Running From You

Chapter 4

(Olive ^ )

"Perkins! Sanders! McDonald! Four hundred meter runs with two minutes rest in between. You know the drill," coach Wheeler yells at me, Evan, and Ian after warm-ups. "And take Mister Wilson and Miss Ramirez with you," he indicates two sophomores to us. We're the only middle-distance runners in the school, so we sometimes train longer sprints by ourselves with coach keeping an eye on us while also watching the sprinters, who're doing hundred meter sprints today.

"Come on, you two," I tell the two timid looking sophomores. I know they did track and field last year, as well, but they've only just discovered their strength in the middle-distances. "You have stopwatches?"

They both nod and show me their wrists.

"Good. Count two minutes from the moment you've run the lap and then set out again, okay?"

They both nod again and the four of us step to the line and set off at the whistle. We're not supposed to run all out, so I keep my pace in check.

Evan is some way before me and Ian is neck by neck with me. He's a junior and I have more experience and skill in the four hundred than him, so I reach the finish line a step before him. Rosa and Anthony trail us far behind.

We run the lap ten times, after which Evan and I wait for the others to get finished before we do a few six hundred meter repeats at fifty percent speed before joining the others at cooling down.

"Nice form" Evan comes from behind me to jog next to me, winking at me ridiculously.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes and just give him a look that says it all. He chuckles and speeds up a little to reach Tyler, who's a little ahead of us.

"Since when have you and Evan been friendly?" Olive asks me, raising a well-defined brow.

"Since I hung out with him yesterday," I answer, thinking back to how cute he was with Bella. "He's really not an ass. At least not all the time."

"Huh," she looks surprised. "I guess you learn something new every day."

I grin back in response.

"So, how's the project going?"

"Uh, not well. We have absolutely nothing."

"So what did you do yesterday?" she looks at me questioningly.

"Just played around," I shrug.

"Mhm, " she wiggles her eyebrows. "Are you sure that's all?"

"Olive!" I look at her shocked. "I am not interested in Evan Perkins."

"Sure you're not," she smirks knowingly.

"Wipe that expression off your face because you couldn't be more wrong," I warn her. "We're just... friends, I guess?" I'm not really sure if we're that, even, but at least I don't hate his guts anymore. Progress.

"So you wouldn't mind me going after him, then?" she licks her lips as she gazes at Evan's broad back. "He's yummy."

"Go for it," I snort. "But you know he's a player. So just be careful."

"I know," she grins. "But I'm not exactly looking for a boyfriend, if you know what I mean," she giggles.

"You're so bad," I tell her jokingly.

She smirks, "I know."

---

After we've showered and re-applied our make up, Olive, Michelle, Lexie, Jordyn and I meet the twins at the parking lot. They're varsity cheerleaders and their practice runs the same time as ours, which is really convenient.