She stopped her running at a junction where her destination laid a few more blocks away. Exhaling a sharp air as she took in a deeper one, trying to regain her focus, she pulled up her purple hoodie that slipped for the fifth time during her run that morning. Just as she was about to begin her next and final dash towards the house, her foot applied friction on its surface and the sidewalk; stopping herself from picking up speed. She took out her phone just slightly above the pockets, letting her take a peek on her right to check the time.

Five thirty am, we’ve got time.

She shot a smile for herself and looked upwards; viewing the still and slightly glowing in red sky. The moon wasn’t shining anymore; it hasn’t been in the past few days. But she didn’t care of the moon. She checked the signs of rain or any weather conditions that might come and spoil her plan. She jotted in her mind of her observation.

Giving herself an ‘okay’ sign, she began running towards the house of the Lau residents. She enjoyed running in the morning. Though wearing canvas shoes with her pyjama pants didn’t seem like real running, she was indeed literally running. If her classmates were to see her, it might seem like a weird scenario, but for her best friend, it didn’t matter. She could be coming to a wedding with her sports attire and still won’t care if Henry were to be there.

Her running turned to skipping as she passed by the front of a particular house. Without even looking, she tapped their mailbox with a little dance, she felt like it was her happy hour. The street of the Lau residents’ house was a dead end with a playground built at the last corner. Knowing the place well, she went to the back of the playground where there was a small gate, revealing the backyards of the series of semi-d houses. She jumped over the first fence, one after another; crossing a few backyards. Her body and head were kept low to not trigger any disturbance, thus making her unnoticeable. She fought the light wind and avoided every possible obstacle. Even the Benningtons’ black barbecue grill and Suzy’s water duck that the pre-schooler forgot to stash in last summer –stepping onto that might’ve woken up the Mr. Carmell’s Saint Bernard that weighs almost as much as the man’s daughter.

Finally reaching the fifteenth house, she tip toed beside the still swimming pool where she and her best friend have not stepped into for ages. The crystal-blue water illuminated her whole figure in a light pearl sapphire blue glow. She made her way to the south east of the house where a spiral floral-designed staircase leads to a balcony. Mrs. Lau is one to fancy house designs that resembles nature. And being the obedient and care-free person Henry was he obeyed.

She walked slowly upwards with the end of her fingertips touching the cold railing, giving somewhat a balance for her. The long sliding door became visual as she was reaching the balcony. She viewed the spacious backyard from the second floor balcony with a small smile; the view was nothing like she could get from her possible existing balcony where she lived. She peeked through the white curtains to get a small image of her friend before entering. The curtains created a translucent barrier that annoyed her; plus with the fan in the room made the ‘barrier’ move frequently in a swift pattern.

“Aishhh”

She stood up straight and shook her head vigorously in frustration; making her hoodie fall once again. She paused for a while, more annoyed at herself. She fixed her hair and proceeded to the sliding door and unlocked it. At a snail's pace, she slide open the sliding door just enough for her to fit in. She screamed ‘SUCCESS’ in her head as she entered and closed the sliding door with it creaking only once. Her body froze as she heard the sound of a soft snoring alternating with hiccups. It sounded familiar to her. She turned around to see the queen-sized bed where a figure laid cuddled into a ball. She walked to the other side of the room and quietly turned off the fan. She waited and timed herself.

2 minutes tops.

Henry was a sensitive sleeper and in whatever conditions, he would always need the wind. She eyed the watch on her phone, estimating he would make his move in 30 seconds. Just then, Henry’s eyebrows crunched together, his body wasn’t still for he was moving and kicking the sheets away from his body. His face seemed to despise them despite hugging them from the beginning of his slumber. There lay an uncomfortable looking Henry Lau with his boxers, in need of some breeze but his sleepiness seemed to fight even more, making him continue his sleep blanketless and fanless. Grunting, the intruder switched on the series of light switch in one motion.

“MORNING MOCHI!”

She chimed just enough for Henry to wake up with a jolt and immediately squinting his eyes due to the sudden brightness that struck his dark world of sleeping bliss.

“Mmmmm... MMMMMMM!” he mumbled, grunted, screamed –no one could tell.

He ruffled his dark brown hair slightly and attempted in opening his eyes again. Only half-opened, he saw his friend smiling enthusiastically beside his bed.

