“You’ve got five seconds.”
“Or what? What are you going to do?” She shoves me back against the wall and then looks down at me with a sneer. “Come on, Cinderella, do it. Do it and then you’ll end up in juvie. You’d fit right in with all the dykes.”
My fists clench, but before I can throw a punch, Melanie does it for me. She makes the mistake of hitting Tonya in the face with her fist; from her yelp of pain she probably does more damage to herself than Tonya. Still, tears come to Tonya’s eyes and she staggers back a couple of steps.
“You bitch! You’re as crazy as she is!”
“And don’t forget it,” Melanie says.
As if she’s six years old, Tonya whines, “I’m telling Sister Mary Francis!” Then she runs off to carry through on her threat.
Melanie waits until she has gone to groan with pain. “That really smarts.”
“Come on, let’s go get some ice.”
***
Sister Mary Francis doesn’t expel Melanie or me for what happened with Tonya. She must believe us about Tonya being the aggressor or maybe she feels sorry for us because of what happened to us with the convicts. She does warn us that next time we should go to find the floor supervisor.
The incident does convince Melanie she’s not as helpless as she thought. I don’t have to go with her to the bathroom anymore. After a week she even goes back up to the top bunk to sleep so I don’t have to sleep on that old cot.
I’m the one who convinces Melanie we should try out for cross-country track. In part I want a chance to work with Sister Matilda again, but also we could use some physical activity that doesn’t involve hitting someone. Melanie doesn’t need much convincing, though she hasn’t ever tried out for sports before.
Melanie has the longer legs, but I’m the one who has built up more endurance after all my training with Sister Matilda. The good thing about cross-country running is that even if you start out slow, you have a chance to catch up; it’s like that old tortoise versus the hare story. I’m usually at the back of the pack at the beginning, but by the end I’m in front.
It’s still chilly in New Hampshire in April, but the snow has melted and as long as we keep running it’s not so bad. The air is a lot easier to breathe than back in Redoubt City, like one of those pine scent air fresheners only without the sickly chemical tang. With that fresh, crisp air I can run for hours and hardly get winded.
After two weeks of practice, Sister Matilda announces our first meet will be down in Evettsville. My face turns warm as I think of Colin in the stands. Except I doubt he’d go to watch track, especially not cross-country. I mean, no one wants to watch that unless they know someone involved; it’s not really a spectator sport.
Melanie must know what I’m thinking, as back in our dorm she says, “You should call Colin to tell him about the meet.”
“I don’t think I can. I mean, I haven’t talked to him in like two months. What if he’s still mad at me?”
Melanie grins at me. “How can you disarm two big bad criminals without flinching and yet be scared to call a boy who likes you?”
“I’m not scared.”
“So call him.”
“You really think you can dare me like we’re in third grade?”
“I triple-dog dare you,” she says and then giggles.
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Good. I can go with you if you want. You know, for support.”
“I can do it.”
“Well, OK, really I want to make sure you do it.”
“Fine.” I hop off my bed and then my face turns warm. “Do you have fifty cents?”
The phone rings five times before going to voice mail. I sigh and then mumble, “Colin? It’th Rothe. You know, from Thaint Martha’th? I’m thorry I haven’t been able to talk to you lately.” Melanie motions for me to hurry it up. “Um, I’ve got a track meet thith Thurthday. It’th after thchool at the county park. I wath…I wath hoping if you’re not buthy…maybe you could come? I’d…I’d really like to thee you. If not it’th totally OK.”
I hang up the phone and then sag against the wall as if I’ve just run a marathon. I turn to Melanie. “Happy now?”
She puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be there. With his new girlfriend.” I shoot her a dirty look. She giggles at me. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. Don’t worry about it, OK? You two are totally meant for each other. Like Romeo and Juliet, you know?”
“That didn’t turn out so well.”
“Well, yeah. Bad example. How about Beyonce and Jay-Z?”
