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Now that sounds like a plan.
11
ALINA
The ache from Kaden’s caning faded days ago, but now all of my muscles are sore for a different reason. Namely, that godawful obstacle course that our instructor forced us to go through today.
Stretching out my arms in front of me, I try to ease the ache in my muscles as I follow the rest of the girls in my group into the women’s locker room. My gaze drifts towards the shower room that is connected to the changing area while I let my arms drop back down again. All I want to do is to just sit down on the floor and let warm water wash over me. And wash away all the damn mud that I’m covered in too.
I stagger a surprised step to the side when someone bumps her shoulder against mine. Finding my balance again, I glance up to see Carla. Just like me and everyone else, she’s covered in mud. But there is a spring in her step, and a warm sparkle in her brown eyes.
“Chin up,” she says with a smile. “You did your best. That’s all that matters.”
An embarrassed smile blows across my face. “Thanks.”
The truth is that I was absolutely terrible. Again. I finished last every time, which meant that during the team challenge, we would’ve lost if Carla hadn’t been so incredibly skilled that she managed to make up the time difference.
From somewhere behind me, I can feel Leslie and Jane stare daggers at me. But Carla is one of the top people in our year so far, so they are apparently too scared to say anything in front of her.
“Remember,” Carla continues as she opens her locker and starts pulling out her towel and shower supplies. “Physical strength is not the only thing that’s important. We’re all skilled at different things.”
I rub a hand over the back of my neck, which only serves to dislodge bits of dried mud and make them fall into the back of my t-shirt. “Thanks. Though I’m not sure I’m skilled at anything at all.”
While stripping out of her clothes, she gives me a pointed look. “Girl, I’ve seen your scores on the theoretical tests. You’re smart. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
My heart clenches and my throat closes up with a sudden immense gratitude. After the humiliating experience of failing that badly at the obstacle course in front of everyone, I really needed to hear that.
But before I can press out a choked thank you, Carla flashes me one of her brilliant smiles and starts towards the shower room. I swallow against the lump in my throat and give her a nod before I open my own locker.
The moment Carla is gone, two shadows creep up on me from both sides. I can feel them looming, but I ignore them as I start pulling out my own towel.
“We almost lost today because of you,” Jane says from my left.
“Yeah, but we didn’t,” I reply without turning to look.
“That’s not the point,” Leslie adds from my other side.
I just continue pulling out my shampoo and conditioner from my bag inside the locker. Tension crackles through the air around me, but I keep pretending that they’re not there.
A bang echoes through the room as Jane slams my locker closed.
“Look at me when I talk to you,” she snaps.
Heaving a deep sigh, I turn to face the two of them. They stand with their arms crossed, looking down at me as if I’m something that they’ve just scraped off the bottom of their shoes. However, their mean girls vibe is somewhat diminished by the fact that both of them are also covered in mud.
“I’m going to say what everyone else here is thinking,” Leslie begins, locking blue eyes full of contempt on me. “You are a waste of space.”
I arch an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, I think you’ve actually already said that.”
“You don’t deserve to be here.”
Rolling my eyes, I blow out an irritated sigh and just start to move past them.
Jane plants a hand against my chest and shoves me back against my locker. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“To shower,” I reply.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Her mouth twists into a mocking smile. “If you’re at the bottom of the food chain, you wait for everyone else to shower first.”
