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have to be so complicated?

chapter nine
    After school, I realized I was not looking forward to track practice. Instead of being a place to make friends, it seemed like it was going to be just the opposite.
    Jason was the team ringleader. After I beat him, he made it obvious that he thought I was a jerk. So everyone else treated me like I was one too. Except for Jennifer, no one else had talked to me during practice yesterday.
    After five minutes in the locker room, things didn’t seem any different. I said helloto a few of the guys as we all began to change into gym clothes. I didn’t get much more back other than grunts.
    I thought about my hockey buddies up in Canada. There, sitting around before practices and games had been half the fun. Playing the game was the other half of the fun. And sitting around after the game was the other half. I know a math teacher would say three halves of fun add up to more than they should—but that math teacher had never belonged to our team.
    Here, I was ignored as I pulled my gear out of my locker. Coach Lewis had assigned it to me at my first practice, and I’d dropped off my gear before classes. I was ignored as I dressed. And I was ignored as I walked to the gym with the rest of the team.
    Fine, I told myself, I can live without them. I’d stay on the team only because I had made a promise. And I’d show all of them who was the fastest runner. Today. Tomorrow. And every day after that.
    * * *
    â€œSplit up and go to your areas!” Coach Lewis barked.
    We had finished stretching and warming up in the gym. Coach had then sent us outside to the field. The breeze was humid and smelled a little of salt; it was coming from the ocean. I wished for a moment that I was out on the beach instead of feeling so lonely among all these people.
    I began to walk toward the track. Others headed for the high-jump area. The long-jump pit. The shot-put area.
    Jennifer caught up to me.
    â€œI’ve asked Dad to look up Carlos’s address,” she said. “He sounded pretty excited about finding another sprinter. With the address, you can talk to Carlos anytime you want. If you’re lucky, he won’t have those big guys with him.”
    â€œThanks,” I said.
    â€œGotta go!” She jogged past me, heading to the high-jump bar.
    Someone hit me with his shoulder.
    Jason. He jogged by, acting like it was an accident.
    I took a deep breath to keep from getting angry. Maybe later Jennifer could tell me what this was all about. Although I had a pretty good idea.
    Jason was waiting for me on the track at the starting blocks. He gave me a big grin that I didn’t believe was for real.
    â€œHey, turtle,” he said. “Anyone tell you yet that I let you beat me yesterday in the gym?”
    I ignored him.
    â€œAnyway,” he said, “I’ve got twenty bucks that says you lose our next sprint.”
    All the other guys in the sprint gathered around.
    I didn’t say anything.
    â€œChicken?” Jason asked.
    The others were smirking, just like Jason. Five of them, all skinny like racing dogs. All wearing track shorts and T-shirts.
    â€œKeep your twenty,” I said. “It’ll hurt you bad enough when I win.”
    â€œWin? You’ll finish last. I guarantee it.”
    He laughed. So did the others.
    â€œTell you what,” I said. “If I win, you quit bothering Jennifer.”
    That shut him up for a second.
    â€œIf you lose to me,” he snarled, “you quit the track team.”
    â€œFine,” I said. What was it about this guy that made me get mad so easily? And why did I lose all common sense when he made me mad?
    Jason high-fived a few of the guys around him. I guess that’s when I should have started worrying.

chapter ten
    Coach Lewis walked up to us.
    â€œAll right, men,” he said. “I can only take five sprinters to Saturday’s meet. There are seven of you. What we’ll do is