Free Running Back To Him by Evelyn Rosado Page A

practically strangers now, but I can’t help but be reminded me of the summers we used to go swimming. We’d run to the fence, grab each other’s hand and cannonball into the pool.
    I look around us and surprisingly; we’re the only two people walking into school.
    We come up to the doors and I take in a huge breath.
    “You ready?” I ask. My voice shakes and it’s obvious to Kellen.
    “Your breath smells like onions,” he says shaking his head laughing. He holds the door open for me. He always knew how to ease the tension in the air by saying something funny. I’m not sure if he was joking or if he was telling the truth, so I pop an Altoid in my mouth just to be sure.
    “I’ll walk you to your homeroom,” he says as we reconnect hands. “Third floor, right?”
    Again, I’m dumbfounded. We haven’t spoken in over four years and all of a sudden he knows where my homeroom is. I can’t wrap my head around this.
    Kellen clenches my hand tighter as we walk past the huddle of girls standing in front the bathroom. The whispers and the glares have commenced. So far so good.
    “Don’t be afraid,” I say mockingly, “they’re just teenagers.”
    “I’m cool as a fan,” he says. We stroll past the long stretch of the trophy case by the gym. It’s decorated with huge golden, sparkly trinkets that the football and basketball teams have accumulated over the years.
    “Hopefully with a win this Friday you guys can add another trophy at the end of the season.”
    He nods, “That’s the plan.”
    As soon as he says that, we walk right past the weight room. A few of the football players are grunting, shouting, and the clanging of iron slaps above the fray.
    Kellen stops dead in his tracks, yanking me back. “Oh shit!” he yelps, throwing his hands behind his head. The color in his face slips away.
    “What’s wrong?” I ask.
    “I can’t believe I didn’t think this through.”
    “What? Tell me. What’s happening? Think what through?”
    “Lucas! He says through clenched jaws.
    I draw a blank, shaking my head slightly, hoping he’d fill me in on my cluelessness. “Yeah, he’s my ex. I hope you didn’t forget.”
    “Lucas is my teammate. I can’t believe how stupid I am!”
    “Care to fill me in?”
    “Rules, Mags! Team rules.” My stare is still blank. “Uh, NO snitching. No dating any sisters. And absolutely, under no circumstances…no exes.” He falls against the wall and beats the bottom of his fists into his forehead. He utters every curse word in the book. And some new ones that my virgin ears have never heard before.
    “It’s just a game. I don’t see the big deal.”
    He shoots a pointed look at me. The chill in his blue eye startles me. He pauses. It’s a look I’ve never seen from him before.
    “Just a game? Football is my life. It’s all I have.” His eyebrows furrow.
    I fold my fingers into Kellen’s and his face softens. We catch eyes again and just when I find the words to comfort him and tell him our plan will go forward without a hitch, Lucas approaches us from the weight room wearing a gray tank top and red shorts. Beads of sweat drip from his baffled face.
    His eyes fall on me and then to Kellen and then down to our intertwined hands.
    “Seriously,” Lucas says, full of attitude. He laughs, albeit nervously. “You two…hooking up?”
    Our first true test in my and Kellen’s relationship. I mean…pretend relationship. He squeezes my hand tighter.
    “We sure—” I say.
    “We sure are,” Kellen says cutting me off. He stands rigid, defiant.
    Lucas shakes his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” he says. “You’re just trying to throw this in my face aren’t you, Mags? I thought you were better than that. I guess you’re as petty as everyone else.” He laughs. “But with a teammate? With Murdock?”
    “Oh when did you become the penis police?” I ask, poking my chest out. “I guess when the shoe is on the other foot it doesn’t feel so good does