Disclaimer: Characters, names, and some quotes belong to Ann Brashares.
(A/N) Thanks to Bubblereader1010, Jenny May, cryingcloud15, and gilmoregirliee for the reviews! (: they certainly are appreciated. (and to answer you, yes! Eric is with Kaya. but I'll get into that later.) Thanks, guys! (:
On to the chapter!
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"Hey."
Bridget turned around, sighing inwardly. Frankly, she was exhausted at the thought of having to talk to Eric again. He definitely was as cute as she remembered, but coming up with conversation pieces was much more difficult than Bridget had expected.
"Hi." She started out with that.
Eric ran a hand through his untidy blond hair. "Do you want to go for a run?"
Bridget smiled. There was definitely no conversation pieces involved there. "I just ate," she said, before she could stop herself. Bridget noticed that her mouth didn't always follow her mind.
"Oh." He looked surprised. "Okay. See you tomorrow, then."
Bridget nodded and watched his retreating back. She turned away immediately, so that she wouldn't see which cabin he was headed to. Even though she felt different this summer - less spontaneous and less daring - Bridget still didn't completely trust herself.
Cabin 7 came into view and Bridget jogged a little toward the wooden steps. A small adrenaline rush filled her heart as she ran. Bridget stopped at once, feeling surprised at herself. In a last minute decision, she turned away from her cabin and took another path that wound down toward the soccer fields.
The goals stood like lonely sentinels in the fading sunlight, against the darkening backdrop of the sky. Bridget jogged slightly faster and faster, her sneakers pounding the grass and gravel.
The wind flew past, causing Bridget's hair to whip around her face. Her heart began to beat to the rhythm of her thudding steps, and her mind finally, at last, began to clear. Bridget retreated into her blank state, feeling her heart swell with the comfort of running. Her legs moved with a mind of their own, taking her up hills, around tracks and through unfamiliar woods. Even when she reached a country road, she kept running, running along a tree-lined path. Darkness threatened to fall, but Bridget continued running, pumping her legs to their fullest extent. Where she was running to and how long she was going to run before turning back, she had no idea. All she knew now was each next step she would take.
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Eric walked slowly back to his cabin, number 12, hands in pockets. She is definitely different, he mused. The old Bridget would never have turned him down. The old Bridget would have started running even before he finished talking, sending him backward 'come hither' glances with those lustful green eyes. Eric didn't know if he felt offended or somewhat proud of her. What am I feeling, exactly? He realized he had no idea.
Suddenly, Eric heard the unmistakable crunching of gravel beneath running shoes somewhere in the distance. He turned toward the noise and noticed a figure passing rapidly through the trees, up to the road that led through the camp. The figure, Eric was amused to see, was wearing navy Nike shorts and a tank top, and had wispy strands of hair whipping back and forth behind her. Her long legs made her look like a gazelle in tennis shoes.
So Vreeland went running without me. Eric shook his head and chuckled.
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Bridget walked barefoot down to the soccer field to meet her players, swinging her cleats by the laces. She had just spent way too long in her cramped cabin, contemplating what to wear. Why? she wondered. I'm just coaching soccer. Or is it because of something else? Someone? Bridget pushed the thought from her mind. She had made the decision, last night, simply to be Eric's friend this summer.
Nothing more.
As she made her way onto the field, blades of grass stabbing her feet, Bridget became vaguely aware of the appreciative whispers and gazes that followed her. She heard the words "youngest coach here", "only high school All-American", and even "gorgeous" float around her in the humid air. She felt like a celebrity; she knew that, here, out of anywhere on Earth, she would be appreciated. Bridget bit her lip to keep from grinning, and she walked over to join the coaches with a slight spring in her step.
Bridget plopped onto the grass and pulled on her knee-high soccer socks and her cleats. Every so often, she would switch feet, causing her hair to swing around and settle lightly on the opposite shoulder. When she finished, she looked up to find just about every guy staring discreetly in her direction.
"Okay!" Joe barked, glancing down at the clipboard he was holding. "Players! Line up!" His voice was so powerful, he didn't even need a bullhorn. It seemed to have the same domineering effect on the group of boys, who all scurried to form a somewhat straight line.
Joe began assigning boys to each of the coaches, rattling off unfamiliar names in a monotone. Bridget stifled a yawn and hopped from foot to foot to keep alert.
When the group of players in front of her started to grow, Bridget began to examine each of them for potential. Some were gangly and tall and some were short and stocky, but all seemed pleased with themselves for having the luck to be chosen for Bridget's team. Bridget smiled, overall pleased at her choices. There was a thin blond boy that seemed light on his feet, a tall Asian boy with shifty, wise eyes, and a lanky, brunette boy with extremely large feet and knobby legs.
Eric walked up to her, tossing a soccer ball from hand to hand. He eyed her team with interest.
"You're pretty popular with the kids," he teased. "I've never felt as inadequate on the field as I do now. My kids are asking me to trade with you."
Bridget fought the urge to retort with a flirtatious remark. Instead, she smiled lightly, "Don't worry about it. They'll like you soon enough."
"How was your run yesterday?"
Bridget didn't even try to hide her surprise. "Oh," she blushed. "I decided running by myself would probably be better for my stamina - "
Eric waved his hands in front of his face and laughed, "It's okay, I'm not mad. Did you end up having a good time out there in the woods?"
"Yeah," Bridget said, remembering all the thinking she had managed to get in during her run. "I think it did a lot of good for me. I felt a lot better. I think I'm going to be okay with this."
Eric thought she was talking about the stress of coaching and didn't catch Bridget's subtle reference. "That's good," he said absentmindedly. "That's good."
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(A/N) How was it? I hope you liked it. Comments/reviews are always appreciated! (: Thanks for reading!
