Cross Country Chaos

Alex's life was basically one long exercise in overthinking, and today was no exception. It was only third period lunch, and already she was spiraling.

"You've got—" Maya started, then made a circular gesture at her own face.

Alex's heart dropped. She grabbed her phone, camera flipped. There, nestled in her braces like a little green demon, was a piece of **spinach** from her salad. And she'd spent the last ten minutes smiling and laughing at Jordan's table like a total goofball.

Jordan. The senior. The captain of the cross country team, who'd actually noticed Alex at freshman orientation and said she should come out for **running**. Who'd just sat there talking to her with that easy smile while Alex had been rocking a spinach smile like it was a fashion statement.

"Kill me now," Alex groaned, dropping her forehead onto the cafeteria table with a dramatic thud.

"Nah, you've got practice in twenty," Maya said, unsympathetic. "Can't die till after Coach kills you first."

Practice was brutal in the way that only September humidity could make it. Alex's **palm**s were sweating so badly she could barely grip her water bottle, which was embarrassing because she'd only been standing there for like three minutes while everyone else looked cool and collected and definitely not like they'd had a vegetable incident less than an hour ago.

"Alright, freshmen," Jordan called out, clapping her hands together. "Today we're doing the Bear Trail."

Alex swallowed. The Bear Trail was notorious—a winding path through the woods behind the school that somehow managed to be all uphill both ways. The school's **bear** mascot was painted on a rock at the turnaround point, looking judgmentally at everyone who struggled up there.

Which was everyone. Every single time.

"You coming?" Jordan fell into step beside her as the group started moving. "You looked deep in thought back there."

"Just—dreading it," Alex admitted, because why lie at this point? She'd already humiliated herself once today.

Jordan laughed. "Me too. I puked my first time on that trail. Freshman year, right in front of the whole team."

Alex's head snapped toward her. "No way. You?"

"Way. Tyler still brings it up sometimes." Jordan shrugged. "The point is, we've all been there. Literally and metaphorically."

They ran in comfortable silence for a while, Alex's legs burning, her breath coming in short bursts. The trail really was awful—roots and rocks and leaves that definitely wanted to trip her.

"So about lunch," Jordan said casually, like they hadn't been climbing what felt like a vertical mountain for ten minutes. "Maya texted me."

Alex stumbled. "She WHAT."

"Said you were having a crisis about something." Jordan grinned sideways at her. "Also said you wouldn't stop talking about me after practice yesterday, so honestly? I'm just flattered you noticed my existence enough to stress about spinach in front of me."

Alex's face was so hot she was surprised she wasn't leaving steam trails in the humid air. "I hate her. I hate both of you. I'm transferring schools."

"You're not." Jordan's tone shifted, softer now. "Hey, for what it's worth? I didn't notice. I was too busy being nervous that you wouldn't think I was cool enough to hang out with."

"What."

"You're fast, Alex. Coach has been talking you up since week one. I've been trying to work up the courage to properly talk to you for like, two weeks." Jordan rubbed the back of her neck, actually looking flustered. "So. Spinach or not, you're kind of a big deal on this team."

They reached the bear rock in silence, both breathing hard, faces flushed. Alex looked at the painted mascot—at its judgmental, static face—and felt something in her chest loosen.

"Well," she said, bending over to rest her hands on her knees. "This definitely isn't how I imagined today going."

"Better or worse?" Jordan asked, dropping beside her.

Alex thought about it—really thought about it. About the spinach, the sweat, the terrible trail, the way Jordan's ears were slightly red too.

"Better," she decided, straightening up. "Definitely better."

"Good." Jordan grinned. "Now let's get back before Coach thinks we died up here. Race you?"

"You're on."

Alex took off, Jordan's laugh echoing behind her, and for the first time all day, she wasn't overthinking a single thing.