Cloverfield

2: Panic drills

"Hell no," she whispered. She wanted to run back, not to her locker but to her house. To her bed. Under her soft and safe covers, where she could hide.

"Ali?" Spencer looked back at her. Alison had stopped in her tracks, her blue eyes widened and some wind caught her blonde and curly hair. She looked beautiful, like a model, but her shocked expression just didn't match the cool sunny weather. That second seemed to last forever.

Move! Ali told herself and obeyed. "I'm right behind you." She flashed a reassuring smile. She wasn't sure what she was reassuring. That she was scared?

Her subconscious had known better than to bolt. Leaving would seem weird. Okay, maybe she would have left if she hadn't told Spencer she was super excited. Now that would definitely be weird.

She took a deep breath as she lined up next to her friend. Ian wouldn't try anything. He's surrounded by students and his assistant.

"First, we're gonna warm up and then start with some passing drills," Ian said.

After going through neck, shoulders and torso stretches, Alison was wondering, now that every girl had their legs straight and their bodies bended to reach their feet, if he was looking at their butts, specially since they were all wearing skirts or shorts.

"Smooth job, DiLaurentis. You too, Hastings," he added, like he was trying to hide the fact that he was only praising her. "Okay, girls. Get up, shake your feet and choose a partner."

Spencer smiled at Ali, making her feel a little bit better.

Alison put her arm around her shoulder as Ian--god, she needed to dissociate him from his job--Coach Thomas showed the first drill with help of his assistant, at least Alison knew Cassie from the year she played with her on the Junior Varsity team.

Cassie Buckley had told Ali once that she'd be the MVP before she even became a freshman. She also just got out of high school and Alison was happy to be able to see her as often again. Ali could turn to her instead of Ian. I mean, Coach Thomas.

So that's what she did for the rest of the period. She ignored Ian's comments at her or Spencer and if she had questions, she just asked Cassie. Spencer also knew that Ali knew Cassie so it wasn't weird.

When the coach announced they could all go change, Alison exhaled. Finally.

She took a large gulp off her water bottle as she walked to the locker room with Spencer and the rest of the team.

She grabbed her towel and wash products and proceeded to shower, the warm water dropping on her skin, making her feel way more relaxed now that she was alone. A curtain separating her from the world.

"Ali?" Spencer asked outside.

"Yeah?"

"I'd wait for you, but I'm really hungry-"

"Don't worry about it. Go eat, Hastings."

Spencer giggled. "See you."

A few minutes later, she turned off the shower and exited in her towel. While heading towards her locker for her clothes, she noticed there were no other girls in the room anymore. Had she really taken that long?

"You looked better in a bikini," a male's voice rang behind her.

She froze. Ian. "You looked better out of the room."

"You haven't even seen me in the room..." He started toward her and Ali was shaking as she heard his steps.

But then he stopped in his tracks when someone was calling him, "Ian, where are you?"

Cassie. Alison felt herself breathing again as he walked away. She had never been so grateful for someone in that moment.

But she didn't notice that she was breathing hard. That her heart was pounding loud against her chest. That she was on the verge of tears.

She sat down on a bench and tried to take slow and steady breaths, her mom used to tell her as a child that those worked to make the bad dreams go away.

"Then why aren't you going?" Ian asked her, his hand on her leg.

Alison was speechless. She wanted to move, but her nerves weren't allowing her to so she took deep breaths. She took deep breaths to bolt.

She wished this was just a bad dream.

The blonde heard steps again and she stood up.

"Ali?" Emily walked in. "Are you okay? Why are you still here?"

Em's here so it means the bell rang and I didn't even hear it. Great. "I just needed a moment to myself."

"Well... you should get ready. You have to eat." Emily had been waiting for Ali at the cafeteria and she knew something was wrong the second she wasn't there with them. She wanted to push her friend to tell her what was going on, it wasn't like them to keep secrets, but she sensed Ali didn't want that. "I'll be waiting outside."

"Wait, Em!" Alison called after her. "Please, stay."

Emily turned back around and sat in the bench the blonde had been on a few seconds ago. Her back was to Ali's and she heard her drop the towel, put clothes on, apply deodorant and perfume and close her locker.

"Okay. Let's go." As they went to the cafeteria, Alison looked at Emily apologetically. "Sorry for holding you back. I don't want to starve you for these last two hours."

"It's fine. But are you? Fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's not like you to stay behind, that's all."

"It was a tough first practice. Gotta get used to the routine again."

Emily nodded, but for some reason, she still thought it was odd. Alison always mastered everything she wanted to quickly. But she reminded herself to not push.

She wasn't sure why her gut was telling her Alison wasn't telling the whole story. Maybe it was her eyes or her pale pink skin.

What's going on with you, Em? she asked herself. Ali wouldn't lie, not to you. A summer away doesn't mean you stop trusting your BFF.

Emily smiled at her. She thought if Ali smiled back at her in the next ten seconds, then there was nothing to worry about. And if she didn't, well...

But thankfully, Alison smiled back.