Choices and Sacrifices

When they hit a two week mark without seeing their parents, Keegan grew a bit weary of Quincy. His mother had put the allowance in his account. He couldn't believe how suspicious he was getting. The image of Quincy enjoying a hot bacon cheeseburger, large fry and milkshake after work in the secrecy of his car was haunting him. Especially since Keegan had eaten Ramen everyday this week.

But Quincy promised Keegan he'd only use his allowance for emergencies until they began to really get on their feet. They came to that agreement the first week of their stay and Keegan laid his faith on it. He was counting on Quincy to do this the right way with him. He was almost certain this would be the experience that turned them into true men.

Keegan discovered a park minutes away from the library and decided he'd start visiting after work. It was his 7^th visit and he was growing more accustomed to the large population of people around the area. The park had a track that morphed into a trail where dirt replaced asphalt and trees consumed either side of your body. It gave him a minute to truly relax.

He was jogging— more like sprinting along the asphalt portion of the trail. It was there that he lost sense of present life and entered a piece of his own brain. He had essentially lost himself within himself.

Keegan thought about how much he missed his mom. She was devastated to know he wanted to venture so far away from home. He didn't want to leave her, but he had to get away. A big change was what he needed and Quincy agreeing to join him only made him want it more. This was his chance to prove himself.

The thought of self approval sent mixed feelings throughout his body. It was probably because the word 'approval' usually had something to do with his dad. He loved his father and the fact that he thought about his opinion on his life confirmed that. But after spending a year of college pursuing a major of law that wasn't his own choice, he knew he had to do something. So he changed his major to English. He grew out his hair and managed to achieve the dreaded style he always wanted. The dreads would always remind him of the day he seemed to grow enough courage to live for himself.

The thought of hiding his poetry beneath his bed when the sound of footsteps seemed to compel themselves closer toward his bedroom made him livid. He thought of all the science clubs he joined afterschool while journalism went on right next door. He spent his entire childhood trying to meet goals that had never been set by him.

His mother was relieved that her son was taking charge of his life, but she still feared her husband's opinion. Keegan feared it too, but he soon got over it. His father had ignored him for a few months after the announcement. Sooner or later he began to warm up to the idea, but he still never treated Keegan the way he once did.

Quincy had been his rock throughout this point in his life. The two were the closest they'd ever been. Keegan found himself spending most of his days and nights with Quincy beside him. Quincy was supportive of Keegan's writing and often gave him ideas for stories. Then after they were completed, he'd spend hours of his day reading them; he was Keegan's biggest fan. He distracted him from his home life and focused him on what he loved. Quincy consumed Keegan's mind and left no room for worrying. Between the jokes, loyalty, honesty and spontaneity that seemed to come with his companionship, Keegan was at ease. But Quincy always thought of it as a favor returned.

Quincy's life hadn't always been smooth sailing as it seemed to have been now. When Keegan and Quincy first met their 10^th grade year in high school, Quincy had his own family problems. Keegan's situation was nothing in comparison to his. Quincy's father had been one of the most active people in his life. Keegan's memory of him was still vivid, and each one left only a positive effect on him.

He'd joke around with the boys when Keegan spent the night. He would make them treats when Quincy asked and hand them over kindly. Quincy's father seemed to be everything Keegan would've ever asked for in a father. Although, Quincy never seemed to treat his father the way Keegan thought he deserved. While the boys were lying on the carpeted floor of Quincy's theatre room, Keegan decided to ask.

"Do you hate your dad or something?" He asked nonchalantly but Quincy reacted as if he'd screamed. He looked over at him, and away from the movie playing on the projector.

"No... why'd you ask that?" Keegan shrugged in response, never letting his eyes leave the screen.

"I was just wondering." Quincy knew all too well why he was asking. He sighed deeply and visibly relaxed. When he spoke again, his voice was much more hushed. It drew in Keegan's attention and he turned to face him.

"My parents... my dad isn't as kind to my mom as he is to us." Keegan's mouth opened and closed a few times like a suffocating fish. It was one of those moments where you had no idea what to reply. The sentence was enough to transmit the true situation of the seemingly perfect couple. His mother was sweet and always kind to Keegan. His father treated him like he was family. Although now, Keegan knew it was all an act to obscure their true emotions.

