Second lap, same as the first!

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

"I'm sorry... was I... talking too much?"

"Not at all", Hera said. "I actually think telekinesis would be pretty sweet too".

There really wasn't such a thing as talking too much in her book. On a good day, she was lucky to get to talk at all. There were some feelings that couldn't be let out on paper, and it was the same the other way around. Talking was important, and for the most part, Hera sucked at it. Or at least she thought she did...

Hera looked over at Craig now. He still looked tired, but it wasn't like before. Now, it just seemed like the typical panting everyone got from running. They were going at a decent pace and he intended to keep it that way. He might not have been that great of a runner, but he was determined. That was definitley something Hera liked in a person. Taking a good look at him, the situation became even more unearthly to her. You're talking to a guy who was just a nameless face in the hallway yesterday. Along with that, you're actually having a friendly conversation. What does that say about you? What does that say about him? Or better yet, what did that say about both of them?

Hera shook the thought away. She'd only just really talked to the guy, for Christ's sake! But still, prom is coming up. And you could definitley use a few good memories before high school blows out. Going really might not be a bad choice, after all. And Craig was the one who ran over here in the first place...

But it was unsavory territory in her mind - at least for now. Her chest was already pounding hard enough and she didn't want to be embarassed. Thousands of horrible scenarios popped into her head, and they were definitley ones that she didn't want to deal with. When was the last time you opened up to anyone, Hera? Ashley and those fuckers in that drug crowd? They weren't friends. All they cared about was the next high and they just saw you as another body to tagalong with. They were bad kids anyway. Some of the worst.....

"I think super heroes are awesome", Hera concluded. "Funny I brought it up. I just remembered. I have this essay in English where we have to compare and contrast a Greek god to some kind of modern day character - y'know, like on TV or something. And being the dork that I am, well, I ended up choosing Batman".

She laughed and looked back down at the track. Even when she'd been speaking, the thought was still ping-ponging in her head. Prom's coming up. And I doubt you're going to get another chance, chica...

[MK Kilmarnock]

"Y-Yeah.." Craig ad-libbed the word in has some sort of placeholder while struggling to keep his breath up with his body. The only reason he was still with Hera in terms of running to begin with was because they had slowed the pace down nearly to a crawl. "Really, if I could do anything more... well, uh, anything I could do more than what I do now is good enough!"

Craig mentally flicked himself. Half of the stuff he was saying at this point was absoulte crap, but that was probably because all this running had his blood going just about anywhere but his head. Yeah, that must be it... I wonder if that's actually how the blood system works? Having no way to tell, the boy was tired to the point where he'd be willing to accept any theory, even if it was completely half-baked and he came up with it without any evidence to support it. He was just about to ask if they could take a short break when Hera spoke up. Something about Batman and Greek or Roman gods. Not that Craig knew a whole lot about that except what was shown in pop culture.

"Well, if you wanna think about it one way, those Greek and Roman guys were like... the first superheroes, weren't they?" Craig breathed a chuckle following what he perceived to be a moderately clever observation, hoping Hera might get some enjoyment out of it. "That's one way, but overall, that sounds like a really hard assignment." Huh... how else are those guys like Batman? I only really know of Hercules and... uh... Kratos is one of them, right? I don't know if Kratos is just in the game or what, but I know that game was based off of those myths.

He could really hope that he wasn't digging himself a deeper hole. While he had been gifted with good artistic ability, Craig was painfully aware that his concentration and his learning ability were never the best, so scholastic topics often left him sounding like a complete idiot. Still, he had found a way to relate the current subject to superheroes, which put him on a better pedestal of knowledge. I could really hang out with this person... she likes the same things I do, and she's a good writer, so that makes her doubly awesome! She even sees past the whole 'being really fat' thing! Craig's happy thoughts were cut short by the ever-growing burning in his lungs, and sharp pains in both legs. It looks like his determination could only push him so far.

"Hey, Hera? M-My legs are killing me... do you mind if we walk over to where I left my stuff so I can grab one of the gatorades I've got left, and we can talk there?"

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

"Sure", Hera said. "I'm starting to get tired too".

It was a lie. She could have kept going, but she felt bad for Craig. The poor guy had been trying so hard to keep up with her and he was just about burned out. She turned and looked around. It was going to get dark soon. The sky was an intense, dark blue – the kind of sky she always associated with after-school running – and the football field's goal posts gleamed out in the Minnesota skyline that towered behind them. She wiped a patch of sweat from her temple and pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up.

