Everlance Academy

Chapter 2

Addies commentary on the school is much more amusing than Mrs. Everlaces. Not only does she explain to me which toilets are the cleanest or what food I should avoid at all costs, she also fills me in about the school's current drama (someone setting a chemistry lab with exams in it on fire, a teacher hooking up with a student, some fight between two girls a year under me in which one of them lost three teeth).

"And that's what happened in the last two weeks," she ends her report, which makes me chuckle. We've reached the field, where about fifteen girls stretch and chatter. Addie sits down next to a group of four girls, whom she introduces me to.

"Olivia, Kit, Inez, and Nora," Addie says, pointing with her fingers at each of the girls. "Guys, this is June. She's new."

All of them greet me with nods or short hellos; Nora and Inez smile at me. The others concentrate on their stretching and continue their conversation about some concert they went to.

About ten minutes later, our coach, Sarah, tells us to jog five laps as a warm-up. I run next to Addie, who tells me jokes the entire time that make me laugh so hard that I can't concentrate on my breathing. Olivia runs next to us, not saying a word. The others fall back a bit.

Next up are a couple of sprints and hurdles over 110 meters. After that, we do a few middle distances: 400m, 600m, and 200m. I am pleased to notice that I always end up being at least fourth or fifth. I was worried that in a school with people this talented, I'd fall back, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Just as I finished running 200 meters and was standing next to the tracks, I heard someone calling out for me.

"June! June! Over here!"

I turn my head and see Noah hurrying in my direction. It is then that I notice that right next to the racing paths, the basketball field starts, with a high fence made of metal separating the two.

"Noah! How's life?"

"It's going great!", he tells me enthusiastically. "Coach is making the others do circuit training for Saturday, but I'm sitting out. I watched you run instead. You're pretty damn fast!"

I shrug. "I manage. I didn't train for two weeks straight because I was on vacation, so I'm a little out of practice. But next month I'll be in competitions again, mark my words."

Noah opens his mouth to say something, but the barking voice of Sarah interrupts him.
"Lockwood! You didn't come to this school for chit-chatting, did ya?"

I glance at Noah apologetically and sprint towards my coach, where the others have formed a circle.

"We're doing 150-meter sprints next. It's two against each other, so I can watch every single one of you."

I know it's how coaches do their job, but out of Sarah's mouth, it sounds like a threat. I turn to Addie or Nora to ask them if they want to be my partner, but Sarah starts sorting us into groups herself.

Soon enough, Addie and Nora are assigned a partner, and I am left with none other than Olivia. Shit.

I don't have anything against Olivia; I really don't. I hardly even know her. But God, that girl can run. And I'm not going to let myself lose a race on my first day here.

***

We stand by the fence, watching each of the girls go. Then it's my turn, and together with Olivia, I get into position.

"Ready, Set..."

Sarah doesn't say go immediately, which makes me wary. I hate it when people do that—when they stretch the time between set and go, so you're so tense, you can barely even breathe. Why don't they just-