Page 13 of Find Me
As I walked into the girls’ locker room, my stomach was a knotted mess of anxiety. I was wearing a white under-shirt beneath my dress. At least some of my nastiest scars would be covered. The gym uniforms were black basketball shorts and short-sleeved gray T-shirts with dark blue lettering on them. My ankles and wrists, not to mention the long scar on my inner right arm, were going to be on display. I did have a dark blue zip-up hoodie in my bag. With it being one hundred degrees out, people were going to notice. I guessed it was better to be the freak wearing a sweatshirt in the summer than the freak with the scars.
I picked a locker in an area that didn’t already have a bunch of girls changing and began stripping as fast as I could. A few girls showed up just before the final bell rang and snagged a few lockers near mine. I gave them my back as I finished changing. There was nothing I could do to hide the scars on my ankles because my ankle socks and tennis shoes didn’t cover them, and I wasn’t going to wear my thigh highs. I drew the line there. Leaving my hoodie unzipped over my uniform, I pulled my hair into a messy bun as I made my way into the gym. A few girls but mostly guys were already seated on the indoor gymnasium’s wooden bleachers.
A waving hand caught my attention. Sitting at the top were Colt, Creed, Ethan, and a few of their other friends. I made my way up. Once at the top, Colt stood so I could sit between him and Creed. They both eyed my hoodie. Colt politely didn’t comment on it. Creed, on the other hand, was a different story.
“You know it’s a hundred degrees out, right?”
“Believe me, I noticed,” I mumbled.
“You’re going to get heatstroke if you keep that on when the coaches send us outside,” he argued, drawing the attention of the others.
Why did he care?
“Creed,” Colt said with a tone.
“Aren’t you her friend or something? It should be you telling her this, not me,” Creed grumbled.
Anxiously, I chewed on my bottom lip. Ethan and the student sitting in front of me turned to look at us. I shifted on the bench to face Creed and leaned in close. His masculine scent filled my nose. Like citrus and smoky cedar. It was a heady combination.Focus, Shi.“If I promise to explain my legitimate reason for wearing a sweatshirt later, will you please let it go?”
I didn’t know if it was the desperation in my voice or the pleading in my eyes, but he nodded.
More students continued to trickle in from the locker rooms. Cassy and her squad were the last to join the rest of the class as they walked from the locker room arm in arm.
Ethan turned to get the twins’ attention. “When’s your first swim meet?”
“Next week,” Colt answered.
“You’re on the swim team?” I asked.
Ethan snickered. “Because of these fools, our swim team has gone to state for the past three years. Our school’s swim team is almost as big of a deal as our football team. Almost.”
Colt and Creed rolled their eyes at their friend.
“What about you?” Ethan asked me. “Are you going to try out for a sport or were you on a team at your old school?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m the nerd in the family. Sports was my sister’s domain. She was a cheerleader and did gymnastics.” I grimaced, looking down.Why did I just say that?
“You have a sister? Does she go here too?” Ethan asked. I could feel the twins’ eyes on me. “No,” I replied simply.
“Darn, that just ruined my fantasy of seeing a Pierce sister dressed like a cheerleader,” Ethan teased.
“What about going out for track? Don’t you like to run?” Colt asked. In that moment, I could have hugged him for changing the subject. “Running is more of an escape for me. I don’t want to turn it into a sport.”
“You should still show your team spirit and come cheer for us from the stands. I have a home game next week, too,” Ethan said.
“Sure. I’ll come dressed in a skimpy cheerleader outfit and hold up a glittery poster board that says, ‘Go Team Go!’”
I’d been teasing, but Ethan took it even further. “Now we’re talking. Make sure the skimpy uniform is in our school colors and instead of ‘Go Team Go!’ I’d write out ‘Football God.’ Just a suggestion, though.”
I caught a gleam of mirth in his eye and I fought not to smile. “I think I’ll wear my hair in pigtails.”
“Add high heels and glasses and you’ve completed the ensemble,” he added.
Attempting not to laugh, I snorted. “I think you’re envisioning a naughty schoolgirl, not a cheerleader.”
Ethan shrugged. “Cheer me on as either.”
I shook my head at him. “You know I’ll be going in sweats now, right?”