by Tijan
“Hey!”
I turned to notice another car had pulled into the parking lot and saw Taylor jogging over.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
She was dressed similar to me, but I’d snagged one of Mason’s Cain University sweatshirts. She had on a black hoodie instead.
“Logan said you were trying out for the cross-country team today.” She shrugged. “I’m not in your league, but I’m no slouch. Figured I might try too.”
“Are you sure?”
She rolled a shoulder again, glancing away for a moment. “Yeah. I mean, I’ve been adding to my mileage since I started dating Logan. I think I can hold my own, or try it.” Her eyes widened. “Unless you don’t want me to. Did you want this to be your own thing? I can go. I mean it. I just thought it’d be nice to have something in common with you that Logan and Mason weren’t a part of. You know what I mean?”
I relaxed. She was doing this for me.
I squeezed her hand. “Thank you, and I’d love it if you ran with me.”
“Oh. Phew.” She laughed, pretending to wipe her brow. “I just thought, if it were me, I’d be nervous to join a team my junior year. I’d want a friend with me.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I’m shitting my pants about trying to catch up, but I really would like to try.”
“No. Thank you. I appreciate it.” I smiled at her. “Carillo said we need to find Coach Langdon’s office.”
More cars were arriving, and soon a few more girls headed our way. As Taylor and I started for the coaching staff building again, some of those girls dropped down on the grassy area just outside the doors. They began stretching, talking, and laughing with each other.
One looked our way, and then her eyes widened. She gasped, hitting her friend on the arm. I saw her say something, and she pointed in our direction.
That’s when I recognized her. It was the drunk, naked chick from the party.
I groaned. “I don’t know if this is good or not.”
Taylor had reached for the door handle. She glanced back. “What?”
I nodded at Nettie, and the other girl looked over too. I recognized Grace. A third girl stretched on the other side of them. I was betting that was Courtney.
“Our best friends from the party this weekend. Look.”
Taylor stiffened. “Oh no. They’re coming over.”
They moved toward us in a group, but Courtney didn’t seem as enthused as the other two.
“Hey!” Grace waved and stopped just short of barreling into us. “Logan Kade’s girlfriend.”
More girls had arrived to stretch, and most looked over after Grace’s exclamation. Even the ones still stretching seemed to be listening.
Taylor shared a look with me. If we’d hoped to remain anonymous, be known only as Taylor and Sam, that was over. It was only a matter of time before my secret was blown too.
“What are you doing here?” Nettie gushed.
She and Grace directed all their attention to Taylor. The only one looking at me was Courtney, and she wore a slight frown. Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to the right.
“Bartender girl, right?”
I coughed.
“Strattan!”
A fit-looking guy, strong jaw, older forties, came out the door behind us. The clipboard, whistle, athletic warm-up clothes, and the fact he had the same aura as Coach Carillo indicated immediately who he was.
I turned to him. “Coach Langdon?”
He nodded, looking me over. “Martin says you’re worth my time.” He gave Taylor the same cold appraisal. “He never said anything about an entourage.”
“This is—”
Taylor held out her hand. “Taylor Bruce. I’m not in the same league as Sam, but I was wondering if I could try out too. I can do ten miles on a good day.”
He didn’t move to shake her hand. “Bruce?”
She withdrew her hand. “My dad is Coach Broozer.”
“Whoa!” someone exclaimed.
We heard Nettie whisper behind us. And like a chain reaction, more whispering and conversation followed.
Taylor glanced over her shoulder, a worried look on her face. She was still adjusting, but this had become my norm over the years. People realized who we were connected to. They were excited. They’d give us lots of attention. They’d want to become our best friends. But that was only half of it. The other part was jealousy. Maybe they didn’t like who we slept with, or who we were connected to. Logan. Mason. Coach Broozer. It didn’t matter. If our star shone brighter than theirs, whoever they were, they weren’t happy.
Also, there was usually a small group who was indifferent. They didn’t know Mason, Logan, or now Coach Broozer, in Taylor’s situation. And they didn’t care to know. Those were the girls I usually sought out as class partners, or in this case, just a friend on the team.
I snuck a look over my shoulder too.
Some were scowling at us. Half had lit-up eyes and bright smiles, but there were two girls just doing their own thing.
My eyes skimmed over Courtney. Suspicion lurked in her gaze, mingling with something else I didn’t normally encounter.
“Broozer’s your dad?” Coach Langdon was saying.
He pulled me back to their conversation.
Taylor nodded, folding her hands in front of herself. “Yes, sir.”
He paused, mulling it over. Then he nodded. “Okay. Fine. But if you can’t keep up, you can’t have a spot.” He looked at me. His eyes hardened, like he was assessing me. “Martin told me your times. You do anything like what he says you can, you’re on the team too.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I hadn’t expected anything less, and I’d turned to go stretch when he called my name again.
I looked back. “Yes?”
“We run with the football team sometimes. Is that going to be a problem?”
My eyes rounded. I shook my head. “No, sir. Why would it?”
“I know about your relationship with Kade.” He gestured to the girls stretching. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Shit. I swallowed a lump in my throat. “No, sir. I’ll handle it.”
