?Shit. I?ll kill him,? Claire offered. Helen tried to laugh at that,
but what came out of her sounded more like a hacking cough.
?Thanks, but no. I don?t want him dead,? Helen said. She shuffled
after Claire to homeroom.
Mr. Hergeshimer asked about her health as soon as he had a
chance to process how wretched she looked. Helen assured him
she was fine, and after studying her face skeptically for a moment
he gave up and went back to harassing Zach about his choice for
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the Word of the Day. Matt asked Helen in a whisper if her stomach
felt better, and then restated his opinion that she should quit track.
?You?re wearing yourself too thin,? he said, sounding an awful lot
like her father.
The rest of the morning went similarly. Every teacher asked if she
needed to go to the nurse, and all of her acquaintances worried
that she wasn?t better yet from her ?fit? during track the other day.
Except for Zach.
?I had no idea you were so fast, Hamilton,? he said as he ran to
catch up to her in the hall.
?Yeah, I?m pretty fast,? she countered, trying to sound
disinterested.
?Right before you collapsed I saw you chasing that shirtless guy
and I realized that I?ve had it backward all these years. See, I always
thought you were the one that like to be chased, you being
such a tease and all,? he said with a faint sneer. ?But it?s hard to believe
any guy could outrun you. I don?t think I?ve ever seen anyone
run that fast.?
?Wait, you told Gretchen?? Helen asked, a sinking feeling in her
stomach. ?I thought it was the other way around.?
?I gotta admit,? he said, taunting her, ?when you want to, you can