First Day of My Life

Chapter 24

"I'll just... Sleep on the floor," Jughead offered as we were forced to be in the same room tonight because of the relatives being over. It wasn't going to be bad at all, but now it kind of was.

"You can sleep in the bed, Jug," I said softly. "I don't mind."

He sighed, but nodded, seeing the truth in my eyes. He climbed in next to me and I turned my back to him as I shut off the light. It was already past midnight. I kept thinking about it and my heart kept hurting, as did my head, and in the end, I just hoped he was asleep already when I started sniffling, tears dropping onto my pillow.

He obviously wasn't though, and I felt him move behind me, spooning me. "I'm sorry," I cried.

"It's okay," he insisted quietly and pressed a kiss onto my head. "I understand. None of this is your fault."

"But it is. And now you're hurt and—"

"Betty. We made this decision together," he said. "Don't cry. I love you. I'll always love you."

"Juggie, I'm sorry for hurting you."

"It's okay. I was going to do it myself if you weren't. Don't worry about that."

"Really?"

"You're a strong person, Betty," he breathed. "You'll get through it. Just don't worry about me, please."

We stayed quiet for a while and when my sniffling got quiet, he started to let go of me. I grabbed his hands and refused to let him do so. "Betts... I should—"

"I need my best friend tonight. I need cuddles. I just broke up with my boyfriend."

I felt him laughing against my hair. "Betty... I'm your ex now. I don't think it's appropriate to do that."

"You're my ex-boyfriend who also happens to be my brother, I think we're far past appropriate. Now cuddle me or I'm going to have to call my girl best friend. She'd come."

He sighed deeply and held me against his warm body. "I love you. You're going to do so great on that competition, I know it."

"No fucking way," I panted to myself, lying on the snow, tired of all the training and shooting and skiing. The time on the tabloid placed me in the first place. "No. Fucking. Way," I said again as I sat up.

It wasn't broadcasted to any big channels or anything, but people were filming me and my shocked face was on the screens. The teammates who had finished or were guys or older, ran to hug me, everybody so happy and proud.

I was just shocked.

(I fell on the second place when someone's time was better than mine by a few seconds, but I was given the silver trophy right after the race, on the podium.)

That meant I started second in the pursuit race the next day. (And ended up finishing second, as well.)

The winter went by really fast. I traveled to Norway, Germany, and Italy, and ended up first in pursuit in Germany and Italy, second in mass start in Norway, and first in individual and sprint in Germany.

I earned myself a place on the team next year. Not the Junior Team. The actual USA team. Which meant more training, more protein, less chances to go home in the summer, and less chances of getting good grades.

In some magical way, I did finish High School, but never got a graduation—dad took the diploma for me. Everybody knew me and Jughead were broken up now. I had a bunch of athletic guys flirting with me, and—when I was bored—I flirted back with some.