She could ask him. There wasn't anything saying she couldn't. Life, as her mother said, was all about breaking out of those shells. The probability was a fifty-fifty chance – a toss of a coin. Yes or no. College is coming up, Hera. Do you really want to finish high school off knowing the only thing you got out it was a fall-out with a bunch of druggies? Ask him. Más vale tarde que nunca. Go to prom. Have fun for a night. Try to get some memories out of this school before it's all over...

The future scared her. College scared her. Hell, people scared her. Hera had been in her shell for a long time, and instead of choosing to deal with her problems, she'd just ran from them the same way she would run out on the track after school. It was a stress-reliever, but in the grand scheme of things, it was just an excuse for living. She had to get out of her shell. She had to.

Hera started to walk back to where Craig had been tackling the dummy earlier. She took one last look at Craig, and then, before she knew it, she'd said the words:

"So....prom's coming up, huh?"

[MK Kilmarnock]

"Oh, phew... I was about ready to give out any second!" Craig huffed, finally slowing his gait down to a steady walk. As things stood at the moment, things were going well. Craig talked to Hera for the first time, she seemed to be responding, and they got along just fine. Yet he hadn't asked her yet... Why would I ask her to the prom, though? This is the first time that I've really interacted with her. You don't just hang out with a girl for ten minutes and ask them to prom, you scare them off like that...

Letting himself go wouldn't have any effect either, though, and that was the very conclusion Craig came to as he stopped moving just for a second; he wanted to make sure where Hera wanted to make that turn to head into the field before he followed. Right, I still have a few gatorades over here... maybe I can convince her to stay and talk with me for a while as we drink those things up. What to talk about...

Craig soon got his answer, and it was not a topic he was expecting.

"So....prom's coming up, huh?"

Were he not so dead-set on getting his hands on that gatorade less than a couple hundred feet away, Craig might have lost his balance and toppled over onto the ground. She's talking about prom, does this mean... His nature was telling him to be cautious, not to make any brash assumptions, but Craig had gotten fed up with being the shy kid that never talked to anybody a long time ago. Hera was a really nice girl, and if she wanted to take him to prom, or wanted him to ask her, well... that would just about make his year.

"Y-Y-Y... um, er... Y-yeah, it is!" He tried to make the action of holding his jaw and preventing it from chattering as inconspicuous as he possibly could, attempting to disguise it as merely scratching his chin. "It is! So, um... been thinking about who you're going with... you know, are you going with anybody?"

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

"It is! So, um... been thinking about who you're going with... you know, are you going with anybody?"

She smiled. A normal person probably would have been turned off by the nervousness, but she almost found a strange sense of kinship with him. He really was a lot like her. Instead of being paranoid over the fact that she and him were the only people on the track, she now felt almost comforted by Craig's large presence. He was, after all, one of the very few people that had approached her recently just to strike up a conversation. So it's really going to happen, huh?

"Not currently", Hera said. "I was never really into prom. Y'know, just the whole thing about the, 'essential high school experience'. It kind of pissed me off. I thought about it though. A lot. And I think I changed my mind.. And if you're not going with anyone and neither am I...."

She was suddenly at lost for words. "The high school experience", really was something that has pissed her off. The whole idea of living solely off the idea of your social standing in high school, whether you got invited to the good parties or had a good standing on the popularity ladder, really was something that she was never interested. But prom was different. It existed solely on its own, a night where anything could happen. A night where anything can happen? Man that sounds like the first line of a bad story you would write...

And that was when she took the chance.

Hera looked at Craig and flashed a grin. It was one of the first smiles in months that she hadn't forced. Her heart was beating and she was more nervous than she had ever been in her life, but somehow, that awkward feeling was a good one. Butterflies in her stomach had never felt so good. It's time, it's time, it's time. Don't screw it up...

"I never thought I was going to go ", Hera admitted. "And even if I did I thought I would just end up being a wallflower the whole time. But I think I'm changing my mind. Do you want to....well, that is if you're free that night too.....do you want to....well.....y'know...."

