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“Has my spot been taken?”
Coach grimaces while nodding. “Yeah, but only for now. We have a few freshmen we let in that are a bit slower than we like. I think you will be able to keep your spot in January. Like I said before: keep your grades up and make sure you train when you can.” He rises from his seat, and I follow his movement, struggling to push my body out of the chair without putting too much weight on my foot.
“Who is it, Coach?” I ask him while hobbling out of his office and following him down the short hall.
Coach chuckles. “You actually know him. I think he’s been here for a few track meets.”
That doesn’t really answer my question. There are hundreds of track athletes in and out of this campus for meets. It could honestly be anyone. I keep my mouth closed, not wanting to bother Coach with any more questions. He’s already been too kind to me by giving me advice and telling me not to worry about the money he gave me for Paris. I will meet my new teammate soon.
My eyes narrow as we slowly approach the group of athletes crowding around the bleachers. Several are stretching while the Freshmen look around curiously. My gaze lingers on one familiar man standing in the center. His blonde hair glimmers in the sunlight. His blue eyes gleam while he smiles at my teammates.
My eyes widen.
“Fuck,” I breathe, anger surging within me. My hands fist at my sides as I stalk towards him, wanting to demand what the hell he’s doing here until I stop myself. I think I’m going to puke. This guy is going to be my replacement.
“Good morning,” Coach announces while glancing around us. “I have a very special announcement to make.”
The chatter ceases. All eyes are on Coach, but I can’t tear myself away from Blondie standing near the front. This can’t be happening to me.
“I want to welcome all incoming freshmen to Hell.” Everyone chuckles as Coach quickly adds, “I mean, our team. And we have a new recruit with us today. He will be running in Seth’s place, given the severe injury he received over the summer.” My face heats as several gazes are cast in my direction. “I want to introduce, Alex Goode,” says Coach while gesturing towards the blonde asshole.
Alex turns around, smiling while waving his hand. His smile widens as he meets my gaze.
I scowl.
Fucking Alex Goode is here to take my spot.
7
ALEX
IwanttointroduceAlex Goode,” Coach announces while gesturing towards me.
I turn around and wave to my colleagues, smiling my best charming smile. I don’t know anyone on this team, and the thought has my insides twisting with nervousness. My gaze falls on Seth standing in the back of the crowd, and I feel my smile lifting into something genuine. We’ve had our differences in the past. Actually, I wouldn’t say differences. More like an ongoing rivalry, always leaving me the winner and him in the dust. However, I like Seth. He’s always pushing me to be better. Unlike the others, he has a genuine passion for running that can match my own.
His gaze darkens into an angry scowl, making me want to laugh. I don’t know why, but I find his grumpy attitude hilarious. It always makes me want to tease him more.
We raced against each other in Paris over the summer, and unfortunately, neither of us were able to finish. I, of course, taunted Seth as per the usual, and he of course, tried his best to ignore me. For a moment, I thought he was genuinely going to beat me, but then his foot gave out. I don’t know why I stopped. Even now, nearly two months later, I’ve found myself asking the same question over and over again. If I had continued with the marathon, I would have won.
Yet, something inside me wouldn’t let me to continue. I was genuinely concerned over Seth’s health. And it wasn’t just his foot. When he arrived to the race, he looked unusually skinny. It didn’t look healthy whatsoever, and as an athlete, being in prime health is important.
“Alright, I want you to do ten laps around the track, followed by fifty push-ups!” Coach shouts, jarring my thoughts. I jerk my attention towards Coach, hearing the groans of my teammates. If they’re groaning already, I suspect the rest of the year will bode ill for them. The first day is usually the easiest.
Coach walks over to Seth, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Just do the push-ups, if you can,” he says softly.
Seth’s frown deepens, and I watch him hobble towards the track. He’s hardly putting any weight on his right foot. Why isn’t he using crutches? I guess he’s supposed to get his foot used to putting weight on it again, but he looks absolutely miserable. My teammates run around me, towards the track to begin their laps. I’m in no rush. Instead, I stroll towards Seth, watching him slowly lower to his knees. He positions his hands on the ground, preparing for his pushups.
“Garcia,” I say, stopping in front of him and placing my hands on my hips. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Seth scowls up at me. His hand lifts, shielding his face from the sun. His scowl looks more like a winch the more I stare down at him. My smile widens, finding his expression funny. “What’s it to you, fuck face?”
I chuckle. “I see we’re back to insults. I thought we would be on better terms given I saved you in Paris.”
Seth’s glare darkens, and he straightens from the ground. I suppose he can’t quite stand, because then he would have to hobble back down to the ground. Part of me enjoys this new power I have over Seth, the other part of me wishes he would hurry up and get better already. I miss racing against him.
“You did not save me,” he says between clenched teeth. “You were just in the right place at the right time.”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “You were lucky I was there to rescue you.” I place a hand against my chest while mockingly staring into the distance. “My little damsel in distress.”