“What the hell- how did you get in here?!” Henry Lau was awake, taken aback to see his friend in his room when morning drool was leaking through his mouth and wearing a shirt with boxers-

“EEEEEEEEEP!” Henry grabbed his blanket he betrayed a few minutes ago and wrapped his whole body in it. Slowly he looked upwards again, his friend waved at him as though they were a school field length apart.

“CHRISTINE!” he almost shouted.

“Chillex Henry, I didn’t see you or anything”

“How did you get in here?-“

“-Your dear mumsy gave me the lock!”

“When- Oh gosh were you watching me sleeping?!”

“I just got in, silly.”

“Okay fine, last crucial question that I’m just dying to know WHY you had waked me up in six am in the morning; WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING. HERE?”

“I’m taking you somewhere.”

Henry stared at her with a thin layer of his hair blocking his round eyes. Silence filled between them, Christine was waiting for Henry to respond to her ‘request’, but to a big failure he turned his body face-down on the bed and snuggled himself deeper to continue his slumber.

“You know I know it’s too hot for you to sleep now.”

“Tcurn on thde fwan...” he mumbled through his comforter.

Christine let out a giggle and grabbed a corner of the thick blanket. In one big shift, she exposed Henry Lau from his comfort zone.

“Come on Mochi~” she pleaded while getting a hold of Henry’s hand that laid lifeless on his side and shook them like a spoiled daughter asking her father for an ice cream.

“No, I want to sleep...”

“Come ON MOCHI!” throwing the pampered character away, she pulled him upwards with a grunt making Henry’s top figure to jerk up from his sleeping position. Christine went over to his closet and took out a jacket and a pair of sweatpants. As Henry was about to lie back down, Christine rushed to his bed and pushed him off it. She threw the sweatpants to his face and helped him into the jacket.

“Hurry, it’s almost six thirty!”

Being the compliant person he was, Henry obeyed and finally made his way out through the balcony. Seeing he was still half awake, Christine had closed his lights and locked the door.

“Let’s go!”

She grabbed Henry’s hand and dragged him out of the premises. Through the many fences they go through again and finally out of the neighbourhood. Christine walked in a faster pace, not wanting to be late. Henry who occasionally slips due to his drowsiness made Christine took his hand again and guided him throughout the journey.

“Toronto is actually quite nice around this hour.” Henry broke the silence and spoke along with the crickets.

“Of course it is. You’re just never up early enough to see the beauty that’s been around you for years and years and years and years-“

“-yes Christine, I get you.” Henry said nonchalantly. He stuffed his left hand into a jacket pocket; getting some comforting warmth from the wool material. He looked upwards at Christine walking a few centimetres in front of him, humming a tune. Henry was slightly amazed at her morning spirit. Christine was always a happy-go-lucky person. And to mention her active self seemed hard to believe she was Henry’s best friend. He eyed her smile and curious eyes observing the surrounding of their route. His gaze fell down to her left arm joining with his right hand, he was beginning to come to a full-on-awake mode and yet she was still holding on to him. Christine wasn’t only humming but she was skipping slightly, alternately jumping from the usual pace. A small smile crept out of Henry’s sleepy face and he picked up his speed and walked with beside her.

“So how far are we?”

“Hmm, we’ll get there by seven I think. Perfect timing.”

“Dude, that’s fifteen minutes away.”

“I know, but it’ll be worth it. Trust me.”

Christine guided him to a place that Henry had never known existed in their hometown; where it seemed to be the outskirts of Toronto. Passing by a small farm, a few wind turbines, Henry seemed to be amazed by such things available in a walking distance from his house. But of course, with Christine’s speed it was as though at a speed of a bicycle cruise for Henry.

“Are we ALMOST there?” Henry asked panting.

“ALMOST.” She answered with a giggle and began running. Occasionally she turned to see if Henry was still using his legs. Henry panted and kept running, trying to match her speed and hated seeing her running at ease and kept glancing at her phone. Regardless of the knowledge of his friend being a runner, he kept trying.

“Okay Mochi, there’s a little hill here we have to climb.”

“But we climbed up a few roads going upwards already, are they not enough?!

“Just one more and we’re there.”