“That’s a little better.” I give Melanie a hug and then we start back for our room. Now I have to white-knuckle through three days to find out if she’s right or not.
***
Melanie and I are already on the bus when Tonya gets on with her friends. They’re dressed in blue-and-white sweaters with a “St M” on the chest in white. Since this is a Catholic school the sweaters cover the entire chest and the skirts go down past the knees. Tonya has a blue ribbon tying back one pigtail and a white ribbon tying back the other and “St” written on her left cheek in blue paint and “M” on her right.
“What are you doing here?” she growls at me.
“We’re on the cross-country team. I didn’t think cheerleaders went to our meets.”
“Any excuse to get away from this place.” She studies me for a moment and then sneers. “Figures you’d be in some wimp sport like running.”
“Yeah it’s too bad they don’t have a ‘beat up a cheerleader’ league. I’d take home the gold in that.”
“Whatever,” Tonya says. Her teammates give her a nudge past us, to the back of the bus.
“Their cheers are definitely going to inspire us to victory,” Melanie says. We both laugh at that. If there’s one good thing it’s that most of the time we’ll be so far away we won’t be able to hear them.
Sister Matilda is the last one aboard the bus. She does a head count and then tells the driver to get us going. It’s my first time off the grounds since I snuck out of Dr. Maxwell’s office to buy a dress from his wife. At least this time I don’t have to worry about getting into trouble.
As the bus starts downhill, my stomach begins to churn. Did Colin get my message? Will he be there? He might not be able to make it to the start of the race since it’s right after classes get out, but I hope he’ll be there by the end. I imagine breaking the tape at the finish line and then running into his arms like a romance movie. He’d swing me around in the air and then we’d kiss for what seems like forever. And then…then I’d have to go back to St. Martha’s and he’d have to go home. It sucks being sixteen sometimes.
The bus drives past Mayfield’s Lawn Care, but I can’t see anyone inside. I’m leaning so far over Melanie that she gently shoves me back onto my half of the seat. “I’m sure he’ll be there,” she says. “Relax.”
“I’ll try.”
It’s not easy to relax, not with so much at stake. I try some of the breathing exercises Sister Matilda taught me that are supposed to help me focus. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hold it, and then let it out slowly. After a couple of times I shake my head and then stop. It’s not working.
My knees start to shake as the bus pulls through the gates of the county park. There are a couple of buses from other schools already here. Our bus pulls to a stop next to one for Peerless Academy, one of the other boarding schools we’re competing against. I get unsteadily to my feet, grabbing onto the back of the seat in front of me to keep upright.
Melanie puts a hand on my shoulder and as if she’s blind, I lead her off the bus. We have to gather around outside the bus for Sister Matilda to do another head count in case someone jumped off the bus or something. Those of us who are running all gather on one side and the cheerleaders gather on the other side. Tonya glares at me, which at the moment I’m grateful for as it helps to give me something to focus on besides Colin.
“All right, girls, let’s go,
” Sister Matilda says. We follow her across a grassy clearing, to where they’ve marked the start of the course with a banner. There are some bleachers set up off to the side. I’m scanning those for Colin when Sister Matilda snaps her fingers in my face. “Am I boring you, Miss Howard?”
“No. I’m sorry. First-time jitters, you know?”
“There’s nothing to be jittery about. All I expect is for each of you to do your best. The important thing to remember is this is five kilometers, not a hundred meters. Don’t waste all your energy at the start. This is about endurance.”
“Yes, Sister,” we say as one.
“Now go get ‘em. Show ‘em what Catholic girls can do.” Sister Matilda gives each of us a pat on the back as we start off to the registration table for our numbers. I keep looking around for Colin, but I can’t see him.
“He’ll be here,” Melanie whispers into my ear.
“I hope so.”
“Focus on the race. Like not tripping over your feet when the gun goes off.”
“That’s more your problem,” I say, looking down at her size-11 sneakers.
