A/N: Just something random I thought of. It's not that great, but be sure to review. :D

{.r.u.n.}

Maybe he's going too fast and maybe he's pushing too hard. But it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter that his chest feels like it's about to explode, that his legs are going to be so sore, he can't feel them tomorrow, or that he could collapse at any moment from exhaustion.

He lives for that feeling. He lives to run.

He runs to stop thinking.

(Because, once he's off the track and motionless, his thoughts have a chance to catch up with him. He can think about how he doesn't understand calculus at all. He can think about how she's a little too amazing at calculus and how she cared a little too much and how her shoulder bumped his a little too often and how she's just a little too lovable. He can think about how she isn't his girlfriend and the girl who has that title doesn't give a damn about him. He can think about how his parents probably don't remember his name and how his siblings are too busy being better than him at everything not-running to care about the middle child.)

He runs to forget.

(Because good breathing techniques and how to be the fastest are all he can concentrate on when he runs. There's no way for him to remember that, the last time he saw her, she glared at him and shook her head before heading towards her friends. There's no way for him to remember that he deserved it and how he could only look away with guilt. There's no way for him to remember that she broke his heart because he ripped hers apart.)

He runs to feel good.

(Because he needs to feel the cool air passing by him as he goes in circles, over and over. He needs to feel the rapid beating of his heart as it tries to keep up with him. He needs to feel the rise and fall of his chest as he tries not to lose his breath. He needs to feel almost fast enough, light enough—free enough—to fly. He needs to run because the only other thing that feels this good is a girl who will only send him death glares.)

He runs to ignore.

(Because he wants to ignore that she's stopped showing up to his meets. He wants to ignore that his girlfriend never did to begin with. He wants to ignore that text message from his girlfriend telling him she's bored of him. The only thing he wants to acknowledge is the first place medal around his neck and everyone congratulating him on another victory. He, however, doesn't want to notice the resentment on his best friend's face because he wants to be first, just once.)

He runs to impress.

(Because everyone at school knows he's the fastest person on the track team and broke pretty much all the school records he could related to running. He's not interesting without his running. It's not like he can get the highest grade on every test like his sister can. It's not like he's an impressive musician like his brother is. He's just a one trick pony who yearns be able to do something else.)

He runs to exist.

(Because people don't have anything else to notice. Without it, there's nothing for his parents to talk to him about or be proud of him for. Without it, his parents will only concentrate on his siblings. Without it, he has nothing in common with his friends. Without it, his self-esteem is gone. Without it, he's nothing.)

He runs to live.

(Because nothing else can help him now.)