Hide and Secret (Wattys2015)

(10) Serena's POV

"Marsden! Pick up the pace!"

I really hated running. And gym class. And really, any kind of physical activity. Except for tennis or field hockey. I didn't mind them because tennis wasn't as physically draining as a typical sport, at least for me. I liked field hockey because I liked the fact that I could easily use the field hockey stick as a weapon against my enemies.

But running laps around a track in gym class? Um, no. But alas, that's what I was doing right now. Someday, when I become a famous Hollywood actress, Mrs. Langston, the old, slightly overweight gym teacher, is going to regret ever putting me through this cruel and unusual punishment.

"Whoever invented gym was obviously either very drunk or specialized in torture," I muttered under my breath. That didn't exactly help my current state, because I was already out of breath from sprinting around the track. I felt beads of sweat glisten on my forehead. Gross.

"I'd have to agree with you," someone piped up on my left.

I turned to face the voice, startled. I didn't expect anyone to be listening to me. Almost everyone else was ahead of me on the track. But there was Theo. Despite the fact that we were out in the boiling hot weather, and despite the fact that we had to run five laps, he still looked fine. There wasn't a hint of sweat or body odor near him. I probably looked disgusting. "But don't you love athletic stuff?"

That had been my immediate thought, and naturally, it was the one that came out of my mouth. Theo chuckled at the question. "I do, but I hate how we can't choose what we want to do in gym. If I were the gym teacher, I'd have us do something more entertaining then just running."

I stared at him for a minute, our feet perfectly in sync as they thudded on the track. I remembered how I hadn't told Jill about how Theo and I used to be together. I had kept that from her. It wasn't truly important, because we were over now. "Like what?" I asked, playing along.

He shot me a grin that sent butterflies through my stomach. I wasn't sure why I had butterflies in my stomach. I mean, Theo and I had once dated. But that was over, wasn't it? "I'd like it if we could do football."

Football? I pictured bulky uniforms, a bunch of battering rams crashing into each other, and even more sweat. Ew.

Seeing my wrinkled nose and squinted eyes, Theo laughed. "Only the guys would play, Marsden. No need to worry about your hair."

I struggled to keep up with him as we continued to chat while running. I gave my hair a little flip. "It is my best attribute," I joked, trying to maintain the same pace Theo had going. "So, what lap are you on?"

"This is my last one."

Figured. I was still on my third. I decided to change the subject from gym class to relationships. Well, a specific relationship. "So... Have you told Jill, or anyone about... you know... us?"

Theo looked at me, his eyes wide. "Marsden, what would I have to gain from that? I didn't tell anyone."

"Is it possible that someone could have found out?" I asked, thinking of the sender and their messages about Theo's past relationship with me. I know how much you're into older men... or taken men, for that matter. That portion of the first message I'd received still played in my head, as bone-chilling and scary as the first time I'd read it.

Theo stared at me like I was crazy. Just then, an odd thought, fleeting and silly, but propelled by nervousness, came into my head. How was he able to run and look at me simultaneously? "It's possible... But would it be really bad if someone did?"

I had trouble processing what he was saying for a moment. Would it be bad if someone found out about us? What was he trying to say? Did Theo want to be with me rather than Jill? "It wouldn't be... ideal..." I hesitated, trying to find a proper way to phrase this. Jill and I were just becoming friends again. Did I really want to rock the boat and risk her friendship once more?