Knee Pads

13 | apex jump

CHAPTER THIRTEEN | APEX JUMP

when a skater jumps on the inside of the track from one point of the apex to the other, usually in an effort to avoid or get around opposing blockers positioned there.

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           I was aware of Corinne's proximity to an uncomfortable extent. It was either that or risking falling off the bike by sitting too far away or not holding her tightly enough, so I'd settled for singing as loud as I possibly could inside my head. Maybe that way I wouldn't think about her too much.

          I thought I was doing a decent job at looking unbothered by my sudden epiphany. She didn't appear to notice a thing, probably still obsessing after having let me get yet another glimpse of her personal life, unaware she'd just made it all harder and worse for me. At least one of us had the luxury of not having to take my feelings into consideration.

          I tried to thank her once she parked her motorcycle in the parking lot, but no words ever came out of my mouth when I opened it, so, if I didn't look ridiculous before, I certainly did now. It was quite an impressive feat, in my opinion, the way I managed to embarrass myself in front of pretty women unprompted. Acknowledging that also forced me to acknowledge I thought Corinne was pretty, and acknowledging she was pretty also made it easier for me to remember everything I'd been trying to forget during the ride back to campus.

          "So," she said, as we made our way towards the dorms. It baffled me how she was blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, but I was determined to keep things that way. Giving Corinne that knowledge and that much power terrified the living shit out of me. "That was fun. Dinner, I mean. Dinner was fun."

          "That's the power of carbs for you," I stupidly replied. She gave me a mocking look, as though she really thought I was stupid. "They really make you feel better."

          "Yeah, well." She threw her hair back over her shoulder. "Don't get used to it. Now that you're part of the team, expect a detailed meal plan and workout regime to show up in your mailbox in a few days. Remember that one afternoon we were all hanging out in the café, eating cake and sugar? That was a goodbye snack. Say goodbye to burgers and fries, say hello to grilled chicken breast and arugula."

          She gagged, but I was apprehensive.

          Some of my favorite dishes, particularly Chinese dishes, were high on carbs, not to mention my love for fried food, but I supposed I could make it work. Our dorm room had a kitchenette setup on one of the corners, which Katrina and I had barely used until now, surviving on dining area food, so we'd have to go grocery shopping soon. I wasn't that great of a cook and I'd once heard Katrina tell a story about how she nearly blinded her mom while trying to boil an egg, which sounded like a terrible omen for things to come.

          I didn't want to be rude and come up with an excuse to ditch her, too uncomfortable to be around her when I was just coming to terms with my recent knowledge, but I didn't know how to escape this situation. It wasn't like I could avoid her forever, thanks to roller derby and our mutual friends, namely Katrina, but all I wanted to do was lock myself in my dorm room for the rest of the semester until it went away.

          "I can walk to my room by myself," I told her, before I could stop myself from running my mouth, and she stopped walking. "You really don't need to follow me. Surely you have better things to do."

          "Oh." She blinked. "Oh, okay. Yeah, that's fine."

          "Yeah."

          She took my helmet, balancing both of them on her hands, and it almost looked comical. "You don't have to worry about me telling everyone about what happened today. Your private life is your private life and that has nothing to do with me or with the rest of the team. I'm not that big of a bitch to be spreading your secrets around." I hummed. "Does Kat know? You two seem to be getting closer, so I assumed she might know a thing or two. Just wondering. In case it ever comes up in conversation and I'm around."