Page 59 of You Had Me At Thirteen

‘So did I.’ Cole gives my shoulder a soft punch before lifting my arm into the air.

Dan announces me as the winner, holding my other arm up as the crowd roars. But I’ll take the fame for just a moment.

I’ll take anything over the growing feelings I have for Matilda.

TWENTY-FOUR

Matilda

* * *

Audrey sits in the stands of the athletics track, waving both her hands at me as she screams my name. I shake my head at her while motioning for her to shut her mouth. She’s worse than my mum at actual events.

Coach snaps his fingers in front of my face. ‘Earth to Matilda.’

I blink at him, then realise the other girls are staring at me as well. ‘Sorry,’ I say, kicking my feet in the grass.

My mind has been on Wren since I saw him in the hallway this morning with a cut-up lip and a black eye. So many times I wanted to approach him to ask what happened. I wonder who he punched on with this time? He joked around at lunch with his friends, like nothing was wrong. Like he didn’t kiss me again yesterday and throw me out. At least I didn’t see him with another girl, like the last time he kissed me.

I even contemplated apologising, but then concluded that I shouldn’t be the one to apologise. I did nothing wrong. Well, besides breaking a promise to my mum, but I would have found out eventually, right? I mean, he can’t keep something like that from me forever, especially when we have to see each other all the time.

Audrey and Clive called me out at first break after I sulked through the first two periods, so I told them as much as I could without mentioning Wren’s mum. All they know is Wren got mad at me and kicked me out of his house because I insulted his baking skills, although I’m not sure they bought it. Clive’s squinted brown eyes told me he could see right through me, but he didn’t say anything further.

‘Okay, girls,’ Coach says as he glances at his stopwatch, and back to us. ‘The state competition is in three weeks, and we have a lot of work to do before then. The girls from Sunny State are on fire this season.’

‘We’ll be right, Coach,’ Haylee says, giving Nola a nudge and a wink.

Coach eyes her as he tilts his head to the side, his clipboard pressed to his chest. He leans back on his heels. ‘Is that so, Haylee? If I remember correctly, one of those State girls beat you by a second at the last meet.’

Haylee pouts and looks down at her feet. ‘Sorry, Coach,’ she says to the ground.

‘Don’t be sorry.’ He nods towards the track. ‘Get out there and make me proud.’

Haylee and Nola both salute him, then jog off towards the track, their blond hair swaying side to side with each step. They look like they could be sisters.

When I go to follow them, Coach taps my arm, stopping me. ‘Matilda, one sec.’

‘Sure. What’s up?’ I rub my hands together, itching to get onto the track.

‘Everything okay?’

I frown at him, straightening my back and rolling my shoulders. ‘Yep. Why wouldn’t it be?’

‘You’ve seemed distracted these last couple of weeks. It’s very unlike you. I’m sure being suspended hasn’t helped.’

‘I’m not distracted.’

‘Okay, well this is the last meet before nationals. You need to be in the top two to get through.’

‘I know,’ I say. ‘I know this. When have I ever let you down? I always win, so stop hounding me. I know what’s on the line here.’ My words come out a little harsher than planned, but I won’t be told by anyone else how important this race is. This has been my dream for so long, and no-one else’s pressure can outdo my own.

Coach holds his hands up. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’

With the biggest fake smile I can muster, I say, ‘I’m fine.’

‘Good. Get moving, then.’ He nods towards the track. ‘Start with a warm-up, then we’ll go from there.’

Thank fuck that’s over. I nod then start my warm-up with two laps of the track before Coach calls us back over to the grassy area in the middle.

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