She stopped in the middle of speaking, too confused and lost to think of what to say next. Talking had never really been her strong suit. A few days ago she probably would have broken down into hysterics on the spot, but she actually found herself giggling.

"I....I think you know what I mean....".

[MK Kilmarnock]

Craig had found that the strain on his legs was ever-increasing. He had considered simply sitting on the ground on more than one occasion, but when he gave a second look over the thought it seemed somewhat in poor taste. If Hera sat down first it wouldn't be so bad, since it would actually put their heads on closer levels than before (Craig couldn't help but feel that there was some unnecessary distance between him and Hera created by the fact that he was probably more than a foot taller than her). It was a good thought, but Hera didn't sit down and so Craig remained convinced that his idea would probably be considered rude.

Luckily, the boy almost literally stumbled into the solution as he came to rest against the tackling dummy he had been slamming his sore body into earlier. The dummy gave way a little, but Craig wasn't putting his full weight on the springs, and the cushions of the device made a surprisingly comfortable backrest. From this position, the hefty athlete was able to focus more on Hera's words and sip gatorade... except by this point, he was all out of gatorade.

"I....I think you know what I mean....".

And now he was out of focus. He was just asked out... really, him? Most kids wouldn't see the big deal, they wouldn't see the big deal at all because Hera Alosso wasn't a cheerleader. She wasn't some big-gazonga'd and skinny-minny rich girl, either. To Craig though, to a boy who had never been asked out by any girl and never actually had the guts to ask anybody out himself, this was Hera. Freaking. Alosso. "Y-you want.. uh, you..." The hand that was holding the empty gatorade bottle to his chest drooped to his side, but the fingers somehow retained their grasp on the light and flimsy plastic. "Wow... I don't really know what to say!" Wait, yes I do! Say yes, moron, YES!!!!!

Craig's face flushed a pinkish-red as he smiled at Hera, and gulped in a sort of stereotypical display of nervousness. "You really mean it? You wouldn't mind going to the prom with... a guy like me?" He looked down at his body, the body he often viewed as grotesque. Heh... that would be fun to find a tux for, now wouldn't it? But this is your chance to finally live!

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

"You really mean it? You wouldn't mind going to the prom with... a guy like me?"

It took her a second to really process his words. The moment she did, she couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic. Craig's sentence had hit her hard, and somehow, she knew he was feeling the same was her. They were the same boat - two people who were never really seen for what they were because no one else wanted to look under the surface: a giant of a kid who liked to draw comic books and a shy girl who could pour her heart out when it came to writing but feared people in real life. Craig had never expected this was going to happen anytime soon, and to be honest, she hadn't either. Never thought that shell was going to break, did ya chica? You're standing on thin ice. Last chance though. Live and let live. Go-go-go-go...

"No", Hera said with a smile. She searched her mind for something to say, maybe something with a little more depth, but she couldn't find anything. "No, I wouldn't mind at all, man".

But then a thought struck her. Maybe she'd been too forceful. After all, she'd literally just popped the question with a guy who had been a face in the hallway yesterday. She'd definitley done something wrong - maybe she'd even offended him for Christ's sake. Her smile hanging awkwardly on her face, she tried to think of something to cover it up. Just say yes. Please let him say yes....

Instead she just took another step out of her shell and hoped for the best. She was too far in now and there was now backing out. There was no beating around the bush anymore. She had to get right to the point.

"So", Hera said as casually as she could. "Do we have ourselves a date?"

[MK Kilmarnock]

Hera had said that she wouldn't mind asking him out... that was the first jolt that ran through Craig's body. The words 'yeah, Hera! I'd love to!' were on the tip of his tongue, all he had to do was say them! He had known her on the outside long enough to know that Hera was one of those shy girls, just like he was a shy guy, but here she was, breaking her shell; coming out of her comfort zone. If she could do it, and he had dared to talk to her in the first place, then maybe he could come the rest of the way out and finally get to know her better. He wanted to fully meet the girl behind the writing.

"Do we have ourselves a date?"

The corner of Craig's mouth twitched for a little before it broke out into an uncontrollable smile. "Y-YEAH! YEAH, OF COURSE!" He quickly withdrew and covered his mouth, having a strange and upwelling feeling in his stomach. "Uh... I'm really sorry... about that. Got a little excited... but-but-b- yeah!!!" His heart was burning, or so it felt. Man, so this is what it feels like to be asked for something... and the girl did the asking! Like... that probably never happens, right? Who cares who asked who though, this is so awesome!