Now that he thought it over, he had hardly ever seen the two interact with one another. He couldn't even recall the last time they'd been in the same room for over 5 minutes. So Keegan was almost as relieved as Quincy was to know his mother had placed a restraining order on her husband and a divorce was to follow suit. Quincy hadn't seen his father since then, and a piece of Keegan knew he really didn't care where he was. He was just pleased to finally see his mother alleviated.

Keegan was brought back to life by an obstacle standing in the center of the trail. She was staring at the signs where there happened to be 3 passage ways. She read the information for each lane, trying to decide what it all meant. Keegan was about to side step her and continue his jog but she seemed to finally make up her mind within that split second. She crossed into Keegan's path and he slowed down to accommodate her speed. Nevertheless, she changed her mind again within that fourth of a second. So Keegan had no choice but to run directly into her unmoving frame. She let out a high pitched yelp as her body lurched forward, parallel with the ground below her.

Keegan couldn't allow himself to let her fall. He extended his arm outward and somehow coiled it around her midsection. The woman shut her eyes tight, an instinctive reaction to being an inch away from bashing your head into concrete. Keegan balanced her weight onto his forearm and finally took in their awkward position. She was directly between his legs. Keegan was hunched over, knees bent and waiting for her to regain her balance. Eventually she got her feet under herself again and she immediately turned around.

Keegan gulped roughly. She looked embarrassed yet completely beautiful. Her kinky natural curls were splayed atop her head and the light frizz was cute. In contrast, her deep chocolate skin was smooth and blemish free. She had perfectly arched brows above extremely long and thick lashes. Her black eyes were apologetic and their size gave her a childlike appearance. Her collarbones were protruding and her breasts were almost as pronounced. He was lost in a daze as her defined full lips parted to release a sultry, sexy rasped voice. But behind her lips were clear specs lining her perfect teeth. She had braces.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized, searching his eyes for any sort of acceptance for the inconvenience. She knew how people liked to keep their heart rate pumping when they went out for a jog. When Keegan failed to respond to her, she nervously wiped a hand over the start of her hairline.

"I've never been here before and I didn't know which lane I should—"She was rambling. Keegan's admirable smile cut her off. His thin pink lips spread nicely.

"It's fine. I didn't know which one to do either when I first came here." He replied sweetly. They stood in front of one another gracelessly for another 15 seconds.

"Well, thanks—for helping me." She said, beginning to walk away from a sneering Keegan. He watched her approach another lane and re-read its sign. Her bottom swayed and beckoned him closer. He was hypnotized despite the fact a thin jacket tied around her hips hid the sight from his eyes. Her tiny purple Nike shoes were adorable on her feet. He took in her bright green tank top with a cross of straps in the back. Its vibrancy clashed pleasantly with her dark skin.

Keegan took a glance around and realized just how weird he looked staring after her. He decided to begin his run again but she caught his eye. She'd begun the easiest trail which was a few yards away from him.

"That's all you can do?" He called out with a full grin. She sneered at him as he tried to make her feel embarrassed. Little did he know, she wasn't the type to feel that sort of emotion. Her beautiful eyes were on him within a second and she gave him a sassy look with a welcoming grin. Every expression on her face seemed like a perfectly planned piece of art.

Soon trees were consuming him as he expected they would. The curtain of green put up a barrier between them and she was no longer in his sight. The usually peaceful run had become the exact opposite. His mind was busy at work and a smile surfaced on his face. She was a quirky girl with a hint of humor. She seemed like the type of girl a guy could be best friends with. And maybe Keegan might've loved to have another friend in this unfamiliar state, but her physical features would definitely make it difficult. Keegan kept replaying their encounter that could've been stolen right out of a cheesy romance movie.

"Race me!" A voice screamed beside him. His eyes grew wide as a breeze hit his body. The woman he'd just held was zooming past him and putting a considerable amount of distance on him. Just the fact that she was moving so fast was a temptation to chase after her and show her up. But his major incentive was his attraction toward her.