“Okay. Finish stretching, and get ready. You guys take off in five minutes.”
He went over to talk to one of the girls who seemed oblivious on the far side of the grassy area. Both took out their earbuds now to listen to him.
Courtney looked over to them. “That’s Faith Shaw and Raelynn Quang. They’re the stars of the team. Both princesses and spoiled by their rich daddies—and our coach too.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Nettie and Grace were still fawning over Taylor, so they weren’t paying attention, but Courtney lowered her voice anyway. “Because you’re Samantha Strattan, aren’t you?”
“My name means something to you?”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “I should’ve put two and two together. I was stupid to assume you were staff. You weren’t dressed like someone hired to man the bar. You were just helping out, weren’t you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I’d started to wonder just now, but then Coach called you Strattan. In running circles, you’re known. You’re a big deal on the track team. I always wondered why you didn’t join cross-country, but it was because of your boyfriend. Mason Kade, right?”
“Is that really your business?”
She laughed again. “No, but I couldn’t help asking.” She nodded toward Faith and Raelynn, who were now both looking in our direction. Correction: they were looking at me. There was no hostility or emotion in their eyes, but I felt an awareness in the air. Coach Langdon moved to the sidewalk, and the others began to stand up. It was almost time to run, but in that moment, everything faded to those two girls and myself.
They had competition, and they were now aware of it.
This could get interesting.
Courtney chuckled under her breath. “Nettie and Grace haven’t figured out who you are, but expect them to freak. Thei
r reaction will be nothing compared to how they’re going crazy over Logan’s girlfriend.”
I gritted my teeth. I was Samantha Strattan. I wasn’t going to be known as Mason Kade’s girlfriend on this team. Not here. I was a runner, and I was good at it.
“Her name is Taylor,” I snapped before I could help myself. “Learn to use it.”
I broke away, grabbing Taylor by the arm and pulling her to our own section of grass. “We have to stretch quick. He’s going to blow the whistle soon.”
She dropped down with me, reaching for her toes. “How far will we go today?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.” I turned to see Courtney, Nettie, and Grace talking together in a small huddle. Their heads were bent together. I didn’t know what they were saying, but it didn’t matter. My blood had started to boil. All these girls were going to be in my dust.
I needed to run.
Coach Langdon gave us a few minutes, but when we hopped up, he raised the whistle to his mouth. The girls knew, and everyone was ready. Earbuds went in. People shook out their arms, jumping in place.
Faith and Raelynn stood at one end of the group, as if they were their own unit. The rest of the team stood together, and Taylor and I were at the opposite end.
I asked the closest girl, “How far’s the morning run?”
“We do five in the morning. Then you can run as far as you want for the afternoon practice.”
Only five? I’d hoped for more.
“Strattan.”
I looked over to Coach Langdon.
“Follow the girls. They know the route.”
Which meant I had to keep pace with them. I couldn’t go faster on my own. This is the first run, I reminded myself.
“Okay, Coach.”
He nodded and blew his whistle.
We were off.
It was about how I’d expected it to be.
Faith and Raelynn took the lead, and the rest of the group seemed content to run as a pack behind them. I stayed with Taylor, who kept up with everyone just fine. She held steady at the back end of the group, and I ran slightly on the outside, waiting and biding my time.
Faith and Raelynn had glanced back at me as we first started, but when I remained back by Taylor, they seemed to settle in and lead the team. Both were slender, their hair pulled up in high buns, and they had a confidence to their gait. They were good, and they knew it.
The other girls paid attention to us at the beginning too, but by the end of mile four, they’d lost themselves in their own running. Taylor was still fine. She looked like she could do another five. As if reading my mind, she looked over and winked.
“You can go,” she mouthed.
I nodded. That was all I needed, and I started to edge forward.
I recognized the feeling in my legs. I could tell when we’d started the fifth mile. The girls up front picked up their pace. A mile to them was just a jog home. It’d go fast, and as Raelynn and Faith pulled away, the gap closed between the team and them. The pack had picked up speed too.
I moved on the side until I neared the head of the pack. Some girls noticed, but I held back until we were at the half point of mile five. Then I surged ahead, still running on the side, but bridging the gap between the team and Faith and Raelynn. We were rounding the last quarter mile when they noticed me. I was right behind them, almost on their heels, and this time, I looked ahead.
If I were right, Coach Langdon would be there. And when we cleared a set of trees, I saw him waiting, consulting his stopwatch.
It was time.
I put my head down and moved around the last two girls.
They surged ahead, but I kept going.
I kicked it up to my normal pace, but Faith and Raelynn could handle their own, at least for this distance. They stuck next to me until we surged past the coach. Then they dropped to a walk, but I kept running in place. I wanted to do more.
He checked his watch as he walked over to me. “Well, you’re definitely on the team. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that everyone had faster times than usual.” He eyed me running in place. “You’re still hoping to run?”
I nodded. “I didn’t know the route.” I smirked. “I do now.”
