Not bothering to pick up my helmet, I ran as fast as I could, sprinting away, taking the stairs two, three at a time. I could vaguely hear Jeff calling after me, his footsteps pounding on the stairs harder than mine. All I could see was that vicious gleaming face of Cassie’s. She wanted me to see her in Jeff’s arms, I could tell.

OMG, is Jeff seeing Cassie of all people behind my back? The one person that seems to hate me with every cell in her body.

Dare I even judge Jeff, when I myself am unfaithful to him? I mean, even before I started going out with Jeff my heart belonged to somebody else. And how many times have I kissed Rafe, even though Jeff and I are going out? I’m sure Jeff trusts me explicitly, undeservedly so what can I say now to Jeff, when I myself don’t play it straight?

‘Katy, babe, wait__ you have to let me explain.’ I could hear Jeff closing in on me now, but I kept running onto the track.

Where I was running to I have no idea? I seem to have already covered almost half a lap, any second now I would be on the tarmac itself, right where other cars were already practicing.

I wanted to stop running, but I wanted to get as far away from Jeff and Cassie as possible. The more I tried to wipe away that evil smiling face of Cassie’s the more vivid that wicked face of hers became imprinted in my mind.

My lungs were burning, my throat felt parched, I was so desperate for some chilled liquid to quench my dry throat. I could not run anymore, my legs were threatening to collapse, and suddenly I was tackled at my ankles and dropped to the ground, but Jeff was super quick, before I hit the ground, he moved like lightening rolling so his shoulders hit the ground, and his chest cushioned the impact of my fall.

‘I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!' I sobbed, tears streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.

‘Babe, what the hell?’ Jeff panted, holding me to him in a vice grip, ‘you catch me in a compromising position with another girl and you’re apologizing!’

‘If you w_want to break up with me I understand,’ I continued to sob, keeping my eyes shut, so Jeff won’t see the shameful guilt in my eyes.

‘What nonsense is this? You’re my girl. I don’t want to break up with you. I don’t want anybody else sweetheart,’ Jeff rolled so I was on my back and he was atop me. He lips were kissing my neck, he was murmuring something in my ear.

But I shut him out. I shut off my ears from hearing his whispering words of endearment. I felt like the lowest scum for betraying Jeff.  I was ashamed of myself.

‘Babe, talk to me,’ Jeff pleaded.

My hands lay at the sides, my finger nails clawing at the tarred surface. I could feel my nails grating, chipping into the hard surface.

‘I don’t deserve you,’ I shamefully whispered, and disgracefully, dared to wrap my arms around his neck.

‘What nonsense is this sugar?’ Jeff gently ran his thumb down my cheek wiping away the tears.

‘I’m not good enough for you,’ I stammered, ‘you give so much to this __ this relationship. I give you nothing,’ I confessed.

‘You’re my girlfriend aren’t you?’ he grinned

I’m too ashamed to answer that.

‘Hey I’m going out with the National Champion, and she’s a sexy hot babe__’

‘Oh shut up,’ I smiled tentatively.

Jeff smiled, gazing into my eyes, he brushed his lips gently to mine.

‘Cassie was coming onto me you know__’ Jeff started. ‘When that didn’t work, she threatened to ram you out of the track, if I don’t stop coaching you.’

As I recalled that picture of Cassie and Jeff, Cassie was gloating, with her hands on Jeff, but Jeff’s hands were at his side, clenched in a tight fist.

‘What is she doing in Sydney?’

‘She called me, asking for a contact for some engine spares, so I asked her to drop by here.’

‘I trust you,’ I whispered sincerely, looking into Jeff’s eyes.

‘Thank you babe__, I know I come from the wrong side of the track but__’

I did not give Jeff the chance to complete his sentence. I reached up and kissed him. I’m the lowest scum I know, even though I don’t deserve Jeff, hell he did not need to judge himself so harshly. And since we’d been going out, Tom and Jeff were not so feared around the school anymore. Even Tom was softening up, and not pleased about losing his bad boy image.

‘If the slut is so desperate for you, at least get a room,’ Cassie spat out vilely, as she looked down on Jeff lying over me, my hands wound around Jeff’s neck, making out in front of all and sundry.

I opened my eyes, looked into Jeff’s, he smiled, took his time kissing my lips, then rose, and helped me to my feet. There was a look of cold anger on Jeff’s face as he turned to Cassie, ‘I intend to file a case of intimidation against you with the organizers,’ Jeff pointed his finger at Cassie’s face.

