"Hurry it up, ladies! Six minutes left to go!"

I don't care that I am a girl, that pisses me off. It'd be one thing if it were a man spouting these coaching clichés at us, but being a woman makes it so much worse. The more days that pass the more I can't stand her. Ms. Clugston, because no one would marry her in a thousand years. The definition of a beast.

We're doing our fifteen minute run today on the indoor track; I'm actually doing okay, but Kirsten's almost dead. I lapped her a couple of times, but now I'm keeping pace to give her some support. She really looks terrible, panting and barely running, but Clugston won't let her stop.

"Let's keep moving!" Clugston shouts. "Five and half minutes left! C'mon, let's go!" She claps a few times, urging us on. Dammit, I don't see her running. Would it be so hard for her to do the run with us, get worn out and then rest afterwards with the rest of us? Add some benevolence to school, instead of just having a bunch of adults telling us what to do? I suppose she has other classes, but we don't all have to do the run on the same day. Why the hell do we even have a phys ed teacher who could never make this run herself?

"I have to stop..." Kirsten says, so quietly I barely hear her. I take her arm and put it around my shoulder. "Hey Clugs, we have to stop!" I call over. "Kirsten's not gonna make it."

"Forget it Shurman," she says. "And stop propping her up. If she doesn't make the run on her own she'll have to redo it."

I grit my teeth and glance down at Kirsten, who nods. I let her go and start running faster, channeling my annoyance into running another lap. By the time I get back around I'm really feeling it, and I turn the corner of the track just in time to see Kirsten collapse on the floor.

I run to her as fast as I can and help her up. "C'mon," I say, "Let's go to the fountain." As I help her off the track and across the gym I hear Clugston's voice say, "Hey! There's still five minutes left!"

"Fuck off!" I yell over my shoulder, and practically carry Kirsten out into the hallway. She's panting really hard and is completely covered in sweat, but she doesn't smell bad. She smells like sweat, no doubt there, but there's definitely something else, some other scent...

At the fountain I let her go and she leans down to take a drink, using an arm to support herself. She drinks water for longer than I thought was humanly possible, and when she turns back to me her eyes are a little glazed, but she still looks attractive. Even moreso, in some ways – the slight muscles of her arms are glistening with sweat, and her hair is getting matted down. Her chest rises and falls as she continues to catch her breath and her face is completely blank, too tired to make any expression. I've never seen her so exhausted. "Can you get my clothes?" she asks. "I need to take a shower."

We usually try to avoid taking showers at school, because the shower rooms are far too open. Barely two weeks go by without hearing a new story of what boy happened to see what girl half-naked because he ducked into the girls change room at just the right time. Today though, I can't argue that she needs one. Her clothes are sticking to her and dirty patches have started to form on her face as her sweat dries. I go to get our shared gym bag and follow her through the changing room, where she starts pulling off her shirt. It isn't until she reaches back to unhook her bra that I say, "Whoah, are you gonna take everything off?"

"Well, I have to, don't I? I'm filthy."

I guess that's right. I try to bring a swimsuit with me any day I think I might need to use the showers, but today I forgot. I hand over her clothes and turn around as she goes back to taking off her bra, and after a moment I hear her turn the shower on, so I go stand guard at the changing room door.

The changing rooms don't actually have doors but open directly off the hallway, and the openings are big enough that I couldn't actually stop anyone if they wanted to get in. I'm just here to intimidate. No one would have the balls to try to go in with somebody here, but if I left Kirsten alone I could almost guarantee she'd be the topic of the next peeping tom story. Some boy happens to walk by, hears the shower going, sees no one else around and decides to risk it. So he creeps inside, peeks his head around the corner of the shower and sees what he can. It's fucking pathetic, but it's become a real problem. Not enough for the administration to actually do anything about it, but enough that we know to be careful.

