The Orange Jersey Betrayal

Kai's breath came in ragged bursts, his legs burning as he pounded against the dirt path. The cross country meet had started twenty minutes ago, but he was already thinking about dropping out.

Everything had changed third period when he'd seen the Instagram post on his iPhone. His best friend since seventh grade, Jenna, posted a photo with Jason—the guy who'd spent all last year making Kai's life miserable. The caption read 'my person 💕' and Kai had nearly shattered the screen squeezing his phone so hard.

He pulled up, doubling over as his lungs screamed. His orange jersey—that stupid highlighter-colored monstrosity the coach insisted made them visible—was drenched in sweat. Other runners streamed past him, their footsteps rhythmic and confident. Kai felt like he was running through syrup.

'You good?' A voice cut through his haze.

Kai looked up. It was Marcus, the sophomore who always finished last but never stopped smiling.

'Yeah,' Kai lied, wiping sweat from his forehead. 'Just... pacing myself.'

Marcus nodded, falling into step beside him instead of passing. 'That's smart. Last meet, I tried to sprint the first mile and ended up walking the rest. Total bull move, honestly.'

Kai almost smiled. 'Thanks.'

'My mom says cross country is basically free therapy,' Marcus continued, matching Kai's slowed pace. 'Like, you're literally running away from your problems, but in a healthy way?'

They crested a hill, and suddenly Kai could see the finish line. Not the end of the race—he still had two miles left—but the mental finish line he'd been sprinting toward all day. He could keep running from the truth about Jenna, or he could finish this race, talk to her like an adult, and realize that friends grow apart and that was okay.

'Hey,' Kai said, straightening up. 'Want to pick it up?'

Marcus grinned. 'Thought you'd never ask.'

They took off together, two orange jerseys against the horizon, running toward whatever came next.