I Learned To Trust | The Joanne McKinley Diaries 2

7. Unwind

"We'll done, Joanne!" Our P.E teacher shouted. "That's a PB just do it once more!"

Track and field. My one true calling. And I was good at it. But I could hate it sometimes. Like today because I had to do the 800m. Again. For the third time today. I take my position when someone goes next to me. Yeah, it's hard to avoid Alisha since she's in my form. Looks like she was my competition in 800m. Mr Green yells go and I start running. It was somewhere in between a run and a jog, Alisha beside me. By the time we're arriving at 300, Alisha starts.

"When will you talk to me?"

"When you cut the crap," I reply bluntly. Then I cut my jog to a run.

"1 minute 29 seconds Joanne. It's going well!" Mr Green screams at me.

I get to the second 200 and sprint. Sprint as hard as I can. I hear cheers coming from my class mates and I strive even harder. Then I cross the line and finish.

"3:47! New PB!" He breaks out. And the class starts cheering. There are 'Usain Bolt's' being screamed as well as 'Jo-anne' and tons more stuff. Some shit funny form. My winded self laughs as the class cheers and we walk off the field to school. People are running, mainly because it's the last period of the day. I drain my water bottle as I walk over to the girls changing rooms, Mason and Mai next to me.

"Look at our little track star," Mai coos.

"My girlfriend's the female Usain Bolt," Mason teases. "Don't forget me when you're famous." I hit Mason.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" I wheeze. Then Mason pulls me on his shoulders.

"You're asshole. The asshole that's taking you out tonight." I kiss his forehead and the conversation continues as normal. As normal as it can get when your boyfriend is perverted.

***

"You two are goals for real," Lauren T coos.

If I had £1 for every time someone said that, I'd be in a mansion with a private jet and and a Mercedes Benz limo and get the iPhone 6 ahead of schedule. No exaggeration, I would be a bloody gazillionare. Point? I've heard that too many times.

Mason gives me a look (which was a failed sexy look) and I burst out laughing. My laughing turns to guffawing. Then guffawing turns into down right howling and then a hiccup. Mason laughs at me as my chest rises and falls against his.

"Why do you do this to me?" I ask.

"It's my job," he replies.

"Goals for sure," Lauren T confirms.

Yeah, yeah. I keep myself steady to recover as I lay down on Mason's lap with him stroking my hair. Strange, but comforting. Then I feel his hand tense up in my hair and I open my eyes to see Alisha with her stare dead-panned on us. I sigh and lay back down. And don't think that I didn't see the hurt on her face as I lay back down.

Because I did.

And it hurt like a motherfucker.

***

"You are not wearing sweatpants on this date!" Mai and my mum scream at me.

"Why fucking not!" I scream at them. I mean, the guy's seen me at eight am with morning breath, crusty eyes and a birds nest for hair. Not that big of a deal.

"Because you need to look pretty!" Mai screams at me.

"Gee thanks," I scoff. Could you believe this bitch was my best friend?

"Not like that, J. As in make an effort for the guy who continues to prove himself to you!"

Okay, she made a point. I sigh and nod my head, letting the rummage through my wardrobe to find a date outfit. The shit I did for this boy. Love is painful. I flop down on my bed and take out my phone and start to talk to Mason.