Cassie’s eyes widened, she looked at me as if she wanted to claw my eyes out.

‘If any harm comes to Katy,’ Jeff continued, ‘of if you just touch her car, I will deal with you and not on the race track,’ Jeff threatened.

‘I am going to open a counter claim against you,’ Cassie yelled like a mad woman.

‘Go ahead sweetheart, it won’t wash, not in this city.’

Not to brag, but between Jeff, Ally and myself, we were rising sport stars in our city. The media was always writing credible, complimentary stories about us. So nobody was going to believe Cassie’s unsubstantiated claims.

‘Let’s just go,’ I murmured to Jeff, interlinking my fingers through his.

‘Babe you haven’t practiced yet,’ Jeff reminded me.

‘Not now please,’ I begged.

Jeff studied my face, he could be a hard task master, but amazingly he relented, ‘okay babe, but tomorrow, you have to put in extra time.’

‘Okay,’ I nodded, as Jeff cupped his arm around my waist, and we walked away leaving the dumb founded Cassie glaring at us, and I’m sure she wished, just by glaring, she could vanquish me off the face of the earth.

‘We better keep our eyes on that one,’ Jeff muttered, ‘I’m speaking to your stepdad about security.’

‘Don’t,' I pleaded, 'then my mom’s going to become paranoid, she may ask me to pull out of racing.’

‘I’ll speak to your stepdad discreetly, and tell him not to raise any unnecessary concerns with your mom or anybody else.’

I was just finished with my workout at the school gym, and tossed some coins into the vending machine to get a bottle of water when I spotted Ally sitting at a bench press against the far wall, with her legs resting on the nearby rail. She was gazing out the huge windows, oblivious to the movements of others. Some of the hottest looking footballers, and basket ball players cast a more than casual look at her, but not a single cell in her body responded.

‘Hey you catching a power nap?’ I grinned, drinking from my bottle of water.

Ally swung her face my way, blinked, inhaled deeply, then offered me a tentative smile. I used the corner of my towel to wipe at the perspiration that formed over my forehead, and at the nape of my neck.  Ally was so unusually quiet, something must be wrong.

‘I broke up with Rafe,’ she spoke quietly.

The bottle fell out of my hand. I looked at Ally, she had a very serious look on her face that told me she was not kidding. My eyes followed the bottle that was still rolling, the water spilling out of it, as it rolled on. I was in shock, trying to process what she’d just said. I picked up the bottle, dumping it into the bin, rolled off some paper from the dispenser, mopped up the spilled water on the floor and went to sit next to Ally.

‘You broke up with him?’ I questioned softly.

‘Yep,’ she nodded, shutting her eyes.

‘Why?’ I whispered.

‘Have you ever been in a relationship, where you felt it was going nowhere very fast?’ she asked a puzzled look on her face.

What is this? Have a go at Katy Michaels week? First Cassie, now Ally!

‘I don’t understand you and Rafe seem __tight,’ I said for lack of a better word.

‘Oh he’s sweet and thoughtful, and caring, and very supportive,’ Ally smiled. And when he kisses you, you feel like you’re tasting nectar from a honeycomb,’ she smiled.

Too much information!

‘So what’s the problem?’

‘When I’m with Rafe, he’s there physically, but his mind and spirit are locked up elsewhere __.’

I must have audibly gasped, for Ally’s head swung to my face questioningly.

‘I__I don’t believe it,’ I got out shockingly.

‘Oh he’s too polite to dump me, but I know he does not feel for me what I feel for him,’ Ally met my eyes challengingly.

OMG, just what the hell is Ally telling me here? I think she is so mistaken. Why would somebody go out with a person they don’t want to be with?

Why are you going out with Jeff? My mind screamed at me, like an amplifier, blaring into my eardrums.

‘I__I don’t know what to say Ally,’ I avoided looking into her eyes, I looked at her hand as I placed my palm over hers.

‘There’s just so much pain you can inflict on yourself,’ Ally half smiled, ‘but hey one must know when to stop flogging a dead horse right?’ she questioned me as if, I should be able to comprehend something as seemingly obvious.

Feeling an attack of guilt pounding at my conscious, I did not know how to respond, and just stayed quiet.

