Mary was ready to go. Her jogging outfit was perfect for the warm weather, even though the city was cool at six o'clock. She stepped onto the pavement and stretched her legs. Mary knew that it would be different running in the city than in the country, but she wasn't afraid; she was street smart (having taken martial arts as a young child.) With a good start, she headed down the sidewalk, not running, but walking. She would not run until she came to the park that was only a few blocks away.

Her thoughts drifted back to Matthew for a moment and how he had taken the time to run with her once or twice. Maybe he's not so bad. I'll call him later today!

She was so rapped up in her thoughts that Mary didn't realize she was crossing a street... against the light. A loud horn blared; Mary jumped to face a large an expensive black car. Her body froze, locking every limb but her mouth. She screamed. The car came to be just a foot away and then swerved around her at the last minute. Mary began so shake as she realized what had just happened. She was able to make it to the sidewalk just she passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What was that? David Jones thought to himself. It took him another second to realize that someone had just screamed. He sat straight up in his bed and banged his head on the bunk above him. David rubbed the sore spot and then ran to the window, just in time to see someone collapse to the concrete ground. "Ohmigosh!" he exclaimed with his eyes bulging out. David took off out of his bedroom - which he actually shared with his three best friends - and onto the street in his pajamas. He raced as fast as he could, not stopping for lights or signs. At one point, two cars coming down the street screeched to a halt as he ran in front of them. David was thrown off a bit by his near-accident, but he still kept his eyes on the person lying down in the curb.

He finally came up to the person and was relieved that he or she was not dead. David pushed the person onto his or her back and found right away that it was a girl. A very beautiful one at that, but her face was scratched from her fall. He gazed at her for a moment more and then scooped her up in his arms. She was very thin and light and pleasant to hold. David curved his arm around her head and turned her face towards his chest to protect her as much as he could from any more harm.

He carried her back to his apartment and laid her down on the couch. Then he got a clean washcloth from the towel closet and soaked it in hot water. David re-entered the living room and used the cloth to dab her scrape. The scrape was very close to her lips. His heart began to pound as he looked as them. They weren't make-up, but still red, and very... inviting.

One kiss, that's all I want. David looked around the room to make sure no one was watching and then licked his lips to wet them. He leaned over and delivered sweet kiss to the girl. For a moment, he felt like to prince in Sleeping Beauty and as soon as he pulled away, she eerily woke up.

She moaned and touched the painful part of her face. Her eyes drifted open and looked smack into David's. He smiled. She's even more beautiful when she's awake.

"Who are you?" she sat upright and then yelped in pain.

David took her by the arm to steady her. She must have fallen hard to be in so much pain. "I'm David." He waited for a moment and then explained why she was here. "What's your name?" he asked.

She looked around the room and then spoke with a quivering voice, as if she didn't fully believe his story, "Mary."

Time stopped. Mary... He liked that name. It sounded so nice. "Do you have a last name?"

Again Mary hesitated and told him that she wouldn't tell him hers unless he told her his. David smiled again, "Jones."

"I'm Starrs."

Mary Starrs. He looked at her hand to see if she was wearing a ring. She wasn't. Miss Mary Starrs. "Do you live far from here?" he asked, hoping that she did and could stay. Mary's answer revealed that she lived in the same apartment complex that he did, but that she didn't have a key.

"My room mates won't be up yet."

That meant that she had to stay for at least an hour. David liked this.