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Catch Me 26
I wasn’t here to fuck around at the Arcadia Invitational. I was seeded 17th in the Girls 300 Meter hurdles, and I was here to kick ass and take names.I looked to my left. Carly Richardson was the girl I needed to beat to get to the finals. Our times were milliseconds from each other. Our lanes were four and five, and I was ready to ignite like fire out of the blocks. Coach had told me that I didn’t have the acceleration to outrun her in the first 100 meters. I needed to outlast her in the last 100. I watched her jump, slap her thighs and sail through her pre-race routine. Her muscles rippled with effort.Okay. Enough bullshitting.I cracked my neck, did a couple jumps, high knees. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, visceral and real, and my heart rate was elevated. I took a couple calming breaths.Okay, Ophelia. I told myself. The official mounted. It was time to get into the blocks. I did another jump, feeling my legs quiver like jelly. I slapped them. No. Now was not the time for
Catch Me 27
“Don’t get smart with me, bitch.”I start to stand up, but before I can even register movement, her platformed heel hits my shoulder. Hard. I tumble down, my butt landing in the water. A sharp pain radiates up my arm. A breath stills in my throat as I pull my hand up, cradling my wrist.Great. Now I’m soaking wet and my wrist is sprained.“What the fuck, bitch?” I snarl, pulling myself out of the ditch. She’s shorter than me by a couple inches, and I’ve got at least twenty pounds of muscle on her. She doesn’t look as intimidating now. Her blue eyes, still haughty, flash with momentary fear. “What’s your problem?”“Vivian and I are just needing to clean up the white trash in the street,” she snaps. “So next time you go running, make sure to watch where you’re going.”She turns on a heel, stalking back to her car.“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I call after her. My wrist throbs. Goddammit. I’d just gotten over a thigh strain, and I was looking forward to running without pain for o
Catch Me 28
“You know who I am,” Emmett says, sitting on a desk in front of me.“Who are your cronies?” I jerk my thumb to the idiots who dragged me into this room. My body aches from their manhandling.Emmett whistles softly. “You don’t know much about us, do you?”“I’m Vincent,” says the football-looking guy.“Trey,” the blonde guy adds.“They’re fraternal twins,” Emmett offers, carefully watching my face. I don’t know what he expects from me, but he’s disappointed I don’t react more. He sighs. “My, my Ophelia. What are we going to do with you?”“Let me go?” I grind out. I play with my hands like an idiot, struggling to maintain my composure. I can’t let them know they’ve got to me. Bullies thrive off fear. “Like, obviously?”“Oh, we can’t do that.” The ominous tone in his words... It’s down-right chilling. My heart rate spikes as he slowly stands up. “You’ve gone too far.”“I don’t see how,” I say.“Oh, you don’t, do you?” says Vincent, crowding in on my personal space. His legs brush my knees
Catch Me 29
“You got a hall pass, sweetie?”My throat is mute. Before I can form a remark, my feet are sweeping past her and I’m speed-walking down the hallway. I keep my eyes to the ground. Walk. Walk. Walk.“Oh my god, did you see her face?” comes a high-pitched squeal.Nope nope nope.I pivot on my heel and race back to the bathroom. I slide in, almost startling the sweet lady as she exits. Taking refuge in my stall, I pray that I mistook the voice.“-but like seriously, it was like beet-red and totally fucking hilarious,” says Vivian.My soul crashes to the tiled floor. Just my fucking luck.I can’t hold my tears back any longer. Unbidden and vicious, they pour down my cheeks. My face’s screwed up, and I try to hold back my sobs.“Good, she’s like, super ugly.” Bernadette has a distinctly higher voice, more nasally. “And such a slut. Like, seriously, what fucking blowjob lips.”There’s some ruffling around, and then Vivian takes the stall next to me. They continue talking. My feet are pulled
Catch Me 30
The kid suddenly looks greedy, and he’s looking at my chest like I’m the last cheeto in the world. “Boobs, under the bra, thirty dollars.”“Nah, I think he can touch them for free,” Vincent whispers in my ear like we’re conspiratory partners. “What do you think, Ophelia?”“Over my dead fucking body,” I snap.I struggle violently, putting all my weight and strength into freeing myself. One of my wrists gets free, and I twist around. I will fight until my very last breath. I must have surprised Vincent though, because his dull eyes are widened. My foot comes up, connecting with his crotch, and he hisses in pain. He lets go of my other wrist, and I take off running down the hallway.My feet slap the tile as I pick up speed – I race past doors and lockers and dodge other people. When I look back, Vincent is nowhere to be seen. My breaths are sharp and frantic – Vincent was going to help that kid assault me.What a sick fuck.* * *The rest of the day, I’m propositioned by at least two oth
Catch Me 31
“Nope,” I say. “Thank god for small miracles, huh.”Lily gives a sad smile, like she agrees but doesn’t want to. “Yeah. You want something to drink?”“Sure,” I say, and now that I think of it, my throat is a little parched.Lily stands up, and her eyes land on someone behind me. Her face breaks into a genuine smile, and she beckons whoever it is with a dainty hand.The waiter comes over, dressed in all black with a neon glow stick necklace around his neck. His face is sour, and he glares at Lily. “What can I get you?”“Hey, Luke,” Lily says, smiling up at him. “I’d like some more fries.” She then looks at me critically, a sneaky smile on her lips. “You want a beer?”“Uh, sure?” I say. I try to look at Lily. Surely they wouldn’t serve alcohol to minors? She doesn’t look at me, but her smile is still blindingly happy.“Two Pilsners and fries please,” Lily says to Luke, waving him off with a dismissive hand.Instead of answering, Luke huffs and stalks away. My eyes widen – what was up hi
Catch Me 32
And bad.For me. Very bad.I stop about five feet from him. He’s parked his black car next to mine, on the drivers side. I can’t help but think that’s not a coincidence. Sweat has cooled my skin, and my need to brush away my wayward hairs is stemmed by my desire to not look like I’m primping in front of him. I’m wearing my sports tank that’s a razorback, exposing my collarbones, shoulders and shoulder blades. My shorts are high-thigh and tight, and I know my legs and butt look good in them.I wish I’d brought sweats and a sweater. His eyes flick down to my toes, meandering up my body, and settle on my lips. He stares at them a little too long.“What do you want, Emmett?” I demand. I don’t want to walk closer to him or to my car, so I stay put. “I’m not in the mood.”He unhitches himself from the car, and I contemplate making a break for it. But instead I’m rooted to the concrete, a tiny voice in my ear saying bad move, Ophelia.“You know,” he says, “I’ve been trying to think of how to
Catch Me 33
I feel no better once I settle into class, the teacher and students around me carrying on as usual. I raise my hands a few times, even though I don’t know the answers, just hoping to be called on so someone will have said my name or looked in my direction enough for me to know I’m still alive.Did I die in the car crash? Was everything after that just my brain’s weird way of fantasizing my life into continuance? And now reality’s set in, my existence is fading into nothingness?My mouth fills with the taste of wood from the pencil I have been gnawing at relentlessly, sparking an idea. I let the pencil fall to the floor, thinking someone will look up or pick it up to hand it back. But nothing. It quietly clicks against the floor as it rolls right out into the middle of the room, completely untouched and seemingly unnoticed.My foot bounces wildly underneath my desk, my eyes darting to the clock on the wall every few seconds. I can’t stop reaching down to dig through my purse, forgettin
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