He eyed me, cocking his head to the side. “Martin said you’d have good times. I expected that. I thought you’d keep with those two.” He gestured to Faith and Raelynn, who were stretching as the rest of the team trickled in. “Did you hold back?”
I wasn’t going to boast, so I shrugged. “Just let me do my thing. You won’t regret it.”
He seemed to mull it over before he nodded. “I’ll send the girls in and wait. You do another five. Blow me away with your times, Strattan.”
That was all I needed.
This time, I ran for myself.
The second run didn’t take as long.
I soared past Coach Langdon, and he showed me my time, shaking his head. “What year are you?”
“Junior.” I pulled my leg up behind me, stretching my quad.
Taylor waved from the curb. She’d showered and had two cups sitting next to her. I could smell the coffee from where I stood. Its aroma mingled with my sweat.
“Why are you joining this year? You wasted two years, Strattan.”
I gulped, lowering my leg. “There were reasons.”
He snorted, heading back to the building. “You’re on the team. Your friend too. We run in the mornings and at three every day. Meet here by seven thirty and meet at the running track at three. Our first meet is in two weeks, but I have no worries about your performance. Hydrate. I’ll have a meal plan for you later.”
He nodded as he passed Taylor, who stood and brought over the coffee. “I made the team. Did you hear?” She offered me a cup.
Hearing the excitement in her voice, I grinned. “Did you really think you wouldn’t make it?”
She lifted a shoulder, sipping from her cup. “I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. But I’m happy. Logan will flip for me.”
I laughed. “He’s going to buy some kind of ATV and follow us. You know that, right?”
Her lip tugged up. “You’re right. He’ll blast music, and he’ll have towels, water, and protein snacks for us.”
I nodded. I expected more than that. “Nate will be with him too.”
“And Jason.”
“We’re bringing our own fan club to the team. Now they’ll really love us.”
“Man.” Her eyes lit up. She glanced over my shoulder, and I turned. Some of the girls were coming out of the building. All were showered, and some held their own coffees as they laughed together. I waited, but neither Faith nor Raelynn came out behind them.
“If you’re looking for the two divas, you missed them,” Taylor said. “Not that they threw a big scene, but when you took off, no one said a word. It was complete silence. I think everyone was waiting for an explosion, but then those two just stormed off. They were the first to leave, and they were pissed.”
I wasn’t that surprised, but I didn’t get to say anything. Courtney, Grace, and Nettie were coming over. Courtney was grinning now, almost as wide as the other two.
Grace gushed first. “You’re a bitch. You let us think you were the bartending staff at that party.” She punched me lightly. “We had no idea you were Mason Kade’s girlfriend, and oh my God—Faith and Rae are livid. We’ve been hearing about you, but you never joined the team. They thought they were clear to take the top two spots. Now they gotta fight like the rest of us.”
Courtney touched my arm, jerking her head to the side.
I frowned, following her.
“Be careful,” she said once we were a few steps away.
“What do you mean?”
“Faith and Raelynn are rich. Both of them. They grew up running together. Their fathers are best friends, and they’re kind of like sisters.”
“Are you saying they’ll do something to hurt me?”
“No. I’m not saying they’ll physically hurt you, but I woul
dn’t put it past them to figure out a way to get you off the team. Just watch your back.”
I nodded. “I will. Thanks for the heads-up.”
She nodded. Her shoulders lifted in a deep breath, and she started grinning again. “I can’t believe it. Our team’s always fun, but today was a whole other kind of practice. I’m kind of excited to see what happens.”
I glanced over. Grace and Nettie were still chatting up Taylor, who was watching me.
For so many reasons, I was happy Logan had caught her. It felt nice to have someone behind me. I’d been missing Heather since I started at Cain. There’d been random friends, but no one had stuck.
Taylor headed my way. “Ready to go? Logan’s blowing my phone up. He wants to meet for breakfast.”
Grace and Nettie followed. “Where are you going?” Nettie asked.
“Uh . . .” Taylor opened her mouth.
Courtney cut in, adding, “Because maybe we’ll check the place out too. You know, another morning or something.”
“No, I was ask—”
Courtney shot her a meaningful look, interrupting again. “We have plans this morning. We’ll go another time.”
“Oh.” Nettie closed her mouth.
Grace frowned.
Taylor tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and glanced around, looking anywhere but at the girls.
This had just turned awkward.
Logan wouldn’t want new people at breakfast. Taylor didn’t have the words to express his exclusivity sometimes, but Courtney knew. Or it seemed like she did. Logan did have a reputation. He liked people, but he was selective. He didn’t do breakfast with just anyone.
I cleared my throat. “We have some family things to talk about, but we should do breakfast tomorrow?” I gazed around the group.
Logan wouldn’t come. That was the unspoken part of the deal.
Nettie smiled. “That sounds like fun.”
Courtney cleared her throat. “And on that note, my stomach is growling. Let’s go, chicas. I still have to stop in at my job for a few hours.”
After they left, Taylor expelled a breath. “Logan would’ve been a lot ruder about that.”
I chuckled as we started for the cars. “He would’ve been blunt, not giving a shit if he hurt their feelings.”