Violet Jackson can barely take a breath of senior year before Flynn Davis walks down the hall of her high school. It takes one look at him to have her world come crashing down.
She thought that Flynn Davis is no more than Sebastian Reynolds, who di...
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I've felt my lungs struggle so hard for air that I feared I wouldn't be able to take another breath ever again. What I have never felt is my lungs claw for more oxygen as my body can't hold itself up and my eyes blur because they dart around rapidly- until now.
"That was only five laps, you can't all be tired yet." Kyle Reynolds says with his arms crossed as he leans against a tree. He only stands and times us small group of four people who have been running the most intense track I have experienced. Most of it is uphill on dirt between thick trees, and we're expected to run it at an unachievable time. We are only allowed to stop once we do the track in under a minute, and after five attempts we are nowhere near it. "Go again."
"I don't think we can do it again." Isaac- a track team members heaves out from his outstretched position on the dirt. Not one of is is standing. I had crumbled to my knees with my hands on the ground in front of me as I try to get my steady breathing back.
"You can. Up, and do it again. If you all do it for longer than two minutes you all get extended PDHPE homework." Kyle threatens, saying it with a smile on his face.
I can't help but feel like this is my fault for managing to burst his anger. Not only am I suffering the consequences, so is Isaac, Harold, and Liam Fields.
"What the hell man." Harold, who plays elite baseball outside of school mutters under his breath as he pushes himself up off the ground and stands at the starting point. The rest of us follow, and I can everyone struggle to walk the same way I do. My legs feel weak enough to not be capable of carrying my body weight.
"Go!" We all start running the familiar uphill track with fragile legs and heavy chests. I know I shouldn't push myself to go hard enough to beat the time, but I feel the urge to not lose to Kyle's attempt of punishment.
I finish before the three boys do, and I crumble back down on my knees. My face is burning and my chest feels as if it is ready to explode at any moment.
"One minute and fifty seven seconds. Close." Kyle reads off his watch when the other boys slump to the ground. He has cracked us all. "Since Violet seems to be coming first every time, if she can run the track in under a minute you all can go back down the park. If she takes longer than a minute, you all get after school detention tomorrow."
My head perks up at the challenge, leaving everyone's punishment in my hands. If I don't run it fast enough, the boys would all be mad at me. I would feel guilty. I already do feel guilty about this all. "What? How is that even fair?" I pant out between breaths.
"You have one minute." He ignores what I had said and starts to set the time on his watch. My teeth grit together as I force myself to push past the pain of every bone in my body aching. I just manage to stand up and position myself in front of the starting point.