‘I’m so jealous of you and Jeff,’ she whispered.

‘What?’ I exclaimed.

‘You guys are always so happy, so compatible, so together. I’ve never once seen you and Jeff argue,’ she qualified.

Appearances can be deceptive, and about the happy compatible bit....

‘I guess we do get along,’ I smiled.

‘You’re so different from other spoilt, rich kids, Katy.’

‘Hey, I wasn’t born rich,’ I smiled. ‘I came from an average income home, until my mother married the wealthy Roger Murray.’

‘But still, you don’t judge Jeff, or Tom or me, or Rafe for that matter.’

Judge Rafe? I don’t know how to judge him, all I know is the all consuming, obsessive attraction I feel for him that craves consummation.

‘I guess I have my mom to thank for the good manners she instilled in me,’ I reflected, ‘and it was not easy for her she had to play the role of mother and father practically all my life.

‘So we’re all from crazy dysfunctional homes, so how is it you’re so __together?’ she questioned.

Ally you’re far to trusting of me. If only you knew the truth.

‘Hey I’m a rough diamond,’ I joked, ‘’a half baked potato__’

Ally laughed unrestrained, before I could finish the nonsensical babble. I smiled, as I heard her laugh, she was so unassumingly pretty and attractive.

‘If you don’t mind me asking, what did Rafe say about you breaking up with him?’ I felt ashamed asking, but was unable to restrain my curiosity.

The smile left Ally’s face. Her eyes became sad again, like somebody switched off the light. I felt like the worthless Judas, questioning Ally that way.

‘He apologized,’ she stared out the window, ‘said it was not his intention to hurt me, but did not deny or defend his position.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered.

‘Hey it’s not your fault,’ she patted my hand.

OMG Ally!

I shut my eyes tightly, wishing I was not having this conversion. When the hell is it all going to end? I was hurting Jeff and Ally. I was so not worthy of their relationship and friendship, I enjoyed with them.

‘I'm meeting Jeff at the track want to come join us. If you’re not too expensive, I can accept your expertise.’

‘You’re racing like a pro, and that man of yours knows all the tricks I know,’ she smiled. ‘Infact most of what I know, I was taught by Jeff.’

‘He’s very modest, he didn’t tell me that,’ I laughed.

‘Yeah,’ Ally laughed again, and looked into the distance thoughtfully, ‘my very first race I ran all those years ago, Jeff approached me and threw some suggestions at me. I glared at him, thinking he was trying to sabotage me. But he said, I should try it in practice, if it works, I should use it, if it doesn’t I should discard their advice. And what do you know, I took his advice out of curiosity, and finished six places higher than I did in my previous race. And ever since then we’d bonded and have a healthy respect for each other,’ she smiled.

‘Come with me to practice,’ I pleaded, standing up and extending my hand to Ally.

‘Okay, ‘you win, she smiled.

‘I must confess, I have an ulterior motive.’

‘Oh what’s that?’ Ally demanded.

‘I’m late, and if I have company, Jeff won’t bite my head off,’ I grinned.

‘So you’re just shamelessly using me, aren’t you,’ Ally accused.

I stopped dead in my tracks. That was exactly what I was doing. First hurting her with Rafe, now using Ally as a decoy against Jeff. When will I stop behaving so selfishly?

‘Hey I’m just teasing,’ Ally grinned, tugging her arm through mine.

I nodded, forced a smile, then continued with Ally to my training session.

I was busy daydreaming about you know who in my English class when my cell phone beeped an incoming text. I cringed with embarrassment as the opening words: was a current party song that
 blared from my rucksack. The guys in the class went crazy, joining the chorus, darting their hands in the air to the beat, when the teacher yelled for silence. I slid lower into my seat, wanting to die of embarrassment; the guys were looking at me bobbing their heads, even though the teacher had yelled for silence.

‘Katy Michaels!’ he yelled at me.

‘Y__yes. I’m sorry,’ I stammered.

‘Cell phones must be turned off, and not even be on silent!” he reminded me.

‘Yes sir. I’m sorry,’ I mumbled, hauling it out and in my haste to switch it off, accidently dialed out, instead of killing the damn thing. I ripped the cover off, quickly removed the battery and shoved the loose parts into my pockets. I normally switch it off, before I get into school, but this morning, my brain was thinking about tomorrow morning, as we leave to the USofA

“Parry girl; Parry girl,” the guys were chorusing, after the end of the first lesson.

