Page 81 of False Start

seventeen

My hair follicles hurt.

No really…all it took was a breeze wafting through the open doorway to make me whimper.

And I still had two hours of practice left to go.

“Push, Mayhem!”

Push this, fucker.

“Get up, get up, get up!”

What the hell did he think I was doing? I just barely got down here. Like really, guy.

“Find your balance!”

I know he better not just be yelling that at me.

“Stay low!”

Demanding bastard.

“That’s it. Take five,” he called.

Marty hunched over and braced her hands on her knees as she gasped out a breath. “I don’t even want to skate off the bank because I’m going to blink and have to get back on.”

“I’m not moving. I’m just going to be here trying not to die,” Rory said as she clung to the padded rail, her chest laboring to move air.

“He’s got a real boner for being up your ass today,” Marty said with a quick glance in my direction.

“He’s got a boner to get up her ass every day,” Sean said as she snickered.

Where the hell did she find the extra air for that?

“Has he gotten his boner near your ass yet, Maze?” Rory asked.

“Don’t fucking call me Maze. I don’t want to have to use my last burst of energy to kick your ass.”

Rory glared. “Hey, you let Patti call you Maze.”

“Because I’m afraid Patti will kick my ass. Besides, no one lets Patti do anything. She just does it.”

“Maybe he’d lighten up if you just do the deed already. You want it. He wants it. I’m ready to hear about some bone action,” Marty said.

Sean squatted low and propelled herself back up with a wince. “I bet he’s got a really great bone. Like worth molding for a sex toy. Every once in a while he turns a certain way in those shorts and—”

All of our gazes swung in her direction and froze.

“Like you guys haven’t noticed,” she said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. “But he’s still paying for letting Tilly on the team.”

“She’s kept her ass in line. I’ll give her that,” Rory said, straightening and stretching her arms over her head.

Something cold hit my shoulder and I glanced up to find Tilly tapping a water bottle against my skin.

“Thirsty?”

I tensed but took the bottle from her. “Uh, yeah, thanks.”

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