Capturing Them

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen
Sang

Gym class.

I hate gym class. But it's required.

I push the door open and go into the changing rooms, my eyes looking anywhere and everywhere away from the half naked girls getting changed. I look to the floor as I make my way through the hustle and bustle of clothes coming off and some going back on. Finding an empty corner, one that's as secluded as possible, I drop down my bag. Digging out my gym clothes, I face the corner and start taking my clothes off, quickly pulling on a pair of red track pants –pulling the strings tight- and a plain too big t-shirt.

Pulling my hair over my shoulder, I quickly braid it, securing it with the elastic Luke had used earlier on today. I slip on my sneakers and tie the laces, sneaking peaks at the other girls that are wearing tight yoga pants and tank tops. Tight clothes get you noticed for the wrong reasons and because the class is mixed gender, I don't want to be noticed in anyway at all.

I wonder if any of the boys are going to be in this class. I quickly push the thought away as I put my stuff in a locker and lock it away.
Walking out of the locker room I go into the gymnasium and look around. My peers are gathered around the room, some still trickling in from the locker room. The coaches are in the corner, talking with each other. I can't see any sign of what we'll be doing today in the class –no net balls out or badminton nets- as I make my way to the bleachers and sit down.

I don't hate gym class because I don't like doing sport, I just don't like doing it in front of everyone else. People watch you, watch the way you move and do things and I don't like that. I just hate attention in all aspects. Lifting my head I start looking around at my peers; some faces I recognise from other classes, some are new. My eyes zero in on two people though.

My breath hitches when I realize they've been watching me. Nathan is wearing black basketball shorts and a red tank. Gabriel is wearing black track pants and a bright orange vest. The muscles in Nathan's arms are strained as he stands casually with his arms cross his chest; they look safe and inviting. I shake my head at my thoughts and look away, especially when their lips start to turn up into smiles. I don't want to give them the wrong impression.

A whistle blows, startling me. One of the coaches move into the middle of the room. "Today we're all going outside to do cross country. I want five laps around the field, each lap is a mile and a half. I don't want any complaining from anyone. As you pass each of us coaches at the start line, we'll note your times." She claps her hands together and points to the doors at the end of the gym that are open, leading out to a field. "I want everyone to line up where the cones are, we'll do some stretching before we send you off on your run. Let's go."

Running I can handle. Running is easy. To me, anyway. Pushing myself to my feet I follow everyone else out of the door and to the cones. Coach goes through some stretching with us all but I'm only partly paying attention as a few feet away from me is Gabriel and Nathan and my eyes keep sending them, stretching the muscles that they very clearly have. I hate to bite my lip when that low ache from before settles low in my stomach. Desire and attraction, the stupid emotions.

When Coach tells us all to line up, everyone pushes and shoves together, trying to get to the front. I hang around at the back, not bothered where abouts I am. I notice Gabriel and Nathan not to far away from me. When Coach blows her whistle we're all off. I steady myself at first with a low job, keeping my heart rate steady and my breathing nice and even –in through my nose, out through my mouth.
I keep my eyes straight ahead, my glasses slipping down my nose. I'm wishing now I had taken them off but now I'll have to make do. I've overtaken a few people, not purposely; I pretended to not hear them when they called me a bitch, completely confused as to why. I'm just hitting the halfway mark on my first lap when I feel a presence either side of me. I know I only need one guess as to who it is.