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SETH
I grab the last piece of pepperoni pizza and shove it into my mouth while listening to Hunter and Lucas race each other on Mario Kart.
“God dammit!” Lucas shouts while Hunter laughs. “Will you stop throwing bombs at me?”
I watch Hunter shake his head while he shouts, “Never!”
“Bro, you are way too good at this.”
“Aww,” Hunter taunts. “Don’t be jealous.”
I chuckle and my attention slides to Rachel, whose head lulls from side to side. Her tongue slides against her bottom lip before darting back into her mouth, making me wish we were alone rather than hanging out with the two stooges. Her brows furrow together and her eyes flutter open briefly before closing again.
It’s about four in the morning and she keeps shifting from side to side to get comfortable while sleeping. I watch as her eyes completely open, looking around briefly before deciding to lay down completely. She slides her legs into Hunter’s lap while resting her head on the armrest. Hunter doesn’t seem to mind and I watch as his hand leaves the controller for a moment to rub her foot.
I look away and continue munching on my pizza while sitting on the floor. Lucas scowls at the TV while pursing his lips. My brows furrow while I stare at him, knowing he’s already thinking of a way to get himself to France. It’s so easy for him. His dad is wealthy and can buy him a plane ticket. I’m sure Lucas knows people to stay with. If he doesn’t, then his dad definitely knows someone.
I wish it was that easy for me, but it’s not. I come from a simple family; a family with hardly any money. The only reason I can attend this school is because of my scholarship. I purse my lips, wondering how I’m going to be able to go with Rachel to Paris. It’s not like my grades are outstanding. I barely get by. No one’s going to offer me a scholarship to Paris.
I’ll have to find my own way.
Hearing Rachel whimper, I finish chewing my pizza and swallow before standing and striding towards her. “Off to bed with you,” I murmur while taking her shoulders and gently lifting her.
Rachel groans. Her curly blonde hair falls over her face while her legs wobble to stand. I grab her arm and rest it over my shoulders before leading her down the hall towards her room.
“Good night, Rachel,” Hunter calls while glancing over his shoulder and watching us go.
“Nighty- fuck!” Lucas shouts.
I chuckle and shake my head while guiding Rachel down the hall. She can barely stand and keeps leaning against me as we walk to her room. I kick the door open and stumble inside, nearly toppling over before regaining my balance. I may be fast, but I’m not the strongest. Maybe it would have been better having Hunter or Lucas helping Rachel to bed, but I didn’t want to interrupt their time together.
Usually, we have beers while playing Mario Kart and eating pizza. Considering Hunter’s situation, we kept the party sober. It’s definitely different, but I can complain. At least I won’t have a raging headache tomorrow.
I dump Rachel’s body into bed and watch her grab her pillow, nuzzling her head against it. I’m tempted to climb into bed with her and cuddle her, but my mind is going at high speed. I don’t think I could get to sleep right now. I want to figure out a way to get my butt to Paris.
Turning on my heel, I stalk back down the hall and into my room, grabbing my laptop resting on the nightstand before jumping into bed. The mattress creaks with the movement and I kick off my shoes before shuffling my body backwards, leaning against the headboard.
I might not be able to get a scholarship with my grades being how they are, but maybe I can find some kind of European marathon to join. And I can take more shifts at the running store. Rachel just got a job working at that cafe she’s always going to. Maybe they will hire me as well. I just need to scrimp and save for the ticket. Coach will take care of the rest if there’s a run I can join. He’s always pressuring me to do things during my summer break.
“Don’t just drink your summer away,” Coach always says. “Practice and make something of yourself.”
I roll my eyes at the sound of his voice. Even when I’m not at practice, Coach still has a way of infiltrating my mind. I type on the computer Marathons in France and wait for the search engine to load. My eyes widen on what I find and my lips curl into a smile.
There’s a marathon in July and it’s held in Paris. The route is about twenty-five miles and the top ten contestants get awards. I can do that, I tell myself while snapping my laptop close. I’ll just have to speak with a few people, but I can definitely do that.
***
I wake up at nine, ignoring the exhaustion seeping through my bones while I force myself up and wipe the sleep from my eyes. I quickly dress in my track suit and tennis shoes before throwing open my door. Hunter and Lucas groan.
“Ugh, what time is it?” Hunter asks while rubbing his head. His hair has fallen out of its man bun and hangs over his face.
“Why did we sleep here?” Lucas asks while looking around.
“You’re the one who kept insisting on a rematch.”
I chuckle while shaking my head. I guess it’s a good thing I moved Rachel when I had the chance. I’m sure she would be feeling pretty terrible right about now.
“Where are you going, Seth?” I heard Lucas call.
