Taming the Bad Boy (Completed)

Chapter 32

Another Chapter...it feels rushed so apologies! i was so dissapointed as my last upload got hardly any reads and no comments...Am i still writing for someone out there? Should i leave it? Just be honest...no hard feelings!

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“Renee are you on drugs?” I looked up bewildered at the voice of my coach who looked as angry as I’d ever seen him.

“No?”               

“Then why are you stuffing yourself with calories just hours before your race!”

I shrugged “I’ve been craving a burger for ages” I told him “And I plan to murder this one, so if you’d excuse me…”

It was true, after we’d left our room last night we’d bumped into a few of the other US Athletes. Mary Kate insisted we sat with the group of long jumpers as she was thinking of starting up, so we sat, miserable nibbling on the salads they had insisted we buy.

Blake had protested “I want food suitable for a human…not a rabbit” they’d looked hurt that he’d bad mouthed their suggestion so I elbowed him sharply and forced a smile “I think we’ll try the salads”. They were all quite petite in figure, Madeline a 19 year old college freshman, had started out on the track before she had decided to start field sports. Janet was also 19, but didn’t attend college, instead coached young athletes in her spare time. The most interesting by far was Beau, she was 24 and a mother of 1 who didn’t stop encouraging me throughout the dinner and I had warmed up to her immediately.

I even spotted Greta Joyce a few times in an expensive looking gown on the arm of an actor I recognised, but concentrated on making small talk with the table.

I now was sat, on a bench, with full view of the track devouring a cheeseburger that my generous boyfriend had purchased for me.

Ethan stared at me incredulously “You should be training! We’ve got under an hour until you race!”

I sighed taking another bite of the burger, I wondered briefly whether I could ask Blake to get me another one. My wondering was cut short as the burger flew out of my hand and disassembled in the air. I blinked. Once. Twice.

“Are you flipping insane?”

Ethan didn’t hide his amusement only pointed to the training track “Get to it”

Mumbling profanities under my breath I made my way to where a sea of bodies stood stretching animatedly. I didn’t know where Blake, Brendan and Mary Kate had sat and almost immediately yearned for some familiarity. I was by far the youngest of the group, and I silently stretched ignoring the stares of some Kenyan athletes.  I did however notice the one and only Greta Joyce in the same track fit I wore, a blue sports bra and matching micro shorts. She looked up and smiled at me briefly before taking off jogging down the track.

I was surprised when an official tapped me “5 minutes miss”. The nerves kicked in then and I gulped taking my spot on the line. The 1500m was an easy race for me, and I breathed out looking around me at the determined faces. I couldn’t hear anything until my name was announced and the entire arena cheered. I forgot it was a home race. The cheer for Greta was even louder and she smiled stiffly as the camera settled on her. I let out another breath as we were told to get set. And then a gun broke through the earshattering silence. We were off. I concentrated on my steps, my breath, my speed. An image of Jasper Simpson popped into my mind. It had been bugging me all day but I refused to let it show. He went to prison on the 23rd of April 2009. He had some sort of vendetta against our town and their disgust at his relationship with Ashley. My mind went into overdrive…last he attacked at the club, on the 23rd of April. And before that there was a fire on the 23rd of February. I gulped, it was the 16th today. We had 7 days.