A Racer's Heart

10: Supposed To Be A Team

Sasha's P.O.V.

Why did Mattie look so hurt when Star came to sit by me? No better question, why did she suck the life out of Delia then switch spots with her? Wait why doesn't she want to sit by me anymore? Do i smell? Maybe i should've finished the conversation with her before Star averted my attention to her. I try to shake the thoughts out of my head as i head to track practice. I didn't go running this weekend so I need to mentally prepare myself for todays practice.

I make my way towards the back of the school when the assistant principal asks me to help her with a few deliveries. I say yes because it's Mrs. Kelly, and Mrs. Kelly is the nicest person you will ever meet at Green Girls. I hand out some papers to our math teachers that have our progress reports on, and take a few notes back to her.

I finally get to the locker room and it's deserted. I put on my runners outfit quickly and head out so Coach René doesn't make me do suicides all practice. I put my hair up into a french braid as i walk out to the track to keep my hair out of my face.

"Sorry i'm late coach i had to go help Mrs. Kelly with some-" I look up to see Star stretching toward the front. I shake my head and try to hide the blush spreading across my face when i realize i'm only in short shorts and a sports bra. She winks at me and i slowly look back at Coach René. "Uh something."

"Start the stretches and hurry up, i need you to run with Star soon, see what she's capable of. After you go on a full sprint around the track for punishment."

"But Mrs. Kelly told me to help her." I say starting the stretches.

"Do you want to make it two?" She says placing the Clipboard besides me.

I keep quiet as i finish up the stretches occasionally helping my team mates with their positions. As i wrap up the last stretch I tell everyone to go on a team jog, meaning the faster runners, who burn out quickly, are towards the back and the slower runners, who can go long distance, are towards the front. Making it easier to have a steady beat.

We finish the Lap and i take a quick breather before going to sprint my lap. I finish and my personal drummer hasn't started rehearsing so i continue practice.

I head over to Star to start her running test. "So are you a long distance runner or short distance?"

"Short, although i'm more into 100 meters and 200 meters." Star answered.

"Great if you can show me your 200 run and let me time you so i can record it for Coach René."

She nodded and she started off. When she got back to me her time was 14.24

"Sorry that was really slow but i haven't been running since Districts."

I hug her instantly to make sure she doesn't think she needs to push herself for a better record.

"It's perfect for me." I write down her time and we go jogging over to the others. I make eye contact with Mattie and i feel like i did something wrong. I shake off the feeling and get in line for the quick sprints.

(~*(')~(')*~)

In the locker room, i change into some acid washed shorts and off the shoulder crop top. I see Mattie standing in front of her locker and i try to ignore her. Star comes up to me and starts talking about coming over to her house tomorrow. I agree and give her a quick kiss before she leaves. Mattie grunts and i snap my head back to her. Star had already left and Mattie and I were the last one's in the Locker room.

"What was that for?" I say walking back to my locker trying to control my heated confusion.

"You don't know Star like I do... She will break you, expose you, use you, and lie to you until she knows she won. She hurt me in too many ways and too many times. I don't want you to get hurt." Mattie said stuffing her locker.

"Would you care to explain?" I say feeling slightly defensive toward Star. I have this little hope down inside that something she says will make me not want Star anymore but if the wrong thing comes out of her mouth than I'm going to snap.

"What? What she did to me? She dated me for a year and a half only to have been cheating the whole time. When I found out, she told the school I had raped her and got me expelled. I found out she only dated me because she thought I was cute and only wanted me for sex. She used the same lines on everybody- more than thirty people- that she cheated with..." She said tears silently streaming down her face.

"My girlfriend is NOT a cheater, I knew you would say something so low like that, And to think i may have liked you." I say slamming my locker door to face her. "And the thing is, maybe you deserved to be cheated on, maybe you weren't the one for her? Maybe you couldn't handle the pressure of someone like her. That's why you had to fake it." I say turning around to pick up my bag. "That's why you had to be soo much better than her. But that's so fucking selfish." I turn around to look at her and the tears are coming faster. I shake it off and keep going. "You were supposed to be a team and you took the shit for granted." I take a step to her and shake my head trying to dismiss the gut feeling inside that i'm making a mistake. "What the fuck did i ever see in you?"

Mattie wipes her eye furiously and rushes out of the locker room. "I was just trying to help."

I feel like shit watching her run out of the locker room. The feeling of hurt was written all over her face and i couldn't push it out of my head as i walked to the front.

What the fuck did i just do?