Page 60 of Hateful
“Okay. I think we’ve got it,” Heath says triumphantly. “Our time hovers around forty-nine to fifty-three seconds, and from what I’ve heard, the girls tend to fluctuate even more than that, almost to a full minute.”
I nod while he talks. Am I actually … excited? I sort of feel like part of a team. I’ve never been into sports before—and that mess that was me playing Lacrosse last fall doesn’t count—but running has become second nature to me. And I seem to be good at it.
“Are our team outfits here yet?” Beck asks.
I blink. “Team outfits?”
Jasper’s face twitches. “Beck ordered us uniforms, I guess.”
Heath folds his arms over his chest. “Yeah. I’ll bring them to the locker room the morning of the race.”
My heart quickens. I don’t want to be in the locker room alone with these three.
“Can’t I just have mine now? I can change into it before I come here.”
“No,” Beck says quickly. “You’ll get yours when we all do. Practice is done.” He turns and goes straight for the locker rooms.
Jasper gives me a shrug that looks somewhat apologetic before following. Heath avoids my gaze altogether. I walk off in the opposite direction, toward the school. Tomorrow these seats will be filled with students. And I’ll be representing our school. Students from Bleakwood and the girls’ school will be watching.
I hope I do well.
But somehow, I have a gnawing suspicion that even if I do … something about tomorrow isnotgoing to go according to plan. Because when it comes down to it, does it ever?
* * *
It’s early.I sit up and look around my darkened dorm room. Rafael still sleeps soundly in his bed, tiny snores emanating from his parted lips. It’s so early my alarm won’t be going off for another hour.
But I’m wide awake.
I disentangle my legs from my blankets and sheets. My stomach clenches uncomfortably as I go about getting ready. I pull on my underwear, wiggle into my sports bra and bindings, tug on my socks, and throw on the first clothes I touch. I know I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep, so why bother?
Am I nervous? Of course I’m nervous. The last time I tried to compete in a sport, I had to deal with someone hopped up on Adderall right before and got forcefully kissed directly afterward. There’s no telling what will happen this time.
I lift my shirt and nervously adjust my bindings. I’ve been forced to use the public showers a few times when Rafael was hogging our bathroom, and no one has commented on me and my bandage-wrapped chest. Maybe they just assume I like it … or it’s some sort of residual injury from last year. I hope The Brotherhood is of a similar mind.
I shakily open the door and slip out as quietly as I can.
With nowhere to really go, I just wander the empty hallways for a while, but that becomes tedious. I decide to just go out to the locker rooms to wait.
I’m full of a nervous energy that I’m unused to.
Some workers are already out at the track setting things up; concession stands, a banner, things like that. I give them a wide berth. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I’m too nervous to hold any sort of conversation.
Eventually I let myself into the locker room and sit down on a bench, folding my arms. I’m a full two hours early.
I while away the time by dozing off with my back against the lockers punctuated by periods of uncontrollable shaking to the point that I’m actuallyrelievedwhen the door opens and Beck glides in with a smug look.
“You’re here early,” he says flatly.
“Couldn’t sleep.” I shift on the bench. My butt has completely fallen asleep. “What about you? You’re early, too.”
He shrugs and walks away from me. This is the first time we’ve been alone together in a long time, and I’m amazed he hasn’t tried to smack me on the back of the head or something, but I guess that would hurt our chances of winning the race. I’m sure I’ll have it coming for me when this is all behind us.
“They’re going to let us warm up about half an hour before the race,” Beck says matter-of-factly, his back still turned to me. “Will that be enough time for you?”
“Sure.”
“We’ll put on the uniformsafterwe warm up.”