“Ok then focus on not letting me trip you up when the gun goes off.”
“I’ll try.”
I get my number and then go over by the starting line to do some stretches. With each stretch I look around the grounds for Colin. I still can’t find him. I don’t have a watch to know what time it is, but if he’s coming he should be here soon. I tell myself maybe he got detention or maybe his car broke down or something like that.
I finish my stretches and then take my place along the starting line. Melanie is next to me, though far enough away that it’ll be hard for her to trip me. There are four schools in this meet, each with a cheerleading squad near the starting line. They wave their pom-poms and jump around, their cheers overlapping each other. Though she’s smiling, Tonya is glaring daggers at me, probably trying to trip me with her mind.
Colin’s still not here. He didn’t make it to the start. I shake my head and tell myself it’s not important. Focus on the race. This is my first meet and I’d like to do well, to reward Sister Matilda’s faith in me.
There’s no more time to worry about Colin as the referee lifts his starting pistol. He fires it into the air and then we all start to run. As Sister Matilda said, I try not to expend all my energy at the start. I’m near the end of the pack after a hundred yards or so, but if I’m lucky most of those girls ahead of me will lose steam soon enough.
Melanie got off to a decent start, enough that she can keep pace with me. We jog along a dirt path that starts to slope uphill. The spectators and cheerleaders fall behind as we crest the hill and then enter a forest. “How you doing?” I ask Melanie.
“I’m fine,” she says, though her breathing sounds a little labored.
“If you’re tired, you can drop back a little.”
“I’m not tired.”
“Suit yourself.”
We jog along in silence through the woods. We manage to pass a couple of girls, getting close enough to see the leader. I’m tempted to charge ahead to catch her, but there’s still a lot of course left. Sister Matilda grilled us on the layout of the course; I’m pretty sure we’re only about a third of the way through.
At the halfway point I can tell Melanie is struggling to keep up. “It’s OK to fall back,” I tell her. “You don’t want to get a cramp in your first race.”
“I’m…sorry,” she mumbles.
“It’s all right. You just need to build up some endurance. We’ll work on that when we get back.”
She nods to me and then starts to lag behind me. “Good luck!” she calls out.
I wait until we’re two-thirds through before I start to make my move. I force myself to go faster, around a pack of girls who have fallen behind the leaders and will probably end up at the back with Melanie soon enough. I keep chugging along until I’m at the back with the rest of the leaders. Then I slow up a little to save some energy for the end.
We emerge from the woods for the last quarter of the course. There’s another hill that helps to weed out about half of the leading pack. I breeze past a half-dozen girls, to the top of the hill. There’s just four of us now; I’m the only one from St. Martha’s. Two are from Peerless and the other is from Exeter.
I can see the finish line ahead. Flags and rope tie off a chute that can only fit one person; I have to get to the head of the pack by then if I want to place first. I put my head down and then force myself to run faster. I pass the Exeter girl, leaving only the two from Peerless. I get next to a girl who could be Melanie’s twin. She might look like Melanie, but she doesn’t act like her; she leans to her left to knock me to the ground.
I scramble up to my feet and then take off in a sprint. I have to pass the Exeter girl again. We’re almost to the chute when I get up next to Melanie’s evil twin again. “You don’t learn, do you?” she growls. This time she tries to stick out her foot, but I hop over it. I race ahead of her, but by then it’s too late. The other Peerless girl has already entered the chute.
I shake my head as I cross the finish line. Second place isn’t so bad, but I really would have liked to win. The girl from Peerless is already off celebrating with her coach and cheerleaders. I stagger over to Sister Matilda, who pats me on the back.
“That was really good. I’m proud of you.” She gives me a hug.
“Congratulations,” a boy says. I look up and squeal with delight to see Colin.
