Jogging
Saturday July 17th 7:03 AM - At Gary & Ted's.
TK was having a tough time waiting. Bill was supposed to be there
all of three minutes ago, and TK was convinced that he wouldn't show. He
kept looking out the window, to see if he was coming. Thinking Bill must
have had second thoughts about the whole thing, he thinks, "Christ, all
we did is kiss each other twice. I'm getting way too carried away by all
this. Shit! I gotta get some perspective here." Then he saw Bill walking
up to the house, without waiting TK goes to open the door. Pulling the
door open, before Bill can knock, "ah ... I saw you coming up the walk.
... Do you still want to go jogging?" TK had somehow failed to notice
that Bill's dressed to run in black running shorts, a green tank top,
with a red bandana for a sweat band. Bill started chuckling, TK
sputtered, "Oh yeah ... you look like your ready. Do you have any idea
where we should head?" Bill who had been jogging most mornings since he
got to KC, said, "Well since it's still early, I was thinking we could
jog down Main Street to 43rd then head to the campus. They got a jogging
path we could loop around. Head back by way of Southmoreland Park, and
Hyde Park." TK responded, "Lead on." After a couple minutes of
stretching exercises, they are off.
@ 8:15 AM - Southmoreland Park
TK calls to Bill, "Bill, I got to take a break. I wanna rest my
ankle a little." "No problem, I'd forgotten about it, you shoulda slowed
me down." TK spying a drinking fountain, heads over for some water,
"That OK. I just want to give it a rest. It doesn't really hurt."
Looking around, Bill sees a park bench in the shade of this huge oak
tree. "Why don't we sit over there?" They walk over there, and Bill
can't help but notice TK is trying to cover up a slight limp.
"TK, if it doesn't really hurt, why are you limping? ...
Come on
man, if you're hurt, you're hurt. You can't bullshit a bullshitter. So
what really gives?" Sheepishly, TK says, "It just started to feel sore
about a quarter mile back. ... I didn't want you to think I was some
kinda wuss." Bill countered with, "You don't have to prove anything to
me. Remember I saw you at the State meet. Christ! ... You know that
sometimes you can be real jerk."
They sat there for a while before TK asked, "Bill, I
told Bart and
Will to tell Gary that we would be going to see that movie, Get Real,
with them. That's still alright with you isn't?" "Yeah, that'd be great!
I heard a lot about it on the internet, but it hasn't been to Topeka
yet, if it ever does. ... Ah .. What are your plans for later?"
TK , "I better go to that festival tonite. Shelley, got me
the
ticket for my birthday. The Staple Singers are gonna be there on the
blues stage, and The Mighty Blues Kings on the jazz stage. ... I don't
suppose you'd wanna go." Bill looks at TK and asks, "Are you asking me
out on a date?" "Yeah, I guess I am." TK turns to face him, "Well, ...
do you wanna?" Bill with a lopsided grin on his face, "I think it would
be great. ... Do you all have a big tent?"
TK stammers, looking anywhere but at Bill, "Shell, Shelley
and Zack
.. have their own tent. We .. would have to share Will's tent. ... But
you don't have to worry its big enough for four and there'll only be ...
the two of us." Turning to TK, Bill says, "Sounds cool. But I gotta ask
CJ first, I am supposed to be staying with him. What do you say we WALK
over there, and see what he says, I can shower and change for the movie
when we get there. His place is on the way back to Gary and Ted's
anyway."
@ 10:45 AM - Jim and CJ's Place.
"Yeah, I think he likes me. ... So CJ, I can go can't
I?" Bill is
standing in CJ and Jim's bedroom talking to his cousin who has yet to
get out of bed. Jim had left early for Talibah's. He lost the cut of the
cards yesterday, and he had to open the store. CJ was chuckling, "You
can go already. ... I'm just giving you shit." "Thanks CJ. Don't worry
I'll be all right." CJ then laughing says, "Don't do anything I
wouldn't." Blushing Bill replies, "Quiet, CJ, he'll hear." This starts
CJ laughing even louder.
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