Chapter 2

Molly didn' t waste any time. The next day at school, the rumors were already spreading like a virus. I heard whispers in the hallways between classes.

"Did you hear? Sabrina' s been bullying her sister at home."

"Yeah, I heard she' s super jealous Molly' s the better athlete now."

Molly played her part perfectly. In the cafeteria, I saw her talking to a group of girls from the team, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. She looked up, saw me watching, and gave a little flinch, as if she were afraid of me. The girls all turned to glare in my direction.

I tried to confront her by the lockers. "Molly, what are you telling people?"

She put on a mask of pure innocence. "What are you talking about? I' m just telling them how hard it is at home. How much pressure you' re under."

Her voice was sweet, but her eyes were cold and sharp. "Maybe if you were nicer to me, things would be better."

She then turned and walked away, leaving me standing there as a few guys from the football team snickered. I felt my hands clench into fists. She was painting me as the villain, and everyone was buying it.

The day of the Regional Qualifiers was hot and suffocating. The stands were packed. I saw at least three coaches from top Division I schools with clipboards, their eyes scanning the athletes. This was my chance, my big shot at an early offer.

I was in lane four for the 200-meter final. Molly was in lane five. The tension was immense. This was the race that could define my future.

I got into the blocks, my focus absolute. The starter raised the gun.

"Set."

Suddenly, Molly stumbled out of her blocks before the gun went off. An official immediately raised a flag for a false start.

"False start, lane five!" the official called out.

But Molly was already pointing at me, her face a mask of distress.

"She pushed me! She tried to trip me!" she yelled, her voice cracking with fake tears.

The crowd gasped. All eyes were on me.

"What? No, I didn' t!" I said, completely stunned. I hadn' t moved a muscle.

Coach Hughes ran over, his face a thundercloud. "Sabrina, what the hell is your problem?"

"Coach, I didn' t touch her! I was in my blocks!"

The meet official looked conflicted. "Let' s check the lane camera."

Another official jogged over, shaking his head. "System malfunction on the camera for lanes four and five. No video."

Of course. Coincidence.

Coach Hughes looked from Molly' s tear-streaked face to my furious one. His mind was already made up. The rumors had done their job.

"I' m sick of this unsportsmanlike conduct, Anderson," he said, his voice cold. "You' re disqualified. Get off the track."

Disqualified. The word echoed in my head. The college scouts were watching. My chance, my one big chance, was gone. They just saw me get kicked out of the biggest meet of the year for trying to injure my own sister.

I walked off the track, the stares of the crowd burning into my back. Molly got a do-over, of course. She won the race. Barely.