Sister Matilda lets me go so I can launch myself at Colin. Like in my fantasy he picks me up from the ground and swings me around. Unlike in my fantasy he doesn’t kiss me, probably because a nun is standing five feet away. He just squeezes me in a hug.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I mumble.
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
He sets me down so we can walk over to the bleachers to watch the rest of the race. Tonya glares at me as I walk past, but she doesn’t say anything. I snuggle against Colin and sigh as he puts his arm around me. “I’m sorry,” I say. Maybe it’s because I’m so tired from the race that I don’t lisp like I usually do around Colin.
“About what?”
“About the Valentine’s dance. I really wanted to come. I bought a dress and everything.”
“It’s all right. I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
“It was her fault,” I say, gesturing to Tonya. “She told the nuns I was going.”
“Is she a crazy stalker or something?”
“She’s a jealous bitch.” I press myself closer to Colin. “Did you get my letter?”
“Yes. I still have it.”
“That’s so sweet.” I’d like to kiss him, but not with Sister Matilda watching. “Have you…have you found someone else? I mean, it’s OK if you have.”
“No. There’s no one else.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“Look, Rose, I know this isn’t going to be easy, but I really care about you. I want this to work. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Maybe you should put on a skirt and grow out your hair,” I say and giggle.
“OK, maybe not that.”
“Aw, come on, I think you’d look cute in a skirt.”
He gives me a playful shake and we both laugh. The last pack is finally coming in. I watch Melanie lope ahead of a Peerless girl to finish second-to-last. I nudge Colin in the ribs. “Come on.”
Colin keeps his arm around me as we meet Melanie. She’s chugging a bottle of water while sweat pours down her face. She can’t manage to say anything as I introduce her to Colin. She just nods. I put my arm around her to help her over to the bleachers so she can rest.
“How’d…you…do?” she asks.
“I got second.” I tell her about that evil twin of hers knocking me to the ground to make sure I couldn’t finish first. “She was probably only there for protection.”
“That…sucks.”
“You did good too. I mean, for your first meet.”
“
Thanks.” She glances over at Colin. “I knew…he’d…show.”
“Yeah, well, you’re smarter than I am.”
I have to leave Melanie and Colin a few minutes later to go get my medal. It’s silver, though it’s probably made of aluminum or something. Still, I can’t help grinning from ear-to-ear as I skip back over to the bleachers with the medal around my neck.
“Isn’t it great?”
“It’s awesome,” Colin says. “Before long you can get one of those in the Olympics.”
“Yeah, right.” I sit on Colin’s lap, my head against his chest. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you too, babe.”
I giggle at again being called “babe.” Then I work up the courage to ask, “Our next meet is in Freeland. You think you could come?”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. I really want you there. You’re my lucky charm.” I risk giving him a kiss on the mouth. It’s just a little peck, but it still feels like we’re making out.
“Hey, um, I was going to ask…I know you couldn’t make it to the Valentine’s Day dance, but the prom is next month. The ninth. I was hoping maybe they’d let you out so you could go.”
“You want me to go to prom with you?”
“Well yeah. Who else would I ask?”
I squeal and then give him another much longer kiss on the lips. “I’ll be there. I promise.”
We have to say goodbye then as it’s time for me and Melanie to get on the bus. I wave one last time to Colin before I get on. Tonya stomps down the aisle after me. “Second place is still losing,” she growls.
“You would know.”
I lean back in my seat and then try to think of how to persuade the nuns to let me out for prom—or how I’ll escape the grounds if I have to.
***
Those kids who can arrange it can go home for Holy Week since there aren’t any classes. As much as I’d like to go home, that might expose my real identity. Jessica and Carol arrange to meet me in Boston. Since Melanie didn’t have anywhere to go except her brother’s store, I invite her to come along.
Sister Matilda drives us to the bus station in Evettsville. She gives both of us a stern look as we get out. “You two stay out of trouble. I need you for our meet in Freeland next week.”
Justice for All (The Outcast Book #1) Page 18