The Curse of Betrayal by Taylor Lavati Read Free Book Online Page B

class, and my good mood instantly falters.
    “All right, everyone, over here,” she sings out to us. Her voice grates on my every last nerve. Just the pitch and sound make me want to punch something—preferably her face. This lady is turning me violent. “We’re going to do the sprinting in heats. Groups of five at a time will go and the top two will move into a winner’s heat. The last five standing are the most advanced. Got it?” she asks and a few people mutter “yes.” I don’t even bother to address her.  
    I hang in the back of the crowd with Kara, wanting to see a few heats before I have to go. I’m starting to second guess my abilities, and I’m dreading running in front of all these people. It’s embarrassing. Kara links her arms with me, giving me the comfort I definitely need.
    “All girl group,” Magdelina yells, while her eyes search through the crowd for mine. When they meet, I hold the look, not wanting to come off as weak but that only antagonizes her. “You two. Let’s go,” she snarls, pointing between Kara and me. I feel bad that I’ve dragged Kara into the bad side and know that Magdelina will hate her just by association.  
    “You got this,” Kara whispers, giving me a pat on the back before lining up next to me. I place my front foot on the white line and my back foot is a few feet behind, giving me leverage to push off when we start. I try to hype myself up, but honestly, I’m more nervous than anything as anticipatory butterflies roam my stomach, making me nauseous.
    Before I even realize we’re starting, a large boom goes off. Everyone else goes, but I stand up straight, looking around to see if someone was freaking shot! Mikey screams at me from the sidelines to run, so I turn and run—like a human. I look stupid as people lap me over and over again. I remember what Ari told me and turn on my special turbo-speed. I kick it to high gear and start moving faster, gaining more and more speed with each step.
    I think I see Kara fly by me, lapping me, but who the hell knows. It’s all going so fast and in such a blur. Before I know it, another shot goes off and I stop dead in my tracks once I’m over the white line.  
    That was a nightmare come true.
    I bend from my waist and breathe in and out, catching my breath. I’m so incredibly out of shape it’s a joke. I try to regain composure, but my heightening frenzy is only making my lungs shrink.  
    Kara comes to my side and rubs her hand up and down my back, soothingly. I can tell by the pained expression on her face that that didn’t go down too well for me. I bow, not really caring—it’s only gym class after all. I keep telling myself this so I don’t completely break down.
    “One and five, you were the fastest.” Magdelina says, shooting me a happy smirk. “You two,” she points at me and Kara, “pretty much the worst running I’ve seen all day. You can go sit on the bleachers and wait,” she sneers.  
    Bitch.

CHAPTER FOUR
    controlling the crazy

    “I hate her so much,” I complain to Kara in the locker room after class. I can’t stand the way Magdelina kept smirking at me, antagonizing me, yet when Ari was around, she put on this little happy face and ignored me altogether. I lean against the locker, crossing my arms and groaning out noisily in frustration.  
    “He loves you, just remember that,” Kara whispers before bending at the waist to untie her shoes.
    “But he hooks up with her? Like I don’t get it.” I try to work it out in my mind as I speak aloud since I don’t get why he would do this to me. Did he think I’d never meet her? Did he think he could get away with this?
    Probably. It just feels a lot like betrayal.
    “Why don’t you just talk to him about it?” Kara suggests, lifting her tee over her head, revealing her perfect little body.  
    “This is why I love you!” I exclaim, loving how rational she is. I jump up and give her a huge hug. She giggles and then places her hands on