Free Chasing After Infinity by L. Jayne

hard,” Hayden says, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, pulling me to him.
    I huddle closer to him, seeking his body warmth and that’s when he notices that my body is shaking. “You’re freezing,” he says. “Let’s get quickly to the lab.”
    The thunderstorm is getting heavier, letting down its downpour like no tomorrow. People on the campus are huddled under umbrellas or hiding under roofs.
    “Let’s run!” Hayden says after we watch the rain lessen a bit. He darts from our hiding place with his hood on and in the pouring rain, he holds out his hand. “C’mon!”
    After a moment of hesitation, I take it and we run. Around the people milling around, the buildings and down the path. I’m laughing carelessly as we rush through the mass of students, us yelling, “Excuse me!” bluntly as we streak past. They shoot us weird looks, making us laugh harder for some reason.
    “Go faster!” I shout. Air blows through my hair while we weave through the crowd of people in the halls, choking in the rush of adrenaline.
    Our ankles are soaked from the splashing water and by the time we get there, we're drenched and laughing.
    We’re both cracking up, barely able to breathe. I lean forward, laughing into his shoulder as he leans against the pillar for support, panting in exertion.
    He turns his face to me, laughing. “Jesus. Get off me, your weight is sinking me down.” Then he tries to shake me off but I lean on him even more.
                          I can always depend on him to make me out of control with laughter even on the hardest days. The rain blurs my vision and I clutch him, smelling the icy rain in his damp hair.
    Then he backs into the rain again, beckoning me with a grin, and I laugh. “Again? No way--”
    Hayden grabs my hand and we, half-running, half sloshing run in the pouring rain, neither of us caring that our shirts are soggy, shivering slightly from the chilliness.
    As laughs burble out my throat, I think to myself: This is just what I need right now.
    And for a moment, I feel as if everything is somehow alright again.
     
      Ψ Ψ Ψ  
     
    The following weeks pass as a blur of activity for me. I’d have a midterm’s exam soon and I’d spent the entire time studying Macbeth and for upcoming seminars. I’ve made myself delve into my homework as a way to escape and my plan has been successful so far. I’ve quit thinking about Mom, Dad, and Adrian, all the other insignificant stuff that’s blocking me from functioning as a normal person. Adrian has relatively stayed away from me ever since that day in the washroom when I pushed him away.
    I’ve never seen him around the beach again. Maybe it was just my subconscious mind but my eyes sometimes slip to the people walking by and see a flash of dark hair and grinning eyes but then with a thud, I realize it’s not him. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I can’t get that image of him holding me and the softness of his flannels grazing my cheek as I breathe in slowly out of my head.
    We’ve barely exchanged a word or two ever since. And I think that by staying this way, it’s good. For both of us. It’s better not to get involved in his web.
    And while I look out the sky tinted with orange swirls, I settle back against the sand and it’s almost magical how as the pulsing rock music pumps into my blood through my headphones, the outside world is so quiet and calm. I’m entranced by the calm lull of the waves and the crashing sound of the singer’s scratchy voice all tumbled together. I feel like I’m being floated upon waves of music streaming towards me like the sun’s lazy beams on my face.
    I’ve never let anyone know about this place, not even Hayden or Kara. To me, Verona Beach was sacred. It’s my stomping ground, the place where I needed to release myself, my anchor. Without this, I’d feel like a piece of me is missing.
    And as I watch couples walk by or little kids streaking past with their mothers chasing