Speaking of pathetic, Adam and Nishikado choose this very moment to walk by. Those two are always together. It's weird. Maybe all their lecherousness is just a big act, and they're really gay. I lean against the doorway with my arms crossed and watch them approach. "Hello, Clover," Nishi says with a nod, and as they pass I see both of them peer around me and into the depths of the changing room.

"Move the fuck along, you leeches," I tell them, and they laugh to each other as they continue down the hallway. Fucking reprobates... The sound of the shower stops, and I give Kirsten a minute before going back inside. She's drying her hair, wearing her clean clothes, and I smile at her. "You look a lot better."

"Yeah, but that was fucking brutal. She better not make us do that run again." She finishes drying her hair and says, "Let's just fucking get out of here. I'm in no shape for school."

"Can't. I've got a test."

"Well I'm leaving anyway." She packs her dirty clothes into our gym bag and asks, "Are you coming over after school?"

"Yeah. How are you getting home?" Our houses are both a couple of miles from the school, though in opposite directions.

"I guess I'll have to take the bus..." She checks her pockets. "Can I borrow some money?"

"Sure." I never hesitate to take the opportunity to spend money on her, but it's usually just bus fares or fast food, or the occasional movie ticket. There's no way to really buy her things without it seeming awkward.

She takes my change and says, "Alright, see you later." She gives me a little nod and a smile before leaving, and I smile back. Have you ever seen those girls who give each other little pecks on the cheek before they part? I wonder how they get into that kind of habit.

After Kirsten leaves I'm alone in the locker room. I kind of want to shower, but I really don't feel comfortable. I'm sure Adam and Nishi didn't wander too far, and with no one at the door they could show up any time. I settle for just quickly getting changed and putting on some deodorant. If I smell a little bad to some kid sitting next to me for the rest of the day, too bad.

As I'm putting my gym clothes in my bag I kneel down for a moment and pull out Kirsten's t-shirt. I put it gently to my nose, then pull it away. She smelled so good when I was carrying her in here, but without her body all that's left is the scent of her sweat.

I pull the zipper of my gym bag closed and sling it over my shoulder, then leave the change room. The class is just finishing their cooldown lap and a stream of girls go past me as I make my way down the hall. Just as I'm about to leave I hear Clugston's voice behind me call "Shurman!" and I turn around.

"What do you want, Clugs?"

"That's Ms. Clugston," she reminds me, making her way to me. "It looks like you and your girlfriend didn't finish the run."

Jesus christ, what a bitch... "Give her a break, she was nearly dehydrated. We did ten minutes."

"I can't just let the two of you off while everyone else had to do the whole run. You'll have to do it over."

Look at how smug she looks. Jesus fucking... "Look, I'll do it again, but don't make her do it. You practically killed her the first time, I think that's enough."

"I'm just following the curriculum." She looks down at me for a second, then says, "Alright. I'll let the princess off, but you'll have to make up the time. Twenty-five minutes."

"Be realistic! Twenty."

She considers for another moment, then says, "Fine. Today after school."

"I'm busy today. I'll do it tomorrow."

"You'll do it today."

"I'll do it fucking tomorrow!" I blurt as I turn around and slide into a crowd of students that are moving down the hallway. I don't hear any response from Clugston as I step through the door and into the school proper. She's probably a little mad, but I'm sure her gladness at being able to personally slave-drive me tomorrow will more than make up for it.

I find myself walking next to Josie Warren in the hallway, who I've known since elementary school. Not really a friend, we never got along, but we never really fought either. She was always way too hung up on make-up and fashion, even back then.

I think what proves someone as one of your best friends is when you're unwilling to talk badly about them behind their back. For instance, I've had plenty of conversations with people about what a phony airhead Josie Warren is. But when she looks absently to the side and says to me, "Man, Kirsten really pussied out on the run today," I don't play along. In fact, I take it kinda personally.

"Shut the fuck up. She tried, okay? Just because she can't run far doesn't mean you have to be a fucking bitch about it."

"Sorry. Christ. Take a fucking pill, Clover."

I glare at Josie as she walks away, but she's right. I run a hand through my hair. I have to fucking relax.