Beneath the Rivalry

Chapter 3: Track

The next afternoon, the late September sun cast long shadows across the Starfern High track. The field buzzed with activity as athletes warmed up, chatting and stretching in their brightly colored uniforms. Tessa stood at the edge of the track, adjusting her ponytail and lacing her sneakers tightly, her competitive fire already burning.

Today’s practice wasn’t just about conditioning, it was a chance for her to remind everyone, especially Alex Barren, that she wasn’t about to be outdone. The biology test from the day before still loomed large in her mind, and even though the results wouldn’t come for a few days, she couldn’t help but replay her performance over and over again. Alex had seemed confident—too confident and that made her uneasy. But out here, on the track, she had control. This was her domain.

She bent down to stretch her hamstrings when she heard familiar footsteps approaching. Without even looking up, she knew it was Alex. His presence had become something she could sense, a quiet but undeniable pressure that had her on alert whenever he was nearby.

“Virgo,” Alex’s voice drawled from above her.

Tessa straightened, her eyes meeting his. He stood there in his track uniform, a smirk playing on his lips, his hazel eyes gleaming with that insufferable confidence. His jet-black hair was slightly tousled, and he had that relaxed, effortless air about him that never seemed to fade, no matter how intense things got.

“Barren,” she replied coolly, folding her arms. “Come to lose again today?”

Alex laughed softly, his muscular arms crossing over his chest. “Lose? You must be thinking of someone else. Last time I checked, I’ve still got the fastest time here.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, refusing to let him get to her. “You won’t for long. I’ve been training harder than ever.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Alex said, his smirk widening. “But you know it’s not just about how hard you work. Sometimes, it’s about raw talent.”

Tessa bristled. “You think I don’t have talent?”

“I didn’t say that.” Alex’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’m just saying that no matter how hard you push, I’m always going to be one step ahead.”

Her jaw clenched. Alex was always doing this—pushing her buttons, making her feel like she had something to prove. And while part of her thrived on that challenge, another part of her was tired of constantly feeling like she had to chase him.

“I guess we’ll see about that today,” Tessa shot back, stepping closer, her chin tilting up as she stared him down. Despite the tension between them, she couldn’t ignore how his closeness made her pulse quicken.

Alex’s eyes flickered with something unreadable as he looked down at her. For a moment, the teasing glint in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a quiet intensity. His voice dropped a little. “You know, you’re not half bad, Virgo.”

Tessa blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. It wasn’t the first time Alex had surprised her with a moment of sincerity, but it was always jarring when it happened.

Before she could respond, their track coach, Coach Miller, blew the whistle, signaling the start of practice. The brief moment between them evaporated as quickly as it had come, replaced by the familiar tension of competition.

“Alright, athletes!” Coach Miller called out, pacing along the side of the track. “Today, we’re focusing on sprints. I want to see speed and power. No slacking! And I’m looking at you two—Barren, Virgo—you’ve got to stop staring at each other and start racing.”

A few of their teammates chuckled, but Tessa felt her face flush as she quickly turned away from Alex. The last thing she needed was for anyone to think there was something between them, no matter what Abby—or anyone else—believed.

The athletes lined up for the first set of sprints, and Tessa took her place at the starting line, her heart already racing. She glanced to her left, where Alex was settling into position beside her. His gaze was straight ahead, focused, but she could feel the unspoken challenge between them.

This wasn’t just about practice. It was about proving something—to herself, to Alex, and to everyone watching. She had to beat him.

The whistle blew, and they were off.

Tessa launched forward, her legs pumping as fast as they could, the wind rushing past her face. The track stretched out ahead of her, the distant finish line taunting her. Her feet pounded against the ground, her muscles burning with every stride, but she welcomed the burn. It reminded her that she was giving it everything she had.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alex—just a step ahead, his long legs carrying him effortlessly down the track. He moved with the grace of someone who had been doing this his whole life, and as much as Tessa hated to admit it, he was good. Really good.

But she wasn’t going to let him win.

With a surge of determination, Tessa pushed harder, her body screaming in protest as she forced herself to close the gap between them. The finish line was just meters away, and Alex was still ahead. No. Not today.

With a final burst of speed, she leaned forward, her legs burning as she crossed the finish line—right beside Alex. They both stumbled to a stop, breathless, glancing at each other in surprise.

“Looks like it was a tie,” Coach Miller called from the sidelines, his voice echoing across the track.

Tessa bent over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She glanced at Alex, who was also breathing heavily, his hands on his hips.

“A tie,” he repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, I’ll give you this, Virgo—you’re faster than I thought.”

Tessa straightened up, her chest still heaving, but she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “You didn’t think I could keep up?”

Alex met her gaze, and for a split second, the usual teasing was gone, replaced by something deeper. “I always knew you could keep up. I just didn’t think you’d push yourself this hard.”

There was something in his tone, something unspoken that made Tessa’s heart skip a beat. But before she could say anything, their teammates gathered around, laughing and joking about the close finish. The moment was lost, swallowed up by the chatter and noise of practice.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of sprints, drills, and exhaustion. By the time practice ended, Tessa was drenched in sweat, her muscles aching from the intense workout. But despite the physical exhaustion, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that lingered in the back of her mind—the feeling that something between her and Alex had shifted today.

As she walked toward the locker room, Abby jogged up beside her, her face flushed with excitement.

“You and Alex were practically neck and neck out there!” Abby exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight. “I told you—you’re totally getting into his head.”

Tessa snorted. “I’m not trying to get into his head, Abby. I’m just trying to beat him.”

“Uh-huh.” Abby shot her a knowing look. “Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working. You should have seen the way he looked at you after that sprint.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, though her heart skipped a beat at the memory. “He’s just annoyed he didn’t win. That’s all.”

“Maybe,” Abby said with a sly grin. “Or maybe there’s something more going on beneath all that rivalry.”

Tessa shook her head, trying to push the thought away. But as she changed out of her track gear and headed home, she couldn’t help but wonder if Abby was right.

Because for the first time, Tessa found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe, there was more to Alex Barren than the competition. And that thought, as unsettling as it was, refused to leave her alone.