Pepped Up Read Online Free PDF Page B

admire him. Charlie and Rollie outkick me on the last one, but I’m not far behind. My legs are tired, my chest burns a little, and I love it. 
     
    After showering in the locker room and changing back into my school clothes, I wait on the hood of Jace’s Jeep. I pull out The Catcher in the Rye from my backpack, the book assigned for English, and start reading the first chapter. 
     
    “Hey Pepper, good workout today.” I look up to find Ryan standing in front of me, his hair still damp from a shower.
     
    “Thanks,” I say, putting a finger in the book to mark my place. “What do you think? Training with a new team, I mean.”
     
    “Oh, it seems cool. I didn’t really have any guys to do workouts with last year anyway, so I like the way Coach Tom did it today. Plus you guys have a ton of people on the team.”  He smiles at that. “Seems like people are really into cross around here.”
     
    “Yeah, it’s pretty popular. I mean, UC’s here, and they’ve got one of the best teams in the NCAA, so people are into the running scene. But it’s not exactly the cool team to be on. I’m sure that’s not news to you.”
     
    Ryan laughs. “Yeah, it’s only cool if it involves tackling each other, right?”
     
    “Something like that,” I say, nodding toward the football team.
     
    “When I talked to Coach on the phone before moving out here, he told me that you would be shooting for Nationals too. That’s awesome. How come you didn’t go last year?”
     
    I shrug. “The State meet was my goal last year. I hadn’t really thought beyond that.”
     
    “I’m excited someone on my team has the same goals as me,” Ryan says, as though it’s a forgone conclusion that I’ll qualify for Nationals.
     
    I raise an eyebrow at him.  “I’m thinking your goal is to win again. And mine is just to qualify.”
     
    “Oh, you’ll make it.”  I wish I were as sure of that as he seems to be.  “Anyway, is this your Jeep?”
     
    “It’s Jace’s. I’m waiting for him to give me a ride home.”
     
    “I can give you a ride; where do you live?”
     
    “Near campus. But really, he’s on my street, so it’s easy.”
     
    “I live near campus, too. I can give you rides home after practice whenever you want.”
     
    That would be convenient. We end practice at the same time, and football usually goes longer. But for some reason, I don’t want to sacrifice that time with Jace. It’s our time. Without the Barbies or his friends hanging around.
     
    I give Ryan an evasive answer, “Yeah, maybe, but Jace usually eats dinner at my house anyway, so I’d have to wait on him here or there before eating either way. I’ll let you know, though.”
     
    “Looks like football’s out.” He nods towards the other end of the parking lot, where a group of muddy shirtless guys are walking our way. “See you tomorrow, Pepper.”
     
    “See you.” I smile at him and hop down from the hood. 
     
    I can’t help but stare at Jace while he walks toward me with his teammates. He’s changed into shorts that hang low on his hips, and his tan chest is glistening with sweat. He didn’t take the time to shower, and Gran’s going to give him shit if he sits down at the dinner table like that.
     
    My eyes make their way to his face and he breaks into a grin when our eyes lock. I look down and busy myself putting my book back in my backpack. It’s not like the boy doesn’t know he’s hot. And I am female. But still. It’s not like that between us. And I’m ashamed he caught me checking him out. What is with me today and checking out boys?
     
    I hear the Jeep beep unlocked and I open the passenger side door and jump in.  When we pull up outside my apartment building ten minutes later, Jace leaves the car running. 
     
    “You’re not coming in for dinner?” I try to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
     
    “Can’t. I have an errand to run,” he says.
     
    I open the door and wait for further