Page 3 of Court of Rivals
“Grow up!” I tell him.This kind of stuff wasn’t even funny when we were in our twenties.
He snorts between his laughter, his voice becoming as high as it had been when he was thirteen and it was cracking and screeching. “You. Should’ve. Seen. Your. Face.”
I kick him lightly, but that only makes him laugh harder.
“I’m going to pee!” he shouts, and then after way too much laughter, he continues, “A little pee came out!”
I plant my hands on my hips. “If you’re so damn cocky, how about we run The Gauntlet together and see if you’re still so damn cocky.”
His expression sobers up. “Wait, is that an official challenge?”
I reach out a hand.
He leaps to his feet, and we shake. “Challenge accepted,” he tells me in a formal voice.
We turn toward the woods, but then he notices my bag. “That’s going to slow you down.”
“So maybe you’ll be able to catch me today,” I say, like the badass bitch I am.
He lifts a brow. “I’ll take any help I can get.”
We get into our race positions. The air seems to still. A heaviness hangs over the clearing we’re in, the town behind us, my home, and the woods ahead of us.
“One,” I begin. “Two. Three. Go!”
We take off into the woods like crazed rabbits, both of us skipping the path and driving right into the woods. We scale up a hill, then run back down the other side. Ahead of us is a river. Some days it’s almost non-existent, but today it’s flowing fast, carrying melted snow from the nearby mountains. It’s dangerously fast. I know damn well if we end up in that river we’ll be tossed around for miles through the icy cold water. Something I’ve, unfortunately, done before.
But I run straight at it, hands outstretched, timing things perfectly… and then I leap onto a huge rock beside the water and jump again to grasp the rope that’s hanging from a tree branch. With a wild scream, I swing across the water, then come down on the other side, jumping onto another big rock. Arthur lands beside me, and we’re neck-and-neck.
Ahead of us is an area filled with jagged rocks. We start across them, having to be careful with each step we take. One wrong move, and we’ve got a broken ankle. We don’t let it slow us down though. We keep running like we’ve lost our minds, huffing and puffing until we make it to the other side.
“This time, I’ve got you!” Arthur shouts, diving to his right.
“Not a chance!” I shout back, diving to my left.
I find the cave with ease. The opening’s small enough that I have to duck down below the tangled roots of the trees that grow above it, but it’s massive on the inside. I hurry ahead, only slowing a bit when darkness swallows me whole. But I know this cave. I know the rocks, cracks, and holes. I just keep running, knowing this is a far faster way to go than to climb the hill overhead.
Exploding out into the sunlight, I make a mad dash for the fence around my house, pushing myself with all my might as the heavy bag bounces on my shoulders. I sense movement behind me. I know it’s him, but I can’t take the time to slow down and find out. My outstretched hand reaches for the fence as it comes into view. He’s right at my heel. I can feel him.
And then my hand grasps the fence, and Arthur smashes into me from behind nearly sending us both tumbling over the short fence.
“Watch it!” I shout.
“But I wassoclose.” He’s pouting now.
I grin and push him away, spinning around. “And yet youlost.”
He glares.
I smile and start my victory dance, leaping around like a bird trying to mate. “I’m the winner, and you’re the loser. The lo-o-o-s-e-r.”
He folds his arms in front of his chest. “I’d say you’re a poor loser, but you’re a far worse winner. Just…absolutelyobnoxious when you win.”
“A l-o-s-er. Anl-o-s-e-r,loser.” I say, cocking my head back and forth, kicking my legs out.
“I’m going to go home where people aren’t jerks,” he pouts, turning and heading back down the path.
I grin, stopping my obnoxious dancing. “There’s a cake inside. One of our customers made it for us…”
