When we lined up for our starting spots, it wasn’t hard to recognize the runner in question. She had the same diva aura Raelynn and Faith had had the first day I ran with them. She walked like a ballerina, with razor-straight posture and her almost-white hair up in a high braid. Girls didn’t worry about a lot of makeup for runs, but everyone did a light bit because of pictures. This girl had a smattering of glitter over her cheeks, but then again—I scanned the rest of her team—they all did. It must’ve been a team-bonding event.
“That’s Emily Kostwich,” Faith announced as she took her spot next to me. Our coach had put us in spots up front and in the middle. “She and I are your competition today,” she added, shaking her hands out.
“Does she know that?”
Emily lifted her chin and turned a haughty look our way. Her eyes were cold, and they seemed even chillier once she made eye contact with Faith.
“Oh, no.” Faith laughed under her breath. “I guarantee she thinks the hype about you is all made up. Nope.”
Emily wrinkled her nose and looked back to the front line.
Faith groaned. “I hate her. I’m not one of your fans, but if you beat anyone today, make sure it’s her. She needs to be brought down a couple notches.”
I made sure there was a deadpan expression on my face. “Funny. That’s what everyone says about you.” And fuck Coach. I moved over a couple girls, instructions be damned. I was going to run beside someone I trusted, and starting a packed race, Faith Shaw was not in that category.
“Strattan!”
I ignored his yell and bent slightly. The start would be any moment.
I knew the route. There would be no surprises. We were on a golf course, and I’d walked it the night before with Mason, Logan, and Taylor. I wanted some familiarity, and today the entire way would be lined with flags and signs, and someone would be at every mile.
Some runners waited the first half, then pushed the second. Others were the opposite. I never had any strategy—I just ran, and with the crowd today, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be needing any extra adrenaline.
I breathed out, feeling my clammy hands. I needed to calm down. I could do that.
Stay steady. Stay strong. Stay true.
That was my phrase, and I started repeating it in my head. None of this mattered.
I began to strip it all down.
The other runners.
The whispers.
The rumors.
The hype.
Faith.
Even that Emily girl.
None of them mattered.
It was me. It was the course. It was the run.
It was my old friend. This was just another night I needed to run. Maybe I was pissed at my mom. Maybe I was pissed about Kate and her group that had jumped me. Maybe I was fuming about Cass, Mark’s girlfriend who’d hated me since high school. Or maybe I was thinking about Becky and Adam, about how he tried to set Mason up. Or maybe it was Budd Broudou in the back of my mind, when he was looking for Mason’s girlfriend because he wanted to rip her up with his dick.
All of those enemies flashed through my head.
There’d been so many, but the one that stood above the rest was Analise. And she was no longer my enemy.
They were all gone. I was done with them.
No. This was just me today. Me and my friend, the run.
Then the gun went off, and we started.
Everyone came off the line fast. I heard people from the sidelines yelling for us to slow down. We weren’t supposed to start this quick, but it didn’t matter. No one slowed. Faith surged ahead of me. That Emily girl was right behind her. I held back, just a little. There were a few runners between us.
The first mile passed.
The lead group pulled ahead of the others. This was my competition. I positioned myself at the back of that group.
Mile two passed.
We had fourteen more to go.
The lead group strengthened its advantage. The middle group was back by half a mile, at least. I still waited, content to sit behind the others, but once we passed mile six, then seven, then eight, I began feeling the itch.
I needed to go faster.
Faith and Emily were out in front. Emily had taken the lead a mile back, but Faith was on her heels. She was almost breathing down her neck.
Come on.
I heard the voice in my head. I didn’t know if it was mine, or Mason’s, or even someone else. It sounded like my mom, but no. It was me. My voice.
It’s time to go.
Tears streamed down my face. My stomach was still clenched in knots, but the voice was right. I could go faster and harder. We had eight more miles to go, a little less than that by now.
It’s time.
I moved to the side, and I picked up my pace. In thirty yards, I was ahead of the last ones in the group. Another thirty yards, and I was past the two behind Faith and Emily. They were farther out. It took me another half-mile to be right behind Faith.