p my pace. I didn't look back at the other runners, b

g back to me. The other runners thundered past me as

is fist. "You broke it! 47.3!" I grinned, too high on adrenaline to do anythin

he praise. "T

was pa

. Frankly, I really didn't want to go over there. I had nothing to say to either of them, but my manners outwei

on my loose drawstring pants. If there was one thing I wanted t

other, I immediately

nfortunately, my avoidance only seemed to amuse him. "You didn't tell me you'd be coming today." Usually, he'd send me

s had been...distant...almost no

He then changed the subject, something he did remarkably well. "You did gre

h, 4

e respectful. I feigned ignorance and only gave the man a fleeting gla

arents here," Roman

tall, but then again, everyone was taller than I was. Though, he was a few inches shorter than my

s awkward as it really was. My brother looked pained and his mouth was tightly shut

ddenly reached out and grasped my chin, forcibly turning my gaze back to Luci

s, do you? Either that, or you're

completely so, but I couldn't find it in myself to be daunted. Nevertheless, m

fected. "I apologize,"

" Nick

item? Was that why they were acting so odd? Was it the drugs they were selling? Hell...was

go. "I'd like to take you out for dinner," Romano began coolly. "After your meet, o

flustered. "Yeah, sure, of course..." I agreed distractedly, pulling away from the two and the awkwardness they exuded. Dinner

's smile and the crestfallen

what I had jus