Nearly a week had passed and Winter was still mulling over the meaning behind her mother's words. They seemed to hold a weight that didn't make sense, as though she was speaking in coded language. She chewed on her pencil. Winter didn't have any particular skills or talents that would set her apart from the rest, other than her looks and ability to observe. Mandy eyed her with worry, "What's up? You've been zoning out a lot." "Just thinking." Layla picked at her nails, "You know you can tell us if something's bothering you. We're your friends." Friends. She'd never had them, her mother always had them packing their bags before Winter had the chance to make any. Navigating new friendships was already its own mission, Winter didn't want to add on to it by sharing anything unnecessary.
"We have P.E. next period," Mandy sighed, tying her hair up in a quick braid at the nape of her neck, "I don't want to go. Coach Russo runs that class like it's the navy." Layla stretched her arms, "She's the worst, but it's a joint class today." "With who?" Layla yawned, "Class eight." Mandy shot up, slamming her hands on the desks, startling some of the students around them, "Star's Potential!" Winter grabbed her gym clothes from her locker, "Star's Potential?" Layla and Mandy locked arms heading to the gym with Winter in tow. "Sam's class. Everyone does whatever he wants, sucking up to him like their lives depend on it," Mandy rambled, "But the kids in Star's Potential are geniuses in their own right, so if you're lucky enough to end up in class eight it's basically like being given a free pass to do whatever you want." Winter cracked her knuckles to work out the kinks in her fingers as she realized that there was a hierarchy at this school and Sam Tudor was sitting on the throne.
Winter, Mandy, and Layla stepped into the gym in time to hear Coach Russo yelling, "Okay ladies, gather 'round!" Everyone huddled towards the front. Star's Potential didn't mix with class five's students all the while, Sam stood in the center yet still somehow set apart from rest. Winter heard Mandy mumble something under her breath and Layla laughed. Coach Russo's attention flitted over to them. "Scott. Nicholas. Something funny?" Coach Russo's eyes lingered on Winter as Mandy and Layla shook their heads. "Who's this? I've never seen her in my class before." Something about her tone and the feral glint in her eyes turned the gym air stale. Winter walked a few steps forward, and raised her chin, "Winter Knight." Coach Russo's face sported an ugly grin, full of disdain, "Alright Knight, give me fifty." Winter's gaze did not falter, "Fifty what?" Coach Russo's crossed her arms, irritated at Winter's inability to be intimidated, "Fifty laps." "Around you? That'll take forever," she antagonized. The students held their breath in anticipation of Coach Russo's reaction, she did not take lightly to being challenged. She scanned the watching eyes and scoffed indignantly as a bulging vein throbbed on her neck, "Outside track, smart mouth. Now." Winter smiled sweetly, "That's a lot easier."
Sweat made her hair stick to the nape of her neck and her cheeks flushed red as the sun beamed down on her relentlessly. The humidity made breathing laborious, her head was swimming as she fought to finish the forty third lap. "She's really doing fifty laps in this heat?" "Who is that?" "That's the transfer student from class five." "A new student?" "She's really pretty." "Pretty hot if you ask me." Winter tuned out the noise and pushed through the aching in her body to compete the final laps. She panted, "I really shouldn't have skipped breakfast, I'm so thirsty." She finished six more laps before her legs gave out and she tripped. Mandy and Layla rushed over to her from where they were watching. Layla held out her hand, "Are you okay?" Winter strained a smile, "Peachy. Let me just finish this lap." She winced as she tried to get up and felt a hot pain shoot up her leg, she grimaced and hurried through her last lap. Refusing to acknowledge her, Coach Russo turned to yelled at the rest of the class, "Your turn. I want to see sweat, blood, and tears." Mandy glared at Coach Russo's back and muttered a string of foul language.