Chapter 2

2

Over the next week, Jaxson got even worse.

The varsity guys started blocking me before every class.

It wasn't a physical fight, just those petty, disgusting little mind games.

They hogged the track during practice, walking backward or sitting on the starting line for ten minutes.

When I went to the equipment room for new spikes, the manager turned me away.

“The varsity team reserved everything. We’re out of stock.”

I found out later that Jaxson’s dad had called in a favor to cut me off.

The breaking point came on Wednesday.

My shoes were missing from my locker.

The lock wasn't broken; someone had used a master key.

I stood there barefoot for two minutes, feeling the cold floor.

I ended up going to the track in my everyday canvas sneakers.

Without spikes, I couldn't train.

I could only watch from the sidelines.

Jaxson whistled as he sprinted past me, a smug grin on his face.

By seven in the evening, I was sitting alone on the bleachers.

The sun was down, and the track lights hadn't flickered on yet.

I didn't feel angry or sad.

I just felt how ridiculous this whole situation was.

I could call the best racing tech team in the country to the school right now.

But these kids didn't know that.

They were bullying a shadow.

I heard footsteps behind me.

Lennox sat down and handed me a pair of shoes.

They were white with pink soles, and they were my exact size.

They weren't new; the soles had slight wear.

The laces had been replaced with grey ones that didn't match the original style.

Someone had clearly spent time adjusting them.

“I found out where your shoes went,” he said quietly.

“The security cameras in the equipment room were turned off, but the hallway footage survived.”

“I know who did it.”

He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked at the fading sunset.

“Run your best at the heats next week.”

“I’ll handle the rest.”

The field was so quiet I could hear the clink of metal from across the park.

I looked down at the shoes.

The grey laces were tied in a tiny, perfect bow.

It wasn't a factory knot.

The length had been shortened by exactly three centimeters.

Only a girl would usually notice a detail like that.

But Lennox didn't say a word about it.

He just waited for me to put them on.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Try a few laps.”