"Hurry up Nat!" My best friend Laila calls from downstairs. I can just imagine her sitting at my kitchen table, making herself at home eating a bowl of cereal. I slide my feet into my new boots. It's been raining for about a week now--which is very unusual for California--so I always dress as if there is going to be showers. I bundle up in a long sleeve tee, my knit scarf, a fleece lined waterproof coat, with jeans and boots to keep out the spine chilling rain. It's impossible to get ready on time with all the layers. I hop down the stairs, grab my school purse from the couch, and snag a Luna bar from the table.
"Track bag," Laila reminds me, her mouth full of milk and cereal.
"I almost forgot it!" I scramble to throw my running shoes, track spikes, work out clothes, and two water bottles into my track bag. Luckily, my school has an indoor track so we can train without the rain.
"Ready Laila?" I ask once I finally have everything.
"Yup, one sec," she says shoving a spoonful of breakfast down her throat.
"Do you dish at least," I complain. After school, every day, I come home to find her breakfast dish sitting on the table.
She rinses the dish and puts it in the dish washer. I grab my keys and head out the door with Laila.
In the front passenger seat of Laila's cherry red Prius, I turn on the heater and blast the radio.
"You are so lucky to be on the Varsity team!" Laila reminds me, her straight, amber locks shaking with excitement. "You'll meet so many cute guys!"
Her boy crazy excitement makes me laugh. "Laila you know I'm not ready for another relationship." I playfully scold her.
"I know, but you should keep an open mind," she says as we pull up to the coffee shop.
"What do you want to drink?" I ask her once we get inside. "My treat this morning."
"Hmm," she thinks about her options but I know she will get her usual anyways. "A medium caramel latte."
I order our drinks from the barista, and I get a medium hot cocoa with a pump of white mocha, for myself. We get our drinks and hurry on to get to school. I eat my Luna bar and drink my hot cocoa on the way to school while Laila quizzes me for our history test today.
Quickly, we get inside school before we freeze and head to our lockers. I toss my track bag in my locker for this afternoon, stuff my coat in there too, and grab my Spanish and history text books for my next few classes.
"See ya," I say to Laila as I scurry down the hall while the bell rings, signaling it's time for first period.
"Adios chica!" She shouts back.
•
I breeze though my history test, thank you Laila for the cram car study session, and Spanish is no problem for me. Soon lunch rolls around, so I slide in line for a salad and an ice tea, then snag a seat at our usual booth in the cafeteria. Laila shows up with her lunch and then shortly after our other friends Sam and Kris sit down at our table.
"Natalie, what did you get on the history test?" Kris asks, her large blue eyes look worry some, I'm guessing she didn't do so well on the quiz.
"I got a B+," I reply politely. Kris smiles, but it doesn't light up the room like it usually does.
"Good job, Nat!" Sam says and high fives me across the table. History comes easy for Sam so he tutors Laila and I, and in return we help him with math.
"Any room for me?" a familiar voice asks. I look up to find our really good friend Cameron smiling at me.
"Of course!" I reply scooting over to make room.
"I hope you don't mind, I brought Luke with me." Cam's icy blue eyes sparkle, any other girl would fawn over Cameron's blondish-brown hair and blue eyes, but I'm resistant to the Cam charm. "He's new here at Queens, and in my English class. He moved here from Lincoln High School because Coach Lynn begged him too. Apparently, he is a track star." Cam finishes, addressing the last line to me. Cameron and I are both the captains of the school track team. I move my gaze from Cam to Luke who is now siting across from me.
He looks so familiar. Luke, I think, the name finally clicks in my brain. My neighbor, but I haven't seen him in years. And that is definitely not the same scrawny Luke I remember from second grade.
•
a/n: okay so I decided to rewrite Love Hurdles because I was having some personal trouble with it. It will be very similar but make sure to still read it, there will be some new things:)
xo clo
YOU ARE READING
Love Hurdles
Teen Fiction"He looks so familiar. Luke, I think, the name finally clicks in my brain. My neighbor, but I haven't seen him in years. And that is definitely not the same scrawny Luke I remember from second grade." • Natalie Sparks is your ordinary teenage girl...