‘Shut up,’ I groaned, as I put my phone together, I knew the text was from Cade, I saw her name flash on the screen, before I ripped it all apart. I scrolled through her text as I walked to my next lesson, reading her cryptic message that requested,

“Umm can we talk _1st break plz”

I texted back “ok_cafetaria” wondering what Cade wanted to “talk” about.

The next two lessons dragged on boringly. I was wondering if my mom had managed to talk to the principal as yet about my absence from school for the whole of the next week. I was also mentally, packing my wardrobe, and filing a “to do list”, and for the life of me, could not tell you what the two lessons entailed, when the bell sounded for the first break. I rushed to my locker, shoved everything in, grabbed some cash, and sped to the cafeteria.

‘What was the emergency, you had to text during your lesson in class?’ I grinned.

‘I didn’t think you’d respond so quickly,’ she grinned back.

‘You wanna hear something really embarrassing?’ I moaned.

‘What?’ she asked suspiciously.

‘Okay just send me a message saying, “hi”’ I instructed.

Cade looked at me as if I was gone cuckoo, but did it anyway, and when she heard the text tone, she laughed hilariously, ‘okay Katy, you go girl,’ she slapped me a high five.

‘It was deathly silent in the class, my English teacher was writing on the chalk board, when this tone started blaring in my bag,’ I wrinkled my face.

‘Oh my bad,’ she offered an apologetic smile.

‘Suffice to say, all the guys though it a welcome relief to interpreting John Donne’s “Death be not Proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art no so…”’, I mimicked in an elaborated English accent.

‘Oh Katy, you are one of a kind,’ Cade laughed.

‘So what’s up?’ I asked, tucking into the cafeteria’s dry, over heated mac and cheese dish. I had bought one for Cade as well, seeing I got there before her.

‘Mmm, this is divine, thank you,’ she put a forkful into her mouth. ‘Do you want a slice of my beef and lettuce sandwich? Cade offered.

The mac and cheese had spoilt my appetite, I was not hungry anymore, but thought it would hurt Cade’s feelings if I rejected her offer, so I helped myself to one.

‘Thank you,’ I smiled, knowing Rafe had made the sandwich. ‘You have the other, I pushed the container back to her.

‘I’ll save it for Rafe,’ she slid it back into her bag.

Being with Cade, always poked at my conscious. I swallowed on the bite of the sandwich, aware again of the differences in our standard of living, and how I carelessly took so much for granted.

‘Mmm, this is actually so nice,’ I replied honestly, ‘what is that lovely sauce on it? I peeled the sandwich apart.

‘Blue cheese sauce,’ I heard from behind me.

I looked at Cade for a second who was blushing embarrassedly, I turned around to see Rafe holding two bottles of orange juice.

‘Sorry, I forgot to pack you something to drink,’ Rafe winked at Cade, handing her a bottle of orange juice.

‘Thank you,’ she mumbled, reaching out for the bottle.

‘Would you keep this for me,’ Cade handed her lunch box to her brother.

‘I suppose I’m to eat it because we don’t have enough food at home,’ Rafe grinned, taking the lunch box, and slipping it into his shoulder bag.

‘You’re a growing man,’ she told him sternly.

‘Katy, how are you?’ Rafe smiled at me.

He smiled at me, he actually smiled at me.

‘Fine, __fine thank you. This really is good,’ I complimented.

‘I worked at a fancy hotel, back home for a short while,’ he grinned, ‘so I learnt one or two things.’

Wow, we are having a conversation!

‘Don’t you have to be somewhere?’ Cade questioned her brother.

‘Yeah__okay,’ Rafe dragged his eyes away from me to Cade, ‘I get the message,’ he grinned at his sister, kissed her cheek and slipped away.

‘Was my brother just having a conversation with you?’

I could feel the heat rising in my face, I silently prayed my face won’t start blushing like a ripe tomato.

‘I should pay him more compliments, I think,’ I continued to bite on the sandwich, just so I had something to do.

‘Ha, don’t be fooled Katy, it never works on Rafe, believe you me,’ she uttered knowingly.

‘Oh?’

‘Yeah,’ she grinned, ‘sometimes I try to get out of doing my chores at home, and I’ll like say something nice to him, in the hope it will take his mind of my chore. Rafe will say “nice try”, now get on with it,’ Cade raised her eyebrows.

