The Equivocators

Chapter 4: Racing Thoughts (Hadley)

      "Hadley Michaud?" Coach Binderback calls out from the other side of the yellow line on the field in front of me. Her eyes begin their search of back and forth, finally spotting my half-way extended arm and shy smile. The pink attendance cards in her hands are brand new. I wonder how long it will take her to get them back to their usual beat up shape. Her ponytail seems to be pulled up extra tight today and she's dressed to the nines with her track pants and her favorite Nike T-shirt.

"I almost didn't see you!" Waving her cards at me with a big smile, as Coach Savo blows her whistle, silencing the steady roar.

             "Today we will be doing the fitness exam," Savo announces, standing next to Coach B. The two of them are like peas in a pod; when one of them stops talking the other can almost immediately fill in the silence. "Moan and groan all you want, we have to do it so let's just get it over with." The girl standing next to me has began to pout, and is inches away from whimpering. Freshman without a doubt.

             "Also, the football field is being redone for the homecoming game this year, that means that the boys will be using the practice track and field with us for the next few weeks." Ms. B says before looking at Savo and laughing a little. My fingers reach for my headphones in my pocket, finding them quickly and tangling them around my hand. I'll just mind my business, run my mile and get it over with. Just like they said.

           "B, Savo: ready to line them up?" Coach Ryder yells from the gate as his class of boys comes on to the field. Walking directly behind him are both Cayden Morgan and Sky's twin brother, Mason. He's technically younger, however, he is superior to her in build, height and strength: something that he doesn't let her forget.

Savo yells back yes and the boys begin to make their way over to all of us girls.

"I can't believe that on our first day of class, we are going to be forced to work out with the boys. I didn't even wear my spandex today!" The girl beside me leans over to me to let me know of her dilemma. Putting on my best fake frown, I have to fight the urge to laugh directly in her face. Life is so tough sometimes, I mean seriously. "They should have sent a letter out warning that gym classes would be combined. Just wait until my mom hears about this, she's going to be pissed. This is just so unfair." I nod my head, hoping she can't tell that I am no longer listening to her ranting.

My eyes linger over to Cayden and Mason as they talk quietly between themselves while making their way over to the line. If the frown on Mason's face isn't enough to indicate something's wrong, the dirty look he just gave Cayden sure verifies it. Cayden pats him on the back and nudges him towards the line a bit faster. Mason drops his head for a second, lifting it up and seeming to look me right in the eye; catching me red handed. His eyebrow raises, and I can see the beginning of a cocky smirk on its way. Quickly turning my head back to the girl next to me, acting as though I've been listening to the words coming out of her mouth this entire time. My head is still reeling from the look Mason just gave me.

Over the years of my friendship with Skylar, I've of course met Mason plenty of times. Birthday parties for the twins always consisted of us four girls, Mason and his few friends, and sometimes a family member or two. Sleepovers at Sky's usually meant seeing him through-out the house here and there, or hearing him through the walls playing his video games all night. Over the years, we've interacted less and less: us girls trying to avoid any and all male contact when it comes to our time at Sky's house. Except for her dad of course: he's our bitch, and we're his bitches. In the most respectable sense of the term possible.

         "Four laps is all we want. One mile, that's it. You have the entire gym class to get it done, however the state wants you to be able to do it in 12 minutes. If you get it in 12 minutes, you get 5 free 100's. If you get it in under 10, we will give you 7 free gym classes." Savo's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, just in time so see that everyone is beginning to squish together at the starting line. The students around me aren't interested at all in what she is saying , and have already started to talk amongst themselves once again. To just about everyone around me right now, four laps in gym class is pure torture and should count as child labor.