Page 50 of Hateful
“Maybe they should hold auditions,” Neville continues.
Rafael just snorts. “Who’s going to want that sort of pressure?”
“There’s a guy in my math class who talked about wanting to do it. Hayden?”
“Hayden!” Rafael barks out a laugh. “He just wants to show off in front of the girls’ school. And it won’t work,” he adds with disdain, pushing his spoon into his yogurt. “The Brotherhood would never consider him. Have you seen how short his legs are? He’s no good as a runner.”
But I am,I think. I’ve been training around the bends in the hiking trails every other day.
Heath even timed me once, though I can’t remember how I did, and I hated it so much when he wasn’t running beside me that I quashed down any ideas he had about doing it again.
I couldn’t stand the feel of his eyes on me, watching me like a hawk. It’s much better when the sound of his feet thudding against the earth is timed with mine. He might stare then too, but at least then I’m too focused on my own breathing, my own footsteps, my own sweat and burning lungs to pay any attention.
Heath and Beck are already at The Brotherhood’s usual lunch table. Jasper sits with them, slumps into his chair so heavily it almost looks like he tripped, and leans forward to put his head on the table. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but Beck shakes his head, and Heath reaches forward and lightly pats Jasper’s shoulder.
It’s an unusually soft gesture between them, and one that Beck doesn’t let go unnoticed. He leans back a bit, and it looks to me like he’s trying not to roll his eyes.
Heath’s eyes slip sideways to find mine. He lets the corner of his mouth twist up into a small smile and I return the expression before he looks away to nod at whatever Beck is saying. I squint my eyes. I’ve always been a terrible lip reader. For all I know, Beck could be talking about corn fields.
Though from the way the corner of his lip curls up, I doubt it’s something so innocuous.
“Hey. Earth to Alex.”
I tear my eyes away from The Brotherhood. Rafael and Neville both stare at me, Rafael with quiet judgment, Neville with bewilderment.
“I was just asking if you think they’ll hold tryouts for the relay race,” Neville says.
“Oh—sorry, Neville. Uh, I don’t. Knowing them, they’ve already got somebody.” I focus on my food tray so he won’t see the blush rising to my cheeks.
“They’ve been looking pretty worried for people who already have a plan,” Rafael points out.
Neville nods. I don’t say anything until the lunch bell rings, but I do keep trading little glances with Heath, hoping Rafael won’t notice.
But he does. He gives me a knowing look as we rise to leave the dining hall.
* * *
Heath grinsat me as I round the bend. “Will you say yes today?”
I smile back. It’s an empty question, because we both know I’ve already agreed deep down.
He asks me every day anyway, and just like always, I shrug and say, “I’m thinking about it.”
But I’m not thinking about it. I don’t think I really have a choice at this point.
Even if I disagree, he, Jasper, or Beck is going to find a way to force me to do it. I know it.
I just like pretending I still hold on to some semblance of control.
“Comeon,” Heath sighs, falling in to run beside me like usual. “You’d be great for the third leg of the race! Jasper’s doing the first, I’m doing the second, and Beck’s doing the last one.”
I feel my stomach grow a little cold. I take a small wrong step and stumble a bit, but I keep going.
“Beck’s doing the fourth leg?”
Heath nods. “He may not look it, but he’s the fastest of us. We figure the girls will be front-loading their team—the fastest runners first, with the slowest on the third and fourth legs. So we thought we’d back-load ours. Put our fastest last.”
“But you want me to be in the third leg?”
