Ever since Jade all but said she'd be grossed out if a girl kissed her I've been suffering in silence. Bidding my time until I can think of a plan to get her attention in a more positive light.
"Push it! Come on let's go! I want to see everyone sweating as much as Skylar!" Coach called.
There was a collective groan.
Everyone knows I have sweat issues; I can't help my genes. As I've mentioned before I'm a fast runner which means I'm on the track team. We are practicing for the big meet coming up against our rival school. We are pretty much the best in the district, feared by all, that being said we lose to our rival school every other year. Last year we beat them, so this year we have to train twice as hard.
I pushed myself hard and finally caught up with Darleen. Between you and me, I think she slows down for me on purpose. Just so I can catch up to her. Darleen is nice like that.
"Hey," she smiles.
"H-he-hey," I say as I try to catch my breath.
She giggles.
"No talking!" Coach shouts.
I sigh, coach always has a stick up her butt when we train for this match.
"Race ya?" Darleen glances at me with those ocean blue eyes.
I nod in response.
Then we both take off, outrunning everyone else. When we made it to the finish line I collapsed on the floor trying to catch my breath. Darleen beat me, she always beats me. Even worse she makes it look so effortless. I may be fast, but I'll never be faster than her.
"Look at you, roadrunner," Jade teases from the stands.
I open my eyes and look up at her.
She must have gotten out of dance practice early. She's always my ride, being that we live right across from each other and all. She catches me staring and smiles at me. I swear my heart jumped up and high fived my spinal cord.
The jolt of energy forces me to get up off the floor.
"Almost had me today," Darleen teased.
I rolled my eyes. She knows she is way faster than me. I bet even if her leg was broken, she could still find a way to beat me. I swear she takes joy in tricking me into running faster. Darleen laughs when she sees me make my signature pouty face. The face I always make when I'm annoyed.
"You look so yummy all hot and bothered," Jade jumped over the railing and walked over to me.
"You'd look better," I did it! I flirted! Okay, everyone remain calm. Don't panic. Just play it cool.
"Hell yeah I would," she playfully flips her hair.
I giggle.
"Huddle up!" Coach calls.
"Come on," Darleen jogs off towards the group.
"Just a sec," I say to Jade before jogging after her.
"Progress needs to be made before the meet if we even want to come close to beating them. Darleen, keep up the good work. Alison, what did I tell you about your stamina? You need to train harder."
"Sorry coach," she mutters.
"Mariah, you need to shorten your stride, you are wasting your energy on the initial leap. Skylar!"
"Y-yes," I stutter.
"Nice work today, but you need to stay focused. Talking during a real meet will get you disqualified. Don't let it happen again."
"Yes ma'am."
"Everyone else, good work. Hit the showers, I'll see you all tomorrow."
Everyone split off. Darleen followed me over to the water bottle station so we could grab our bottles. Jade was waiting for us.
"Tsk, Tsk, tsk, Skylar talking during a meet?" she shook her head at me.
"Darleen started it," I pout.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Darleen pat me on the head, took a swig of water, and walked off.
"Hurry up and get your butt in the shower," Jade smacked me on the butt. "I want to leave already."
"Eep!" Some kind of yelp escaped my lips.
She laughed at the sound.
Jade hates the smell of sweat so she always makes me shower before we leave. She doesn't want me stinking up her new car. It was a gift from her aunt, a sort of a good job present. Because Jade has good grades and placed in her dance competition.
Jade's parents aren't around. Her dad is in the military and her mom is a drug attic, meaning she's never around. Jade's aunt and uncle have full custody of her. She lives with them and her cousin McKenzie who is the same age as us but goes to normal public school.
The truth is I think Jade's aunt got tired of having to schedule around Jade and drive us around everywhere. Jade passed her driver's test earlier this year and that was all the more reason for her aunt to get Jade a car so that Jade could taxi herself around everywhere. Dragging me along with her everywhere she goes. Not that I mind.
My mom is too busy to taxi me around. She is single and can't afford to get me a car. Mostly because she is too busy paying for me to go to this school. When I was five my dad divorced her and moved to Mexico to be with a woman he met. He sent a postcard once. Turns out I have two more siblings I've never met. A half brother and sister living with him in Mexico.
