“You can go to college. We’ll find a way.”
“No, you won’t!” I jumped out of the bed and steadied myself by grabbing the back of the desk chair. “Forget it. I don’t even want to go to college.”
“Honey, don’t say that. You’re angry. We need—”
“Just get out.”
“You can be angry at me, at the world, but youwillbe respectful!” Mom stood up, her stern tone sending a sharp pang of guilt through me. “And you will uphold your responsibilities.”
I huffed. “What responsibilities? I’m not on the team, so it’s not like—”
“Track.”
“I might not even go out for the team. What’s the point?”
She shook her head. “We can talk about that later, but you signed up to help clean up the track for the upcoming season.”
“I’m not going.”
“You said you would, so you are.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’ll be good for you, anyway.”
“Fine. At least it gets me away from you.”
I grabbed a hoodie from the floor and stormed out of my room.
“You know, there are a lot worse things that could happen to a person than losing a scholarship! Look at what Brodie and his little brother have been through!” Mom said after me as I let the door to the garage slam shut.
Okay, that one was a true kick to the gut. Brodie, my best friend in the world, and his little brother were living with us because his dad got thrown in jail last month. His mom had been killed in a car accident a couple of years ago.
They’d lost everything. All their money, their cars, everything. I shook my head and wiped the tears that’d trekked down my face. Logically, I shouldn’t be feeling this bad for myself, but I was.
I stepped out of the side garage door, and the mid-morning sun nearly scorched my eyes. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust as I found my way to the Jeep. I hopped in and found my phone on the center console.
I didn’t have a clue how it got in here, because I hadn’t driven to Bear Lake last night. Even if I wasn’t beingPerfect Preachanymore, I knew better than to drink and drive. That shit was deadly.
Five missed calls and twenty-three text messages. No way was I in a state of mind to read those. I needed coffee first. I tossed my phone into the passenger’s seat, then revved the engine.
I steered the Jeep onto Main Street. Thankfully, I’d been cleared to drive since I wasn’t havingmajorconcussion symptoms anymore, but I still got headaches. Not that I told anyone. They’d just worry and give me the pity look.
The ringing in my ears was finally starting to fade, too. It hadn’t been too persistent, but noticeable. The fatigue was the worst, though. I never felt rested after I slept.
The doctors had mentioned I might have some trouble sleeping as a result of the concussion, and they weren’t wrong.
There wasn’t much snow left on the ground, except the banks along the road. But with the temps reaching the forties, those would disappear soon, too.
Captain’s practice for track would be starting soon. Actually, it might start on Monday now that I thought about it. But did Iwantto go out for the team?
Up ahead, on the left side of the road, someone was running. It was a girl judging by the long ponytail jetting out of the slick skull cap. She wore tight black leggings and a sleek blue, long-sleeve jacket.
Her back was straight, and she was slightly tipped forward as she ran. Nice, relaxed arms from what I could tell and a confident stride.
She was a runner, not a jogger for sure. Nice form. Beautiful, actually. Who the heck was that?
I let my foot off the gas as I came closer. And there it was. The splint.
Grace Milner!
My chest ached with guilt, anger, and frustration, but also admiration. She really did have good form. And she was booking from what I could tell. But that brace really cut me to the core.