Flashback!

My breath is laboured by the time I finally reach his house. I stand at his doorway and take a small breather. As soon as I catch my breath, and the burning in the legs fades away, I knock twice and then open the door. I kick off my boots at the entrance and walk over to the staircase directly across from the front door. I yell up the stairs, “Owen! Get your ass in gear!” and then head over to the kitchen. I open the fridge door and look around. After some scavenging I find a slightly bruised apple and place it on the kitchen counter. Opening the cupboard doors and finding no clean glasses, I pick one out of the sink, rinse it off, and then fill it with water. I take the apple and glass of water to the dining room table and sit down across from it. “OWEN!” I yell again, and waiting a few moments, I hear a mumbled response and a loud thump. Heavy footsteps resound above me and quickly make their way down the staircase. A very large, young man stands in the doorway leading to the kitchen. He stands near 6’7”, broad build, all muscle. He has short dark brown hair, and even darker eyes. First time I met him, he intimidated me. He was so tall and big, and I just assumed the worst of him. He proved me wrong. First time I talked to him, I was eight years old. I was on the swings at the park. He had walked over to me and asked if he could use the swing beside me. I had only stared and numbly nodded. He smiled at me, sat down and began to pump his legs, back and forth. He continued to swing higher and higher, until he was almost parallel with the top bar of the swing. He then leaped from the swing seat and flew through the air, landing on the ground in a heap. My eyes were as wide as my mouth at the time, hanging open in shock. I leaped off the swing to his aid, afraid he killed himself. I pushed him over onto his back and stared down at him. He peaked through his eyelids, and attempted to hide a smile. “Ugh I think I broke my body!” he groaned and rolled over, right onto my lap. “Hold me as I die. Don’t let me die alone!” he swooned. I scrunched my nose at him and placed my hands on my hips. That little faker. I pushed him off. “Don’t scare me like that!” I punched him in the arm hard and he laughed at me. I don’t really remember what happened after that, but ever since we have been best friends.  

“Took you long enough to get ready, Owen.” I say, and smirk as he rolls his eyes at me.

“You have got to be kidding me, Sia.” He says, calling me by a nickname that only he has ever used. “I was down here in less than five minutes!” he walks over to the table and sits on the side where I have placed the rotting apple and the dirty glass of water. He looks down at the miserable food in front of him and gives me a look of incredulity. “Seriously? You cook all the time at your house; you couldn’t get me something a bit better to eat?”

“Not my house. You either eat it, or go make something yourself.” I cross my arms over my chest in defiance. He snorts at me, and takes a bit from the bruised apple. He cringes, but continues to stuff the apple into his mouth.

 “So we going to the City Centre?” he says through a mouthful of food. I nod my head in response.

“Yeah, I figured we could go to the market, see if anything new came in from the eastern cities.” Owen responds by placing the apple core on the table, and proceeding to chug the glass of water, placing it back on the table when he finishes.

“Well, better not waste any time then. The sooner we get there, the more likely we will get there before anyone else and get all the good stuff.” He smiles at me and then sprints to the door. He slips on his boots, a jacket, and a thin pair of mitts and toque. I tug on my boots, hopping on one foot, and tip over and hit the wall in the process. Finally getting them on, I look up to see Owen yawning and looking at his wrist. I glare at him and punch him playfully on the arm.

 “Let’s go.”