The Distance

OCTOBER - COLE, 2

Jack started coming to morning practices. I tried to increase my team's collective speed, pushing them harder in an attempt to pull away from Jack. I wanted to discourage him, so he'd give up and start walking. Annoyingly, he was able to keep up with us. He had more endurance than he had any right to. He even started getting compliments from the coach and some of my teammates.

"Jack, I didn't know you could run that fast," I heard Benji say.

"They work us really hard during the lacrosse season," he explained, shrugging his meaty shoulders. "We also have to hold sticks and catch balls. You know, like an actual sport."

"Cross-country's a sport too," Brad protested.

"No it's not," said Jack.

They didn't push back against him. It was like Jack's bad attitude was magnetic. I had seen it happen in the halls of my school and now it was infecting my locker room. It was like everyone wanted his approval. I assumed it was because he was objectively attractive. His years of bullying had made me forget he looked like an All-American Abercrombie model. It was a sad form of hero-worship that not even Coach Sawyer was immune to.

"You keep up the good work, Jack, and you'll be running varsity," said Coach.

"What, like it's hard?" replied Jack with a smirk.

I tried to drown out Coach Sawyer's approving chuckles as I wandered away from practice.

I continued my routine of secretly eating lunch in the library. I got better at hiding it. That, or after our awkward conversation, Ms. Daniels gave up on policing me.

"So, I heard a rumor," a sweet voice drifted into my ears over a stack of books on a Wednesday afternoon.

It wasn't Ms. Daniels. Anna had found me again. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans. I always thought she looked so pretty in the simplest of outfits. I winced anyway. I wasn't in the mood for rumors, especially if they were about me.

"I'm sure you did," I said. "People love to talk."

"I heard that Aurora's house got tp'd over the weekend and some people are saying that you and your new friends did it to get revenge."

"Revenge for what?" I asked.

"I dunno," she barely replied. It was a nonchalant musical mumble.

I suddenly wondered if Anna had heard the news directly from Aurora. If she was fishing for details so she could report back.

"I also heard she got tp'd. I wasn't there."

I left out the part that I was certain Jason and his friends were the guilty party. I didn't want to implicate him or myself. Anna frowned. My lack of elaboration hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Am I annoying you?"

"Um-" I stopped myself. She was annoying me, but mostly because I didn't understand her motives. "I just don't know what you're doing here. A lot of people are talking about me behind my back. You seemed pretty chummy with Aurora before the dance-"

"Oh, that..." she looked off, taking a moment to compose her thoughts. "I think I just realized how much I care about you. Do you ever feel like we age really quickly in High School? Like we dated two years ago and at the time I felt so adult, but looking back, we were just kids figuring shit out. I'm pretty sure I'll feel the same way in another two years' time. I was weird with Aurora back then and I was trying to make amends. And now, I think it's unfair how people are talking about you. I want to be your friend, if you'll let me."

She looked at me like she had during sophomore year with a sense of wanting. I wasn't sure if she meant friend or something more. But either way, she seemed genuine.