Keegan was subtly picking up pace before he'd even confirmed with himself he'd race. People were becoming a blur all around him. His eyes were locked on the curvaceous frame ahead. As if she could feel his presence behind her yet wasn't quite sure if he was there, she turned around for only a second. The hairs on the back of Keegan's neck stood tall when an addictive smirk formed on her lips and a loud cry of surprise filled the silent air. People's heads snapped toward the obnoxious sound but she didn't seem to care.

His presence gave her fuel and she picked up an even faster pace. She tried to ignore the tightness in her chest and the 'fat-girl' heaving exiting her mouth. Her arms were flailing around her as she tried to push herself forward. Keegan however, didn't even notice his body's strain. His thoughts were consumed by her. It didn't take much for Keegan to finally catch up. His legs were a few feet longer than hers but she was still around 5"10 so she was good competition. However her stamina and endurance needed a lot of work; she was beginning to slow down. Keegan inched up ahead of her.

A huge, 30 foot hill was approaching and Keegan saw her eyes widen in horror. He laughed as much as his lungs would allow. But nevertheless, she kept moving. Keegan ascended the hill in a decent amount of time and took a look around to find the woman was nowhere around. He put his arm over his eyes to shield the blinding sun and allow him to gaze down the grassy hill.

She was clawing her way to the top. Her bottom was high in the air and her hands were deep into the hill's side. A strip of her lower back was visible between her athletic tank and tied jacket. Keegan could feel himself stiffening at the sight, despite his fatigue. He had to look away to avoid embarrassment. When she finally got to the top, she put her hands on her hips and rested her weight on one leg. Sweat was trailing down her breasts and Keegan once again, had to keep solid eye contact.

She sighed deeply and gave him an expectant look.

"I'm Sabrina." She announced. She reached a hand out for his and Sawyer laughed.

"Keegan." He lifted his hand to meet hers but it felt as if she'd disappeared. Within one blink, her beautiful eyes had vanished and her body was clumsily descending the hill she'd just ascended. When she got to the bottom, she ran a little more. Keegan watched her in amazement; she really was quick for a girl. She used her legs to get her distance, but their alternations were a blur. She slowed down and turned around with a confused look on her face.

"You too tired? We didn't get to the ¾ mile!" Sabrina screamed.

"I'm giving you a head start." He replied. He waved his hand as if to signal her to continue.

"I'll be at the finish line before you even get down the hill." She screamed over her shoulder as she began running again. Keegan waited for her to get some more distance before he met up with her. They were almost at the end and he waited until the last minute to finally unleash all his power. He lurched himself ahead and crossed the mile line significantly before she did.

Keegan was confused as he watched Sabrina run a few more feet passed the mile mark. She crossed over the trail and collided with a tall, shady tree. She wrapped her arms around its trunk and pressed her face flush against it. A breeze blew the leaves and she released a heavenly moan when the cold air hit her body. Keegan chuckled lightly. He couldn't believe how much she'd gotten him to smile and laugh. Keegan strolled over toward her and met closed lids.

"Thanks for racing me; I wouldn't have gotten myself to move that fast without you." She said with her eyes still shut tight.

"No problem, it was fun actually." Her eyes flew open at that last comment. Sabrina pushed her eyebrows together tightly and looked at him incredulously.

"You're joking." She said. Keegan laughed at her facial expression and shook his head lightly.

"I'm not... You made it enjoyable." He flirted, giving her a sly smile. She didn't seem to get the feel of his comment because she acted unaffected.

"That run was the devil." She sighed, shutting her eyes again. Keegan smiled, that was a sentence his mother would say. She was the type of Christian woman to always curse bad things with association of the devil. Keegan knew Sabrina was a bible following type of person.

"Well I'll see you aro—"

"Do you have somewhere to be?" She asked honestly with sweetness in her voice that couldn't be ignored. Keegan had just finished work, and didn't have anything else to do for the rest of the day. Quincy wouldn't even be home for a few more hours. But even if he did have something to do, he'd give it all up to spend some time with Sabrina. That was certain.

