crowd. I hung out with him at Lisa Delany’s party last weekend. I think he was happy that someone on the cross team was there. I bet we’ll be really good friends.” Dorothy doesn’t take her eyes off of him as she chats. I can see the predatory look in her eyes as she imagines her plan unfolding. Ryan could be her “in” to the Barbie group.
“Mmmhmm,” is all I say in response.
I finish my last set of strength exercises and move towards Zoe and Claire to avoid any further conversation with Dorothy.
“What’s the plan for this weekend?” I ask them.
“It’s Friday. I thought we’d go to the first football game of the year,” Zoe replies.
“And we have our long run tomorrow. Do you guys want to meet at my house to do yoga after?” Claire offers.
As we make plans, the guys join in our conversation. “Are you running with us tomorrow, Pepper?” Charlie asks.
“No, Coach wants me doing long runs with the girls for now.” I like running with the girls’ group, but it requires me to back off from the faster pace my legs always seem to want to go. Which I guess is the point. For now, at least.
“You guys want to come over to my place on Saturday night?” Rollie asks. The Fowlers have a huge house and Rollie is an only child. It’s the best place for us to hang out at.
We make arrangements to carpool to the football game later tonight, and plan to meet at Rollie’s house late afternoon tomorrow, after we’ve done our long run and yoga at Claire’s place.
“Do we have to meet so freakin’ early?” Dorothy complains.
“Nine isn’t that early,” Zoe says. “And we’re meeting two minutes from your house. I think you can handle it.”
“Look, it’s the first football game of the season, and the party afterward is going to be raging. You guys might be going to bed at a reasonable hour but I don’t plan to. Why can’t we just go a little later?” she whines.
“Dorothy, it’s supposed to be a high of ninety-five tomorrow. Do you really want to run for an hour and a half when it gets that hot out?” I ask her.
“Besides,” Jenny pipes up, “all the big meets are in the morning, so we should at least do some of our runs early to get used to it.”
I smile at her. Good point.
“Fine.” Dorothy crosses her arms moodily. She loses the scowl quickly when she sees Ryan approach. He was talking to Coach during the weekend planning conversation.
“You shower here, right, Pepper? Do you want to meet by my car after?” Ryan asks.
I can feel Dorothy’s eyes on me.
“I usually only shower here because I’m waiting on Jace. We can leave now if you’d rather do that.”
“As long as you don’t mind a stinky car ride with me,” he counters.
“It’s your car. And we’ll stink together so it’s cool. Your windows roll down, right?” I tease.
Ryan has almost the exact same Jeep as Jace, except it’s green instead of black, and it’s an automatic instead of a standard.
“A bunch of us are going to the game tonight if you want to come,” I tell him.
“Oh yeah? I already told a couple guys I’d meet them for pizza beforehand, but maybe I’ll see you there.”
“Let me guess. You’re meeting at Lou’s?”
“That’s the place. Why? Is it good?”
“Yup. Best pizza in town. I like the deep dish crust but they’ve got thin crust too if that’s your style.” Just the thought of it makes me hungry. “Who are you meeting?”
“You know Remy Laroche and Ben Hughes?”
“Yeah, of course. I mean, we’re not friends. But I know who they are.” They’re the captains of the boys’ soccer team and two of the most popular guys in school, along with Jace and Connor, who captain the football team.
“Are you going to the party with them afterward?” I’m curious. We have a long run in the morning, and the boys are meeting even earlier than
“Mmmhmm,” is all I say in response.
I finish my last set of strength exercises and move towards Zoe and Claire to avoid any further conversation with Dorothy.
“What’s the plan for this weekend?” I ask them.
“It’s Friday. I thought we’d go to the first football game of the year,” Zoe replies.
“And we have our long run tomorrow. Do you guys want to meet at my house to do yoga after?” Claire offers.
As we make plans, the guys join in our conversation. “Are you running with us tomorrow, Pepper?” Charlie asks.
“No, Coach wants me doing long runs with the girls for now.” I like running with the girls’ group, but it requires me to back off from the faster pace my legs always seem to want to go. Which I guess is the point. For now, at least.
“You guys want to come over to my place on Saturday night?” Rollie asks. The Fowlers have a huge house and Rollie is an only child. It’s the best place for us to hang out at.
We make arrangements to carpool to the football game later tonight, and plan to meet at Rollie’s house late afternoon tomorrow, after we’ve done our long run and yoga at Claire’s place.
“Do we have to meet so freakin’ early?” Dorothy complains.
“Nine isn’t that early,” Zoe says. “And we’re meeting two minutes from your house. I think you can handle it.”
“Look, it’s the first football game of the season, and the party afterward is going to be raging. You guys might be going to bed at a reasonable hour but I don’t plan to. Why can’t we just go a little later?” she whines.
“Dorothy, it’s supposed to be a high of ninety-five tomorrow. Do you really want to run for an hour and a half when it gets that hot out?” I ask her.
“Besides,” Jenny pipes up, “all the big meets are in the morning, so we should at least do some of our runs early to get used to it.”
I smile at her. Good point.
“Fine.” Dorothy crosses her arms moodily. She loses the scowl quickly when she sees Ryan approach. He was talking to Coach during the weekend planning conversation.
“You shower here, right, Pepper? Do you want to meet by my car after?” Ryan asks.
I can feel Dorothy’s eyes on me.
“I usually only shower here because I’m waiting on Jace. We can leave now if you’d rather do that.”
“As long as you don’t mind a stinky car ride with me,” he counters.
“It’s your car. And we’ll stink together so it’s cool. Your windows roll down, right?” I tease.
Ryan has almost the exact same Jeep as Jace, except it’s green instead of black, and it’s an automatic instead of a standard.
“A bunch of us are going to the game tonight if you want to come,” I tell him.
“Oh yeah? I already told a couple guys I’d meet them for pizza beforehand, but maybe I’ll see you there.”
“Let me guess. You’re meeting at Lou’s?”
“That’s the place. Why? Is it good?”
“Yup. Best pizza in town. I like the deep dish crust but they’ve got thin crust too if that’s your style.” Just the thought of it makes me hungry. “Who are you meeting?”
“You know Remy Laroche and Ben Hughes?”
“Yeah, of course. I mean, we’re not friends. But I know who they are.” They’re the captains of the boys’ soccer team and two of the most popular guys in school, along with Jace and Connor, who captain the football team.
“Are you going to the party with them afterward?” I’m curious. We have a long run in the morning, and the boys are meeting even earlier than
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