"He... heh.. I was gonna rush forward and hug you but that woulda probably scared you..." Craig laughed nervously. "But now that I've warned you, c-c-can I? This is just so awesome..."

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

Hera stood there for a second, feeling nearly catatonic as she processed Craig's sudden outburst. Already a little dazed from the fact that she'd actually asked him, it took her a second to really understand what he'd said. When she finally got it though, a smile formed on her face. He'd said yes. He'd really said yes! Butterflies rose in her stomach, and for the first time in a long time, Hera Alosso didn't feel like the girl that wrote under her bed covers at night or jogged alone after school. That girl was still around, but she was an afterthought now. Maybe even a ghost. A superhero had taken her place.

"He... heh.. I was gonna rush forward and hug you but that woulda probably scared you. But now that I've warned you, c-c-can I? This is just so awesome..."

She smiled for a moment in confusion. Then she started to giggle.

"Go ahead", Hera laughed. "I won't bite".

[MK Kilmarnock]

"Oh m-man... just... thank you, thank you!" Craig leaned forward from his leaning spot to walk forward and hug Hera, but he completely forgot an important detail about tackling dummies - they tend to have springs. The foam block struck Craig in the back with force that normally wouldn't budge him, but because he was approaching Hera to hug her, the force was just enough to send an unexpecting Craig completely off balance, which lead to him tripping and falling forward, his head landing right at her feet with a hearty 'OOF!'

Craig was left groaning with a good deal of his wind knocked out of him. His human instinct of catching himself with his hands had activated, but that didn't stop his stomach from crashing to tha ground at full force and, thanks to the weakness of his arms, it didn't stop much of his chest from hitting either. "...Oooow.... u-uh, minor technical difficulty there... hold on..." Craig struggled to get back to his feet, but even that turned out to be something of an arduous process. He started on his stomach, which was actually the better position when compared to his back, so all he had to do was push himself up with his arms, tuck his knees under them, straighten up, then somehow manage to keep his balance as he rose.

"Ha... right, nothin' keeps me down..." he said, though some inner personification of himself was smacking the hell out of his brain. Just say one thing... ONE THING that isn't corny, you ball of butter! After a bit of a pause, Craig realized that he had nothing, so he crouched a little to put himself on even terms with Hera in order to hug her. The height difference would make things awkward to say the least; that was something he hoped she wouldn't mind. No, he was sure she wouldn't mind, or she wouldn't ask him.

Or just hug her. That works.

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

Hera watched the scene of Craig being knocked to the ground with a mix of amusement and pity. He was either really nervous or really clumsy. Maybe even a little of both – she could see that easy in a person. After all, they were the qualities that made her who she was, whether the situation called for it or not. Her mama had always told her that they were the bad qualities. The ones you had to do away with. Hera loved her mama. Maybe that's why you're finally listening to her. Maybe that's why you're finally coming out of your shell. Today's a good day. Gotta end it good too....

"Here", Hera laughed. "Let's get this over with before you hurt yourself".

She stepped forward and her smile faltered for a second, coming to the realization of just how big Craig really was. His stature was probably a daily issue for him, just as much as her writing-fantasies and track-running epiphanies. Still, she didn't let it faze her at all. Hera stepped forward and gave Craig a soft hug, feeling for a second like she was hugging an enormous oak tree. This is your guy. Your prom date. Might want to touch him just to make sure he's real...

As she hugged Craig, Hera looked up at the afternoon sky. It was getting dark soon and mama would want her home to help out with dinner. The Alossos weren't particulary good in the kitchen when it came down to it – usually only able to do the makeshift recipes that involved a handy microwave – but that didn't mean Hera wasn't needed in the culinary corner.

Still...

The omnipresent fear was still there. The shell hadn't yet been broken. Hera glanced up at Craig as she held him.

"Craig", Hera said. "You're....you're okay with all of this right?"

[MK Kilmarnock]

"Hmm... huh?" Craig had zoned out of it for just a second or two, about as equally unsure of reality as Hera had been a moment ago. "Okay... with all of this? Whaddaya talking about?" He looked down at Hera, the unveiled look of perplexion showing as much confusion as his words. Did he mean with her, or the prom or... he was pretty sure that she didn't mean anything else, but that fact didn't help him one bit.

