to the font? The car's warm."

 

[SplendaWeReGoingDown]

Melanie was lost in her thoughts as she walked to school. The sound of a car pulling over (and horn honking) drew her attention away and she saw none other than Trevor and Noah pull up by the curb.


"Jesus Christ, Noah, it's barely seven in the morning, do you really need to honk the horn that many times?" she said as she took another drag from her cigarette. Noah was an alright guy, Mel didn't much care for him and he could be quite obnoxious in her eyes, something which has caused a bit of friction between the two of them on various occasions. He wasn't bad though, and was one of Trevor's closest friends except for she herself. So she tended to cut him some slack on his behalf.


As Noah offered to give her a ride, Mel shot him a doubtful look, not really sure if the guy was serious or not. She looked over at Trevor in the passenger's seat before shrugging. "Ah, what the hell," she mumbled, "I could use a ride." Throwing her cigarette stub onto the sidewalk and crushing the ashes with her foot, Melanie then got inside the back seat, swinging her backpack into the area next to her, before turning her attention to the front.


"Mornin' Trevor," she greeted.