"Nope. Why?" He asked. Sabrina sighed in contempt and laid into the grass. Her ponytail was spread above her head and she rested her hands over her ribs. She looked up at Keegan and briefly shot a glance at the spot beside her. He didn't take another second to reconsider his choice to lie down too. For a few minutes they both just shut their eyes and cooled off. Bikes whirled around them as dogs fetched their owner's ball in the distance. They didn't seem concerned with anything but relaxation.

"You aren't sleeping are you?" Her airless voice was heard directly in his left ear and Keegan opened his lids. He looked into her brown eyes and exhaled noisily. Her eyes could melt his insides if he allowed them to. Her orbs were round and very brown. He must have stared at her too intently because she speedily looked away.

"No, I'm not." He replied gingerly. She didn't say anything for the next few minutes. She just continued to stare at the sky, completely in a daze.

"Where are you from?" Her eyes were closed again, and her face was parallel with the canopy of leaves above her. "You have a little accent... Southern I want to say."

"I'm from Florida." Keegan replied. Sabrina let out a moan of contempt, as if that proved her accusations. It was a minimal sound but still effected Keegan's body.

"Why'd you move up here?" She asked.

"Well,--"

"I'm sorry, I'm prying into your life and I just met you. You don't have to answer that." Sabrina said sincerely.

"It's okay, I want to answer." Keegan didn't want her to think she was snooping, because for some reason he knew she wasn't. She was just boldly curious, and he admired that she was being herself. So he decided the best way to show his appreciation would be to try and return her attitude.

"I was living with my parents for too long, and I needed to get away." He explained simply.

"Understandable. Sometimes time apart is what you need to grow and realize your purpose without the interference of others; I get that." Sabrina's voice was hushed and almost a whisper. She was so compelled by this strange confession that she even added her own details.

"I did that too, about 4 years ago I went to school in Rhode Island. It was the best experience of my life; I'd learned all I needed to learn there. The freedom was just what I wanted... then. I needed to come home when it all was over. But I didn't forget what I'd learned and that's what was most important."

"I don't think I'll ever go back." Keegan whispered, catching the attention of Sabrina. She looked over toward him with her brows pushed together. Questions were zooming through her head when she heard the unmistakable force in his voice. She wanted to ask why he was so against his home state but decided she'd asked enough. They sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"You're the first woman I've ever met to be so comfortable with lying in the dirt." Keegan grumbled. Sabrina completely fascinated him. She was like nothing he'd ever met before.

"I don't think a woman's ever been as tired as I am right now." Her reply was instantaneous and caused Keegan to smirk.

"Meet me here tomorrow? Same time." Keegan proposed. Sabrina's face instantly turned up into a cute frown.

"Why don't you understand that I will be robbed of my mobility within the next 2 hours?" She asked seriously. She stared him hard in the face as if she really asked him a valid question and was awaiting the answer.

"We can walk." He whispered. She seemed to think about his proposition for a few seconds.

"Alright, but I'm going to bring my dog." She replied. Keegan nodded in response. Excitement coursed through his body at the thought of being in her company again.

"What kind of dog is it?" Keegan asked, genuinely curious as to which sort of pet she'd keep. He didn't know whether she'd have a Yorkie or a Boxer. Allthough oddly enough, either one would fit her well.

"She's a greyhound and Lab mix." She replied. When she referred to the dog's breed, a certain quality of voice caught his attention.

"How'd you get her?" Sabrina sighed, remembering the day she'd gotten the love of her life.

"I got her from a shelter. I was in 9^th grade and my family and I went to look at what the shelter had. I had decided on a 2 year old Jack Russell, and we were filling out some forms at the front counter to finalize the adoption. But some staff rushed through the front door and caught everyone's attention," Keegan could tell Sabrina was captivated by her own recitation of the story. He looked over into her orbs and knew she had her own images behind them. "They had her in a blanket, and only her head was out. They zoomed her by me and we locked eyes. She kept my gaze until I was out of view. That was the day I knew love at first sight was a real thing. I nearly threw that Jack Russell back into its cage."

Keegan laughed. "I waited two months to get Venice. I visited her everyday afterschool, I just sat by and comforted her until they kicked me out."