the biggest race of my career, I crashed into the girl beside me and brought down half a dozen others. It sucks now, but later you’ll laugh about it.”
No, I won’t. I may never laugh again.
The coach cleans Cassandra’s scrapes and bandages any that still bleed, mostly just her knees. When it’s all said and done, Cassandra pulls on sweatpants and a jacket to cover her shame. At least the parts the world can see.
She lingers in the locker room as everyone else leaves one by one. She doesn’t want to go out there. She wants to hide in here for the rest of her life. Anything to avoid facing her father. She’s not sure what will be worse, the pain of his disgust at her failure, or his wrath.
“Come on, Cassandra, you can’t stay in here forever,” Coach Carr calls from the door she’s getting ready to lock up for the day.
With a heavy sigh, Cassandra moseys out of the locker room, floating aimlessly in the hallway as the coach locks the door. Coach puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world, I promise.”
“My dad brought an Ivy League scout,” Cassandra says, deadpan.
Coach grimaces, hissing through her teeth. “Ouch.”
“Yep.”
With no other words of comfort, Coach pats her shoulder one last time before walking away.
Cassandra stays in the hallway for the longest time, leaning against the wall, so angry she wants to punch something but too frozen with fear to move.
Finally, she shrinks inside her hoodie and meanders slowly down the hall. She doesn’t want to go home. She wants to avoid facing her father as long as she can. But she knows time won’t fix this. No amount of time will make her father less angry about it. In fact, if she deliberately avoids him, that will probably only make him more furious. His beating more severe.
When Cassandra exits through the main doors, she sees Brielle perched on the buttress.
Cassandra is too overwhelmed to even scoff or roll her eyes, and she tries to walk past Brielle without acknowledgment.
But Brielle pushes in front of her, blocking her path. “Are you alright?” Her voice is pinched with concern, and for the first time, Cassandra admits to herself that the concern isn’t a show. Brielle truly does care.
She angrily shrugs away the notion, not wanting any of these revelations. Why couldn’t Brielle just remain the villain?
“I’m fine,” Cassandra says, averting her gaze to the ground, hands firmly and safely clenched in the pockets of her jacket.
“I’m so sorry,” Brielle says. “I know how much this meet meant to you. And to your father.”
Cassandra’s right hand leaps out of her pocket with a mind of its own and points her index finger at Brielle’s face. “Don’t start.”
Brielle is shaken by the reaction, but she doesn’t back down. “I hope you know that I was only ever looking out for you. I always hoped I was wrong about him.”
“I don’t want to hear it right now,” Cassandra growls.
Brielle’s face puckers in a sympathetic frown. “Are you afraid to go home? If you are, we can—”
“I told you, I’m not your friend!” Cassandra snaps. “And I don’t care what you think you know about my father, about my life, but stay out of it!”
“I can’t do that!” Brielle exclaims, pity and concern plain on her face. “I can’t just sit by and watch you be treated this way! I know you’re afraid, but it doesn’t have to be like this. If you would just tell someone—”
Cassandra’s rage has hit its boiling point.
“NO!” Cassandra shouts, shoving Brielle backward with all her force.
A flash of bright light momentarily blinds Cassandra, and when she opens her eyes again, she sees Brielle laying on the grass several yards away, her clothes smoking.
Oh no. Oh no! No, no, no!
All fury vanishes, and Cassandra rushes to Brielle’s side. Both Brielle’s shoulders are charred, the top half of her jacket and shirt singed completely off.
“Brielle!” Cassandra cups Brielle’s unresponsive face. “Oh, please, no! I’m so sorry! Please wake up!”
But Brielle doesn’t move.
Oh, God, I killed her! Cassandra screams internally, tears streaming down her face.
She wipes her cheeks and shakes Brielle’s shoulders, not caring that she’s touching blackened flesh. “Come on, Brielle! You’re too stubborn to die!”
In desperation, she whips her head around, looking for anyone who could help. But the entire school area is empty.
Cassandra pulls out her phone and dials nine-one-one.
“What’s your emergency?” answers the female voice on the line.
“There’s been an accident at Mirror