Rich and Alone

Chapter 9

Zoe's POV

Phoebe was sweating when she came into English. She was just on time.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"Out running," she said vaguely.

I was guessing that she was out running with someone but I didn't press it. It was probably Ryan anyway. She was still breathing deeply when Mr Johnson was explaining the work. She was rummaging around and she pulled out her phone. It had the message light lighting up. She unlocked the phone and smiled.

Mr Johnson came around and Phoebe dropped in onto the floor. She started to work but once he was behind us she picked it up and started to send a message.

"Miss Evans, you are late to class and completely ignoring me," I said asking for her attention.

"I'm just organising to go running with James," she said, like it didn't mean anything.

"You are going running with James Matthews," I said unbelievably.

"He's just helping me train. It's not that big of a deal," she said smirking.

"Phoebe, you are going running alone with like the hottest guy on the track team."

"Don't make such a big deal of it."

"Phoebe Evans, you are going running with James," I snapped.

"Zoe Edwards, it doesn't matter, it's just training," she said before starting to work.

I did too as I knew that I wasn't going to be getting any more out of her.

 We were sitting at our usual table. There are the five of us that are sprints and then occasionally others from the track team. I couldn't help but notice that James was sitting next to Phoebe. They had a piece of paper, which has writing scrawled all over it. Phoebe is trying to explain something to him. I'm sitting too far away to know what they are saying.

Luke is including his input which clearly didn't agree with either of the other two.

"It is clearly seven. There is no way that that equals five," Phoebe protests.

"It does, you clearly haven't done the maths properly," both boys argued.

"Luke, how would know? You don't even know your numbers, remember last meet," Phoebe teased.

"That was once! Can't you forget about it already," he moaned.

"She is right. You don't get a say in this issue. You are still wrong Health Freak," James laughed.

"Just because I take my training more seriously than you doesn't mean that you get to tease me about it," Phoebe shrugs.

"You were having celery and carrots for breakfast along with some smoothie that has god knows what in it," James pointed out.

"I offered it to you."

"For all I know it contained cardboard and it looked like it."

"You can go on eating your cafeteria food that looks like puke but I think I am fine being a health nut."

"Whatever, I'm going and see what Mrs Jacobs thinks about this calculus problem that clearly equals five if you want to come, Marshmallow," James said standing up and walking away.

"I told you not to call me that," Phoebe yelled, running after him.

She punched him in the shoulder once she reached him. He dropped to the floor in surprise. She jumped on top of him and said something to him. She then jumped up and sprinted away. James pulled himself up and sprinted after him but had no chance to catch her.