THE SLOWEST BURN ~ wally clark x oc

~ meet ~

KAITLYN

I realize I'm not really dressed for running, so I head to the locker room to go searching. There's a clean pair of gym shorts in Alison's locker, Nikes in my size in another, and a Split River t-shirt in my friend Jenna's. I remember she cut a thick strip of fabric off to make it a crop top, and I liked how it looked. Cute AND functional.

I leave my clothes on a bench and head out. The track surrounds the football field, which reminds me of Penny cheerleading. I suppress that thought and jog over to the starting line. It's getting darker and no game means no lights, but I can deal. I'm so eager to be fast again, to push my body to its limits and feel free.

I've never stepped into this stadium as an athlete, just a spectator. Football is not my thing, but the track loops around the field, so I'm here surrounded by the empty bleachers.

When I came back to school sophomore year, I went to a girls track meet for the first time since I was part of a team back in 6th grade. I didn't expect the emotion that hit me when I saw the sprinters. My doctors had cautioned me against overdoing it physically. I was newly in remission, but my body still felt off. So as much as I craved it, I was stuck on the sidelines.

I left mid-meet because it was too upsetting to see the other girls thriving out there. None of them had any idea how lucky they were. I didn't go back to another track meet after that.

My heart pounds as I approach the starting line. I get into the classic crouch starting position, one foot forward and leaning down on my hands.

"Ready," I say aloud.

"Set." I raise myself up.

"GO!"

///

WALLY

I need to get inside and hit up a couch after sitting my ass on these metal bleachers for so long. I don't know what my next step with Kaitlyn is. I genuinely hope she's okay, but I still need time to figure out how to get to know her in person when I already could write a damn Wikipedia article about her. I need to find Charley so he can be my therapist and tell me what to do.

I'm about to start the long descent from the top step, when movement catches my eye.

Oh my god. It's her.

She's changed clothes- um, have I seen her in little shorts and a crop top before?- I push down my teenage hormones and realize she can't see me up here in the dark. I've watched her for so long without her knowing, so I'm tempted to hang back in the shadows... but she might see me eventually, and then her first impression would be that I'm a total stalker. So, down I go. Deep breaths. Don't fuck this up.

Next thing I know, she takes off running in the opposite direction before I reach the bottom. Jeez, this girl could leave me in the dust, and my legs are way longer than hers.

She's about three quarters of the way around the track when she notices me standing there. Her pace slows a bit, like she's wary of me. I need to put her at ease. You got this, Clark. Be your lovable, charming self.

///

KAITLYN 

I can't stop grinning as I pump my arms and legs. I feel like I could just lift off and soar. I round the last curve and something... no, someone... catches my eye. My natural girl instinct is to be on high alert at night, but it dawns on me that I can't exactly die twice. This person is looking at me, so clearly it's another dead kid. I guess I have to meet everyone anyway. Hope he doesn't think I'm a weirdo for being out here.