"Skylar, get up. Let's go for a quick run."

I woke up gasping.

Sweat drenched my bed along with me. My hair that I just washed last night was tangled and oily and my pulse was rushing.

I shook off the feeling and looked at my clock.

7:54, it read. Might as well get up now.

I threw the sheets off me, getting off my bed and walking towards my closet. I slipped off my PJs and put on a pair of short-shorts and a baggy shirt. I put my phone in the small pocket in my shorts and put my iPod on shuffle.

"Mom!" I called out, coming out of my room.

Then I realized: I was the only one up.

Oops.

I took a piece of paper and scribbled down that I was going for a run and would be back in an hour or so. I taped it to my bedroom door and ran down the stairs and outside.

I clicked "Play" on my iPod and let the music over come me.

::::

"I'll sit back and I'll watch the show

Yeah I'll watch the show

And I'll lay awake

And I'll watch the stars as they collide

My eyes they do see

I don't breathe the way I used to

My lips they don't sing

I won't be the way I was on that night…"

I kept running, keeping my pace.

That's when I came to an intersection.

And that's when I realized:

I was still in the neighborhood, I knew that, but what I didn't know was where I was in the neighborhood.

I pulled one ear bud out and looked around.

Stupid! I cursed myself.

::::

Texas. Hot, dry, red-ant-filled Texas. To be more specific, outskirts of Dallas, Texas.

But still Texas.

I had just moved here from muggy, crocodile-filled Florida. And when I say just moved here, I mean literally. Two days ago I was landing in the Dallas airport. My uncle dropped my mom, my sister and me off at our house with some of our stuff. The next day, movers arrived. Boxes filled our house; only essentials were taken out for now.

"Shoot." I muttered, still looking around.

I hated this area we moved to for one reason and one reason alone:

Every street had the word "Ridge" in it.

Where did I live again? Rose Ridge? Blue Water Ridge? Sky Ridge? God, I don't know!

I checked my phone. It was only 8:56. I rolled my eyes, knowing no one would be up and no one would get up if I called them.

So, I started looking at the houses.

Being me, I knew I wouldn't remember the way that I came even if I left a trail of any bright colored paint the way I came. Hell, I don't remember what I was even wearing!

But still, I turned around and started jogging back to the edge of the block.

And then, of course, there was a fork in the road.

Goddammit.

I looked to the right, then looked to the left. Then to the right, then back to the left.

If the 50-50-90 rule is correct, I had a fifty percent chance of going the way I was supposed to go but ninety percent of the time I'll pick the wrong way.

I kept looking back and forth until I felt a shadow creep up on my ankles.

I spun around, surprised.

There were three boys standing right there, their eyebrows raised.

I raised one of mine.

"Can… I… help you?" I asked hesitantly.

One with brown hair and stubble cracked a smile. "Looks like you're the one who needs help."

"Ummm…" I said.

They just looked at me.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked.

All of them smiled.

The one with short, dark hair said, "Yeah. It is. Where do you need to go?"

I scratched the back of my neck.

"You don't know do you?" the blond said.

I made a face. "Nope. Not at all."