"Of... course? I mean, I can't think of anything I'm not fine with right now. You, prom, being here right now... I mean, not even the fact it's gettin' a bit cold, look at..." He paused. Oh geez... I wonder if she's cold, I hadn't even thought about that.

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

"No", Hera replied. "It's just that....I mean....I didn't want this to come out being awkward or weird or anything. I mean, I can tell this is kind of unsavory territory for both of us - I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. I mess stuff up a lot, y'know?"

She let the words hang for a second before shivering. It was a little chilly. Not really caring and having been the girl since kindergarten who caught the common cold and spread it to everyone else, she merely sighed and zipped up her windbreaker. Momma was going to kill if her she wasn't home soon. Dad would be back from the station soon for dinner, and if Hera wasn't there, it was commonplace for them to call the local authorities. She could fondly remember the time where she'd went over to the arcade in seventh grade and realized later that the entire town was looking for her. Wish they'd calm down. It's lot like we're living in Rialto anymore..

"Prom's going to be great though", Hera said with a smile. "I'm really glad things worked out the way they did here. I gotta get home soon though. My mama's going to freak if I'm not back by dinner".

[MK Kilmarnock]

"Well..." Craig shuffled a foot. "I wouldn't say un-sa...savory..." He wasn't used to that particular word, so it took him an extra try to pronounce it correctly. "I mean, I really like you. I guess 'new' or 'uncomfortable' might work better? And... and don't worry, you're doing everything right!" Craig smiled down at her. Though I'm not really unsure of much myself, right now. I can't believe I'm pulling myself together like this, anway! It's probably because she's even shyer than me, but still...

Halfway through his thought processes, Craig came to notice that the girl was shivering. He felt a sharp twinge of guilt; here he was, standing out in the middle of a field with a girl who was cold and keeping her from getting warm, even though they should both be going very soon. "Uh... s-sorry, would you like my jacket to keep you warm on the way back home?" Craig offered, pointing to the oversized article sitting neatly folded along with the rest of his things. "And don't feel bad about saying yes... I mean, well, you can always just give it back tomorrow at school if you want to, and I don't know if you've noticed but.." He giggled pre-emptively to his joke, patting his stomach. "I have enough blubber to keep me through a nuclear winter. The human torch's got nothing on me in staying warm."

He hoped she'd say yes, but either way he had to prepare for Hera leaving. Regardless of whether or not she would take him up on his offer, he smiled all the same. "A-anyway, see you tomorrow!"

[TheLeakyFaucet†]

((OOC: Hey Ricky, I really wanted to apologize with my lack of progress in this thread seeing how it's taken months to finish. It's really been my fault for slowing the flow of this down, so sorry. I've had a lot on my plate throughout the summer, but hopefully that's all water under the bridge now since I'm trying to get back to roleplaying at a normal pace. Again, sorry. :3))

"I have enough blubber to keep me through a nuclear winter. The human torch's got nothing on me in staying warm".

Hera giggled and tried to suppress a shiver. He was offering the jacket to her, but all in all, she could manage. The cold was unpleasant, but on the other hand, Hera Alosso was a person who prided herself on being independent and could tolerate wind nipping at her cheeks. She thought of walking home in the cold and getting a warm blast of air as she entered her home. Her mama would be there and then they'd cook together and chat about the day. And you'll tell her everything. She'll be so happy! She'll be so proud!

Hera couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this excited. Grinning from ear-to-ear, she shrugged at Craig and said, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine without a jacket. I really got to get home. Catch you at prom!"

Then she gave Craig a soft hug that couldn't help but feel awkward giving their height difference. Turning away and pulling the head of her windbreaker over her head, she started to jog away from the center of the football field, feeling more and more elated at every step. By the time she passed the track and jogged out between the bleachers into the parking lot, she was running full-force with the feeling that nothing could stop her.

She thought about writing under the covers at night and sitting silently in class, feeling her heart thudding when her name was called or getting goosebumps on her flesh when she heard the perpetual whisper of gossip behind her. But that was a different girl living in a different universe. That wasn't the girl that was going to prom. Pienso que va a ser bueno....

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Hera Alosso felt like a teenager.

((Hera Alosso continued in The Night's Still Young))