Page 13 of A Thousand Second Chances

“The damn spring’s not the point,” I mutter. “It’s about standing up to that prick and showing him he can’t walk all over me. I had enough of that when I quit the team. Listen to them—they’re laughing at me!”

“So? Screw those guys!” She gestures to the forest on our left and the lake on our right. “Let the serene beauty of nature wash over you.” A group of bikers trundles past us as if on cue, the cries of screaming kids echoing in their wake. Somehow, Quinn manages to keep a straight face as they vanish around a bend. “See? So peaceful. How can younotbe relaxed?”

I laugh, some of my tension easing. I know she’s right—I shouldn’t let Devon get to me. But that’s doubly hard when I’m already so on edge from another unwanted presence nearby. Despite my best efforts, my eyes seek out Percy in the crowd, and my skin prickles when I realize he’s watching me again. His eyes widen when they meet mine, but this time, he doesn’t look away.

We stand there, trapped in each other’s gazes like insects encased in amber, until Quinn’s voice beside me shatters themoment. I shake my head, turning away from Percy. Add him to the list of assholes I need to avoid today, right next to Devon.

Oshkoff calls an end to our stop, and we return to our bikes. As I pedal, I try to force myself to live in the moment, sinking into the comforting burn of my muscles and letting everything else slip away. I don’t realize how fast I’m going until Quinn yelps and Oshkoff shouts for us to slow down. I oblige, shooting Quinn a sheepish look.

“Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away.”

“No…problem,” she pants. Beads of sweat dapple her forehead. “Pain…is gain.”

Setting a more reasonable pace, I admire the landscape as it zooms past. I’d forgotten how good this feels—to glide over the world and leave all its petty problems in your dust. It’s one of the things I’d loved most about track. When I’d been at peak performance, feet slapping the pavement, it had seemed like I could outrun anything. Just one more thing Percy and Devon had stolen from me.

The day warms as morning transitions to afternoon. Oshkoff sets such a painfully slow pace that other cyclists constantly pass us. We stop at several more landmarks along the way, though only one that impresses me. Formed from natural limestone, Arch Rock extends across the cliff face overlooking the road. Scraggly trees press against it on either side, lending the circular opening the feeling of a portal into some secret magical wilderness. Quinn and I argue over what kind of world would be on the other side, my vision of a horrific sylvan hellscape competing with her rainbow fairy wonderland.

Throughout the ride, I make it a point to ignore both Devon and Percy. That proves easy enough in Devon’s case. Percy, though…

No matter what I do, I keep catching glimpses of him out of the corner of my eye whenever we stop or I have to slow to let theothers catch up. His legs pumping away on the pedals. His messy brown hair billowing in the wind. His perfect grin as he stares out across the glistening sapphire water. The faint trail of hair revealed on his belly when he raises his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.

That last leaves me blushing so hard, Quinn worries I’m suffering from heatstroke. God, it’s not fair how attracted to Percy I still am. I’ve hardly even thought of him formonths, yet here I am after less than a day in his presence, practically swooning over him all over again. Somehow, he’s wormed his way right back into my subconscious, and all I can do now is keep my distance until this damn trip is over and I never have to see him again.

It’s near noon when Oshkoff announces we’re stopping for lunch at a proper beach along the shore that a nearby placard declaresBritish Landing. I tune out Oshkoff’s explanation of the place’s historical significance and make a beeline for the small roadside shack offering fried refreshments to hungry tourists. Unfortunately, Quinn doesn’t let me off the hook so easily.

“Can you believe we’re standing right where soldiers fought a critical battle in the War of 1812 against the British?”

I study the menu while we wait for our turn to order. “Critical, huh? That’s what we’re going with?”

“All right, fine,” she huffs. “Maybe it wasn’tcritical. But I mean, it was still a battle! The British invaded from the lake and took control of Fort Mackinac.”

We reach the front of the line. The woman behind the counter smiles at us. “Did I hear you talking about British Landing?”

“Yeah!” Quinn says. “I was trying to convince my friend here what an important battle it was.”

The woman chuckles. “Well, now, I don’t know I’d go that far. Hardly even a battle, really, since the commander of the garrison here surrendered without a fight.”

I give Quinn a triumphant look as she deflates.

“Whatever,” she says, glaring at me. “I’ll have some onion rings and a diet pop.”

We place our order and grab our food, carrying it back across the road to the beach. Not seeing anywhere else to sit, we plop down into the soft sand. Some of that serenity Quinn had mentioned earlier washes over me as I gaze out across the water, the wind riffling my bangs. I close my eyes and relax, tipping my head back.

Quinn nudges my shoulder. “See? Told you this trip wouldn’t be so bad.”

I snort without opening my eyes. “It’s been less than twenty-four hours, and I’ve already almost gotten into a fight with my ex-friend and my…Percy.” I stumble over my words, some protective instinct flaring. If Percy’s still in the closet, I won’t be the one to out him. Coming out had been bad enough for me when I was ready for it. I wouldn’t wish the experience onto anyone else, especially someone I—

I blink my eyes open, shifting in the sand. Perhaps there’s such a thing as a bittoomuch serenity. No sense letting my mind wander to places it shouldn’t.

For once, Quinn seems content to sit silently, so I let my eyes roam over the surrounding beach. Only after I’ve completed a circuit of the area do I realize I’d been searching for one person in particular. And he’s nowhere in sight. I frown, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

Quinn must notice my expression. “What?” she asks. “Did your happiness overflow, so you defaulted back to angst?”

“Ha-ha,” I deadpan. “I… It’s nothing.”

And it isn’t. Really. What do I care where Percy is? It’s not like I want to be around him anyway. If he wants to run off in the middle of the school trip, that’s not my problem—not anymore.

I settle back into the sand, propping myself up on my elbows, and struggle to regain my earlier serenity. But try as I might, I can’t erase errant thoughts of Percy from my mind.