Morning Run [Sydney]

[Trevor Wallace]

Early morning really was the best time to run. Then again, any time that Trevor could run without needing to worry about his glasses slipping off was a good time to run. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, casting long shadows across the track as T finished his second lap. He paused, walking over to his belongings to grab the towel and wipe sweat from his forehead. In his head, he was keeping track of time. Only a minute or two of rest before he needed to start again was what he would allow.

After taking a drink from his water bottle and leaving his things in a neat pile next to the track, he started up again around the track. Trevor steadied his breathing as best he could, in and out, while letting his mind wander. Thoughts relating to his senior year remained at the forefront. He knew he would be looking at colleges, jobs, maybe even his own apartment, though for now he just had to make it through the year. Not that there was any doubt he'd be able to do it, but something about planning for the future was daunting to him. He could call home and talk to his parents about it, but he wanted to see if he could do it on his own. By the time his thoughts caught up to what he was doing, Trevor had already finished his third lap around the track.

[Sydney Emerson]

Morning was Sydney's favorite time of day. So many people complained about it and were content to sleep through the early hours, yet perhaps that was exactly the reason why Sydney thrived during them. Distractions were few and far between and it was the time she had to herself. Rarely did clubs do anything in the morning, students never wanted to be tutored in the morning and classes didn't start til mid-morning. Which meant those first hours after sunrise were hers.

That was what had Sydney going to the track in the courtyard first thing in the morning. While she still had training, she had no academic classes until the college semester started in just over a week. She was still at Hammel for training though, which meant that very little was truly changing in her life just yet. The amount of free time she had though was a bit ridiculous and even she was struggling to spend all her time productively.

Running was something that she made sure to do every day. Athleticism didn't come naturally to her so maintaining her training routine was important. She had worked hard to become an athlete and she wasn't about to go soft now. Besides, running helped her focus, and her mind was still trying to puzzle out her future. Added was the pressure that she couldn't share those thoughts with anyone else. To do so would be admitting weakness. Which only added to the pressure of trying to make a decision.

She was a little surprised to see another on the track, though less so when she realized it was Trevor. The two were both on the track team after all. They were polite, if not friendly. As she approached, she considered offering a polite wave, but reconsidered as she noticed he was rather intently focused. Curiosity caught the better of her and she took a moment to try to sense what he was feeling. Mostly what she got was a sense of anticipation, though there was a touch of feeling overwhelmed and anxious that shadowed it. That was a feeling she knew well, as her thoughts were filled with much of the same with college so swiftly approaching.

Stopping at the side of the track, Sydney paused to stretch a little, wanting to be certain she was fully warmed up. It was only as he neared her that she offered a polite smile and called out a simple "Good morning!" greeting.

[Trevor Wallace]

As he finished his lap, Trevor slowed down as he caught sight of the new face. He stopped nearby, steadying his breaths with a smile. Trevor returned the wave and smile as he bent at the knees to stretch out his legs and start to cool down a bit.

"Oh, morning Sydney. You're up early." Clearly he decided to point out the obvious with a knowing smile. He didn't have his glasses on at the moment, something that his fellow teammate hadn't likely seen more than once or twice if that.

"I'm gonna assume you're out this early for the same reason I am. Quiet running, right?" He smiled again, this time a bit wider.

[Sydney Emerson]

There had once been a time when any sort of repetition or statement of the obvious had annoyed Sydney to no end. What was the point of that? It was so inefficient. Yet she had come to learn that to a certain extent, it was simply part of being polite. Sometimes such things still tested her nerves, but this instance was not one of those times.

"As are you," she responded with a small polite smile. "Early bird gets the worm, that's what they always say, right?" she added with a hint of a chuckle. It was at this point that she realized why he looked odd to her. He usually wore thick black frames and yet at the moment he wore no glasses at all. "Did you get contacts?" she asked, her bluntness and curiosity getting the better of her as per usual.

She nodded as he asked about her motivation. "I have to run daily to maintain my stamina and athleticism and the fewer people around, the less distracting my power is. I don't mind the noise so much, but emotions are much harder to ignore." She paused a moment, considering before she broached the topic.

"It's a good time to think too. It's relaxing... meditative even. With college coming up and all, well, there's a lot to think about, you know?" She was trying to be subtle, an odd concept to her, but she was attempting out of consideration.

[Trevor Wallace]

A nod was basically all Trevor could offer on the words of wisdom. "That is indeed what they say," he agreed before adding his own musings. "Whoever they are," he wondered. "They also say, 'but the second mouse gets the cheese.' Not that it has anything to do with this discussion. If anything, T's mind started to wander.

Trevor's smile faded quickly when Sydney beought up his lack of eyewear. "Huh?" he muttered, reaching up to the top of his head to try and find glasses. The surge of worry faded to embarassment as he burst out laughing at himself. Trevor shook his head and calmed down before answering. "Nope, I don't need my glasses since I haven't used my power yet today." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "But like you just saw, I've gotten so used to them I'll forget sometimes that I don't always need 'em."

That Sydney started talking about college caught Trevor by surprise. He took a moment to refocus and let out a sigh. "Well... you aren't wrong. It is a lot to figure out. It's kinda daunting. At least to me anyway."