Chapter 5
Katie couldn't have been happier for her team, and turned her face up into the rain as she spun around laughing. She was drenched and giddy when she heard,
"Isn't this something they put people in padded rooms for?" She stopped spinning and opened her eyes to see Jessie only feet away, still in her dripping uniform and holding a cup of water with her other hand resting on her hip. Her head was cocked to the side and that lovable smile was dancing on her lips. Katie giggled and wiped her matted brown hair away from her eyes,
"If they leave the roof off so I can see the sky…I don't care where they put me".
At this Jessie's half-smile became the full-fledged thing and she tried not to giggle like a schoolgirl. Katie, feeling empowered by this reaction, sidled closer to the svelte athlete and, leaning into her eyes, found herself in Jessie's personal space. Jessie leaned back ever so slightly, but didn't move her feet backwards. Katie grasped her shoulders,
"I know you saw me when you were running. You did so great. I had no idea that was in you". Jessie blushed and looked away,
"It was luck, I just felt really good today"
Katie raised an eyebrow at this and Jessie couldn't help but notice that such a little action made her stomach do cartwheels. What an odd, yet totally desirable feeling. But why was it this girl Katie who caused it? Jessie shivered, once because of Katie's gaze, but then again because her body had finally become aware of the wet and cold. After the second shiver, she couldn't stop. Her teeth started chattering and her arms quickly wrapped themselves around her. Katie's look of interest changed to one of concern in record time,
"Oh my god, you must be freezing!" Not knowing what else to do, she pulled off her navy "Oakridge Cross Country" sweatshirt and handed it to the chilled girl. At first Jessie shook her head no, but when Katie insisted and pushed it into her hands, she relented and tried to pull it over her head. Katie saw that she was struggling to get it on and reached over to help ease it over her arms and around her shoulders. Without really thinking about it she pulled the hood up around Jessie's head and tightened the strings to keep it in place. Jessie's lips were turning blue and her teeth chattering away, but her sky blue eyes never left Katie's face. Katie's arms wrapped around her own body now that she was only wearing a thinner long-sleeved tee. Rubbing her arms, she asked,
"So…where's your tent? You should probably get some dry stuff on…"
Jessie nodded and turned around looking for the blue and red striped top of her team's tent. She spotted it in the parking lot across from the bridge, nestled in between Northampton's orange one and Easton's red one. She tried to point at it,
"Over th-th-there. Be-be-tween th-the the r-r-r-red on-" but was cut off by Katie grabbing her extended arm and pulling her towards the bridge. Gratefully, Jessie stopped talking and allowed herself to be steered towards the shelter.
Safely across the bridge, Katie guided her towards the entrance flap of the tent and stopped her right in front of it. They faced each other and Katie looked in her eyes one more time,
"Are you okay now? You have warm stuff in your bag or whatever?"
Jessie nodded and shivered a little more. Katie smiled half-heartedly and pushed the popsicle of a girl into the tent. Wondering if she would ever see her sweatshirt again, but not really caring, Katie trudged off to find her own team's tent and drown the girls in praise. Starting to shiver herself, she hoped that Julie or Melissa might have thought to bring an extra dry sweatshirt or jacket.
Sitting in the tent, Jessie was finally wearing warmer, drier clothes, thanks to some help from Annie and Liz. She had smiled and graciously accepted everyone's praise for a race well run, but was quick to retire to a corner with a few of the other exhausted runners. Their common goal was to catch some sleep while the other races went on. Jessie turned up her music and closed her eyes while she snuggled into Katie's sweatshirt. It was so soft and smelled so good. For the moment, she allowed herself to enjoy her feelings and accept the emotions that Katie had somehow pulled out of her. As much as she tried to deny it, while the dry clothes warmed her body, it was thoughts of Katie that warmed her soul. Now warm and content, she breathed in Katie's scent and eased into a blissful sleep.