“I’m impressed you came for Office Hours,” Sarah says. “Seeing how it’s gone recently.”
“I can’t let ’em win. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“You’re going to get another chance in a minute. I just thought I’d give you a little boost of self-esteem first.”
“What—”
“Parker.” It’s Trish. “Scotty wants me to say I’m sorry so I’m saying I’m sorry.”
Wow, she is definitely not sorry. I open my bag and dig around. “Okay, hang on a sec…”
“What for?”
“I have a notebook… with a list of check boxes… Now I can check off the one that says ‘Trish said the words I’m sorry to me, presumably for threatening me with a beer bottle.’”
“God, I did not.”
“Actually, you did, but I’ve heard worse.” I close my bag. “Never mind, I’ll remember. I accept your apology. I’m guessing Frank is going to ask me about this later? If he does, rest assured, I’ll tell him you said you were sorry.”
“I guess you’re not a complete idiot.”
“The day may come.”
“I’ll run with you if you want to join the team.”
I laugh. “Why the hell would I want to run with you?”
“I’m the fastest sprinter we have,” she says, clearly not offended. “Including the guys. And no one else wants to. When you didn’t show up yesterday Coach called us all together to talk about it.”
“Wow,” I say with my skeptical voice. “You were the only one willing to run with me?”
“Okay, a couple others raised their hands but they’re slow as molasses. And I’m also closest to your height so we’ll have the same stride length—those others would trip you up not even meaning to. No one else even likes sprinting. They’re all on the team for longer distances but Coach makes some of them do it anyway to fill out the roster.”
“At least I wouldn’t have to worry about them steering me into a pole on purpose.”
“Ha, you don’t need my help for that. I saw you run for Coach and trip over your own feet. Not very impressive. I could run that fast if I didn’t worry about keeping my face off the ground. I figured you’d say no but thought I’d offer anyway. See you around—”
“Hang on, I didn’t say no.”
“But you’re going to,” Sarah says.
“Why? She’s the fastest next to me, she’s willing, and I bet she’d be very glad to say in her college applications that she helped a blind girl achieve her dreams.”
“Definitely not a complete idiot,” Trish says in a smiling voice. It even sounds like it might be a real smile, not the shark kind, but I won’t be dropping my guard anytime soon.
“You can’t trust her.”
“She wouldn’t let me run into anything, especially with loads of people around watching all the time, right, Trish?”
“You’re three for three. What do you say?”
It makes sense. A guide is just to stop me from running into things and that kind of getting hurt doesn’t frighten me. I don’t need a saint to run with, just someone willing and able and most of all, fast.
“Parker?” Trish says.
“You can call me B.B.” I extend my hand. “What it means can be our little secret.”
She laughs and shakes my hand. “See you after school.”
After she leaves, I say to Sarah, “Was that a laugh of grudging newfound respect or was she rolling her eyes because she really does think I’m an idiot?”
“Do you care?”
“Not even the tiniest bit. Just making conversation.”
After school, Molly walks with me to the locker room and then splits off to head for the bleachers and read instead of hanging around in her mom’s classroom. Our new plan is for her to do whatever for an hour while I’m at track, then we’ll do homework, saving trig for last when Kent comes after football practice.
I pick up track clothes at the coaches’ office and try everything on. The shorts and tank top are snugger than I like but that’s fine. If I’m going to sprint in front of an audience I’d rather not have my clothes too loose and not secure.
“Parker, it’s me,” Trish says to my left. “I’m over here.”
“Who? Where?” I turn my head all around like I’m looking for her voice.
“It’s me. Trish. To your right, I mean left. Your left.”
“Oh, good, thanks for telling me. It’s not like I can recognize your voice or anything or tell where it’s coming from.”
“God, you’re such a bitch. I really might call you B.B.”
“The rumors are true. We can go faster if I take your arm. My cane’s bent anyway. Unless you’re worried people will think we’re a couple.”
“You wish.”