OFF TRACK

12

SUMMER

"Five minutes and we're running it again!" Coach B announces when the song ends.

"I hate this," I groan pulling my sweaty t-shirt off over my head. We've been at practice since seven pm and it's almost eleven, we started with technique practice but now we're running our competition routine on loop.

Ellie's laying on the gym floor trying to catch her breath, "I think if I hear that damn song one more time I'm gonna scream."

"Maybe she'll let us mark it," Kenize, one of the sophomores on the squad says hopefully. She transferred from Arizona State University this year so it's her first year on the team.

Ellie and I both look at her.

"Sorry to break it to you, sweetie," Ellie starts.

"But not gonna happen," I shake my head, "Coach B only does full out."

"If Jenna was here maybe," Danni, one of our co-captains adds.

Jenna is our choreographer but Coach B is our head coach, she runs the whole show. There's also Trina, our technique coach, but she's already gone home for the night. Trina had a baby over the summer so we've been seeing very little of her recently.

"Help, please," Ellie holds her hands out to me. I clasp her hands in mine and pull her to her feet.

"What is that?" Ellie pokes my chest.

"Huh?" I look down at where her finger is pointing. At the edge of the curved neckline of my sports bra there's a faint purple mark that's mostly covered by the bra.

Damn it, Trevor.

"Nothing," I push her hand away from my chest.

"You had the place to yourself last night," she's starting to connect the dots, "You were oddly calm this morning when I banged on your door."

"Oh my god!" Danni, who loves to be in on everyone's business, squeals, "Red slept with someone!"

Being the only red head on the team means that since my freshman year the team deemed me 'Red' and they're the only ones I let get away with it. Growing up I used to tell off anyone who called me it.

"No!" I walk away from them reaching for my water bottle but the three of them follow me.

"Who was it!" Ellie pushes.

"A man," I shrug opening my water bottle. They all continue to ask questions as I drink my water.

"Does he go here?" Danni asks.

"Where did you meet him?" Kenize questions.

"Do I know him?" Ellie asks.

"I will not be answering questions at this time." I nod setting my water back down.

"Oh you'll be answering questions," Ellie glares at me.

"No I won't," I hiss, "Because it was a one time thing," I glare back at her.

"Oh my god!" Ellie squeals.

"What now?" I groan.

"That was totally a lie!" She takes a step closer to me.

"Was not!" I take a step closer to her and we're eye to eye. Danni and Kenzie are watching us argue like little kids. But everyone's used to it, we bicker like sisters all the time. Some of the freshman thought we were sisters earlier this year.

"Summer Elise!" She uses my middle name like its gonna make me break.

I narrow my eyes at her, "I am not lying, Ellie Grace." I use her middle name just to be annoying.

"Okay ladies!" Coach claps her hands together, "Gimme from the top!"

"This isn't over," Ellie weakly threatens me as we move to our spots.

TREVOR

"So, where'd you sneak off to last night?" James asks while we all sit around on the couch watching the Sunday night football game, when no one answers he taps my knee, "Earth to Trevor?"

I look up from my phone. I want to text Summer, but I feel like I shouldn't. I have typed out four different texts and deleted them all. I don't even know what to say.

"Sorry," I shake my head, "I went to a girl's place."

"Ooo" Alex teases because despite what everyone thinks I don't sleep around, it's just never been my thing.

But Alex, who's sitting right next to on the couch, lightly elbows me like he knows who it was. He's been teasing me about Summer since the night she came to our game with my family. As for James? I think he's already forgotten that night even happened.

"Oh shut up, you're the one with a girlfriend now!" I cross my arms over my chest.

"How did that even happen?" Logan, or Lo as the team calls him, asks. He and James are the teams biggest flirts. They literally have a new girl every night.

"Same path Trev's going down," Alex gestures to me.

"What does that mean?" I ask taking a sip of my beer.

"El and I started just hooking up and then next thing I know we're hanging out all the time. I can't get enough of her! She honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me," Alex smiles his mind obviously wondering to Ellie.

"That's not what's happening," I shake my head, "It was a one time thing...I think."

"You think?" James asks.

"We didn't really talk about it," I admit.

"Bro!" Logan groans.

"See that's where you fucked up," James starts to explain, "You should of told her exactly what you wanted before ever going all the way."

"There wasn't a moment."

"There's always a moment," Logan crosses his arms.

"And now," James starts again, "She's gonna get clingy and ask for more."

"She's not that kind of girl," and I know she's not, I don't think she'd ever straight out tell me or anyone her real feelings.

"You can't assume that about girls, they're all a bit clingy," Logan nods.

"Oh whatever, you two don't know what you're talking about!" I push myself off the couch and head to my room.

Once I close my door, I can't stop thinking about what James said. I look down at my phone in my hand.

I shouldn't.

I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

What has this girl done to me?

I sit back up.

Fuck it.

Next thing I know I'm holding my phone to my ear as it rings. What am I doing?

"Hello?" She sounds like she's whispering.

"Hey, Summer, it's me."

"I have your number saved, idiot," she scoffs. There's people talking in the background.

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

"What's up? I only have a couple of minutes."

"Where are you?"

"Practice," she answers and then someone calls her name in the background.

"Shit, sorry," she mumbles, "I have to go!" And then the line goes dead.

At least she answered, I guess.