‘I think I stopped doing that to my mom in junior grade,’ I smiled. ‘So Cade, why were you all flustered when Rafe got here?’

‘OMG, I wanted to die,’ she hissed. ‘I was like two seconds away from showing you this,’ she passed her mobile over to me.

Okay Rafe may have been polite just now, and had not blown a gasket because I was talking to his sister. But if he saw this text message. If he only knew, I knew about this text, he will drag me in front of the firing squad.

‘You have a boyfriend?’ I whispered, after I turned around to make sure nobody could hear us.

‘No,’ she whispered back, ‘but Jason asked me out last week, but I did not answer him.’

‘Jason Green, the red head?’ I enquired with a smirk.

‘The one,’ she pursed her lips, as her cheeks grew red.

‘Cade you’re blushing.’

Cade drank from her bottle, looked around, and wiped across her face with her handkerchief, without replying.

‘Wow, this must been the longest silence between you and I,’ I needled her.

‘You’re not helping, you know,’ she gritted her teeth.

‘I’m sorry,’ I laughed, ‘I don’t know what to say. And I’m too afraid of Rafe’s reaction, if I do comment,’ I replied soberly.

‘I think Jason’s cute,’ she grinned.

I suppose I could agree with Cade’s assessment. He was one of those nerd types that always hung around the library. Jason was a little shorter than Andy, but pleasant looking, with curly red hair that looked like it had not seen a hair brush in like a whole year. But Jason did not have big ears, or buck teeth, or use spectacles. I remembered Andy inviting him to a birthday party a year or two ago.But the issue was not whether Jason was good looking or not. The problem was big brother Rafe. How to deal with him?

‘Cade I honestly do not know what to say to you,’ I responded cautiously.

‘You’re the only girl that’s afraid of my brother, every other girl wants to be all over him. If you were not so afraid of Rafe, you could like ask him to allow me to go to the movies with Jason,’ she pointed to the text on her mobile.

‘I wish I can help Cade, but you know Rafe does not consider me as a moral compass you can look up to,’ I sighed.

‘I just don’t get him,’ Cade mumbled, ‘Back home, he was going out with girls before he was thirteen, why can’t I?’

‘I’m sorry,’ I spoke softly, ‘but I’m sure glad I don’t have a big brother.’

‘And Andy is so sweet,’ she grinned.

‘Sure if you’re not his sister,’ I raised my eyebrows.

‘What are we going to say to Jason?’ she brought me back to the conversation in question.

‘We are not going to do anything,’ I emphasized.

‘So you’re just going to leave me in the lurch?’ she accused.

‘Oh Cade, don’t do this to me. What am I supposed to say to you?’

‘Don’t say anything to me. Speak to Rafe?’

‘Are you mad? He__he’ll go ballistic!’

‘Jeff must think you’re adorable,’ she grinned.

‘What?’ I questioned, in confusion.

‘You’re so sweet, and gentle, and respectful of your peers.’

‘Is this one of those times when Rafe tells you to “get on with it,” I threw at her.

‘No, I mean it sincerely,’ she laughed, ‘you really are one in a million.’

‘I still can’t do anything for you,’ I remained focused, even though I pondered on her compliments.

‘Katy just try PLEASE,’ she requested.

‘You know that obnoxious brother of yours does not even need a reason to have a go at me,’ I reminded her.

‘You’ll have to think of some flattering adjectives when you talk to him,’ she persisted.

‘Flattery does not work with him, you told me so!’

‘Are you going to deny me? I may die in my sleep tonight, and you will be regretting not giving me my one dying wish__’

‘Cade!’ I plastered my palms over my ears, not believing what she was resorting to. ‘I can’t believe how evil you can be.’

‘A girl’s got to do, what a girl’s got to do,’ she grinned.

‘I don’t know when I can even get to speak to Rafe, you know we're leave to the USA tomorrow morning.’

‘Perfect, tonight I can drag Rafe over to your place to greet you before you leave,’ she clasped her hands together, like she just solved a nagging riddle.

‘My parents will be there, I won’t get the opportunity to speak to him privately,’ I hissed,’ secretly hoping they would come, and that I could find an opportunity, to be with Rafe privately, just for a few minutes.

One whole week without seeing Rafe is going to be torture.

            -end chapter fifteen-