Mom claims it doesn't bother her, but she's never remarried or even dated since. So, mark me down as skeptical. My dad leaving her was one of the reasons why we moved from Texas in the first place. She tried to do it on her own, but everyone knew us there, no one would let her forget what he did to her. Everywhere she went someone would bring it up. After a few years of struggling on her own, she finally had enough. So, we moved.
She wanted to go somewhere no one would know us, where we could start all over. Let's just say I wasn't the biggest fan of us moving. That is until I met Jade. I've never been good at the whole making friends thing. Still not. The fact that I have to pay to get into this school didn't make this place feel homey either. Jade doesn't have to pay to go here, she's on scholarship. She's just that talented.
She auditioned and the school board fell in love with her. She is one of many star children attending this school. Darleen Grayson is another, but mostly because her family donates so much to the school and the town in general. That is what makes Darleen untouchable. She never gets in trouble, even when she deserves it. But I never really minded that, she's a good person, nice, never rubs her status in people's faces.
"You won't believe what happened to me today!" Jade snapped me out of my thoughts as I sat in the passenger seat.
Before I could even ask what happened, she went on.
"Parece is auditioning for the same role as me! I know she did it on purpose. That is so like her."
For those of you who are new to the world of Jade Tate. Parece is Jade's rival in pretty much everything. She is also a standout child of the school, a triple threat. Some people even say she could be the next Beyonce, that's how good she is.
Our school has two musicals a year, one in the fall, and one in the spring. Our spring musical this year is Crazy for You. Jade wants to audition for the role of Irene. Jade loves musicals, they are basically all three of her favorite things rolled into one package. Which is why she always, no matter what musical it is, finds a role to audition for.
"You're better than her," I shrug.
Not untrue, but not exactly true either. They are pretty evenly matched up. Parece is really good, but so is Jade. Yet, history shows that during the spring Jade tends to have better luck landing roles than in the fall. Usually, because she is more fired up and has more time to practice.
"Awe, thanks. But it gets worse. Archer is auditioning for Bobby! If she gets the role she'll get to kiss him!"
"Then shouldn't you audition for Polly? Doesn't Polly end up with Bobby?"
"Well yeah, but what fun is playing a goody two shoes? I like to play bad girls. Just wait until I show you my song," she wiggles her eyebrows.
We got to her house and I was about to go inside and hang out with her per usual when my mom yelled,
"Skylar Lane Clifton! Get home now!" from across the street.
"Oh, someone's in trouble," Jade mocked me.
I playfully elbowed her before walking home.
"What?" I asked once I was in the house.
"Care to explain this?" she slapped a report card down on the table.
Every grade was an A except bio, the class I have Jade in. That class has a C. This is because Jade is always distracting me with her blabbering. Not to mention my professor is so god awful boring that it's hard to pay attention in general. I'd much rather be listening to Jade than him.
"It's a paper with letters on it. And my name. It appears to have come through the mail." I say.
"Ha-ha. Why isn't this grade an A? I pay too much money for this school for you to come home with C's."
"I'll try harder," I turn to head to my room.
"I want results. C's get grounded in this house. Any lower and you'll be suspended from the track team. Until you get this grade up, no more hanging out with Jade."
"Mom!"
"I don't want to hear it, now go to your room to study."
I took the stupid report card and marched upstairs. Oli, aka my little sister Oliva, was in my room stealing my phone charger. Again.
"Get out, brat!" I snagged it from her.
She just turned 14 but I swear she acts like she's still 12. It's like her personal mission to annoy the crap out of me.
"I'm telling mom!" She threatens.
"Get your own charger."
"Dukin ate mine!" she complains.
Dukin is our massive black Labrador. If it wasn't for him, I would have a lot harder of a time sneaking out of here almost every night. We got the dog a year before we moved, my mom wanted a protector in the house. My sister quickly took a liking to him and basically claimed him as her own. She is the one who takes care of him.
"Whose fault is that?"
"Dukun's!" she complains.
"Doesn't mean you can just take mine." I turn away from her.
"Asshole." She spat.
"What did you say?"
"I said you are an asshole!" she then ran out of my room to hers and slammed the door.
"Yeah well, so are you!"
"Enough!" mom yells from downstairs.
I sigh and shut my door.
To Be Continued...
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