 Henry stopped as his tracks and pondered as Christine began climbing up deftly with hair swinging slightly, not showing much with the medium length. His head dropped with a groan. Knowing he won’t be able to escape after all Christine had made him go through, he began climbing. Trying to keep up but she was too fast. Henry tried to step on every safe surface there was.

“Hurry up! The last step to the peak is a little difficult by the way!”

Henry looked up and there stood Christine waiting for him, shouting and waving like someone waiting on the finishing line. Laughing a little, Henry continued to make his way up again. From one rock to another, the many tree roots with the size of a man’s thigh and after dozens of trees finally he was only a few meters from the peak.

“HURRY! HURRY!”

Christine was facing the view behind Henry with her hands in small fists like she does when she’s excited. Henry focused on his last step up to Christine, his back felt warmth. From his observation, it seemed like a huge tree tumbled, thus leaving a huge space between the level he was stepping on and the top. He would need a huge push to get up; no tree roots that stood out from the wall of the back of the ‘tumbled tree’ were long or strong enough to support his weight.

“DUDE HURRY!”

“I’m trying! Help me up or something you bionic woman! How did you get up there anyway?!”

Henry looked up at her hopelessly with cheekbones wrinkled upwards and his eyes looking larger than usual. Christine looked at Henry and her gaze switched to the view. Henry followed her gaze and turned his head to see what she was distracted by.

“-Don’t look! Come up here and look! It’s almost here.”

“Then help me up!”

Henry watched as she struggled to get her body as low as possible to the ground and extended her hand to reach him. Henry saw she was ready for him to reach and walked closer to the wall. His eyes kept on his shoes avoiding a few dead roots to avoid himself from falling.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Henry steadied himself for a big pull and finally looked upwards where his face was roughly thirty five centimetres away from her hands. Again, Christine was looking outwards instead of focusing on Henry.

“Christine, I’m ready.”

“Oh, okay.”

She literally looked down at Henry with her hands ready to pull him up. Henry reached for them with both of his and was about to pull himself up but then he paused. He found himself staring at Christine at that very moment. How her hair had fallen downwards, giving a small frame to her face. The golden brown colour of her hair seemed to shine somehow. In fact her whole face was gleaming with a soft yellow glow. Just right then, she began laughing lightly which surprised Henry though he knows it’s always been in her nature to laugh randomly in situations similar to the knot they were in. Her laughing made her dimples show with her eyes closing slightly, yet still glimmering. Unintentionally, yet so naturally Henry was captivated by her.

“Mochi, grab my hand already!”

How had he not noticed in the last fifteen years they were together, all the times they’ve spent and everything that he knows of her; how is it that he never noticed how beautiful she was?

“HENRY LAU!”

Henry was puzzled, twitching his head in slight surprise, making a few strains of hair falling out of place. Her voice brought him back to reality where after the many morning struggles, all he needed to do was take her hand and it’ll be done.

‘It’ll be worth it. Trust me.’

Henry grabbed both of her forearms and gave himself a huge push making him come up halfway and Christine, bringing him up the other half with a mighty pull. Finally Henry had reached the peak. Panting slightly with occasional giggles coming out of Christine, she lay still for a few seconds and sat back up. Henry sat beside her and brushed dirt from his jacket. Henry’s eyeballs peered slowly to their left, landing themselves on Christine’s face. Eventually the whole head turned to view the face on the left. Again, he found himself awestruck by her beauty. He saw it internally and physically right then, making him mind-slap himself how he had been blind throughout the years.

“Mochi, lookie there.” she pointed and pushed his left puffy cheeks to face what was it Christine wanted to bring him to. Henry viewed how the sun was raising, bringing a yellow sky with pink strikes above them.

“You’re glowing Mochi!” Christine ruffled his hair with a smile.

“Oh, you too Christine, you too...”

“The sunrise makes you glow. How cool is that?”

“Very- very cool.”

“Told you it’ll be worth it.” She said flashing him a smile and throwing her arm around his shoulders like she always does. Henry felt a different tingle to her touch, making him look at her again. Christine was still in awe by the ‘glowing’ sunrise which made her look in peace and she seemed happy. Henry smiled seeing her in such a state, in a state of splendour.

“Yeah, totally worth it.” He agreed with a wider smile forming as the mesmerisation continued.