Running Wild: A Wile. E Coyote X Road Runner Romance

1. The Starting Line

Rhodes looked in the mirror of the locker room and smiled. His monochromatic blue track uniform shone brightly against his tan skin.

"We did it," he whispered to himself.

This was the first year Canyon Ridge High School had been recognized and allowed to compete in the Arizona state track finals, and Rhodes Runner had been selected to represent them in the 400-meter dash.

He pulled his long, dark hair into a tight bun and secured it. Propping one leg up, he tied his shoes and pulled his socks up over his calves. Once he was ready, he stood, grabbed his water and towel, and walked toward the locker room door.

He paused.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the swinging doors and stepped into the dry desert heat.

He lifted his water bottle to his chapped lips and took a long drink before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Rhodes lightly jogged toward his team's tent and sat cross-legged in the grass while his teammates stretched.

"Ay, Rhodes. You sure you don't want to warm up a bit?" Yazzie asked, dropping into a deep lunge.

"Leave him alone, Yazzie. You know he has to do his ritual before he races. Not like warming up could make him any faster," Niz said, nudging Yazzie playfully and sending him stumbling sideways.

Yazzie laughed and let it go.

Niz wasn't wrong.

Rhodes was exactly what his last name suggested.

A runner.

It was almost as if he'd been born for it.

No one had ever beaten Rhodes. No one had even come close.

No matter the event, by the time Rhodes finished, he was usually already cooled down and watching everyone else cross the finish line.

When he got to high school and was officially able to compete, other schools in the area had even petitioned to keep Canyon Ridge from participating.

It hadn't mattered.

Rhodes kept winning.

Now it was his senior year, and everything had changed.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association had a new president who reinstated and invited reservation schools to participate in competitions again. As soon as Canyon Ridge received the email, Rhodes was told to go home and prepare.

He was going to State.

His team was counting on him.

His community was counting on him.

And Rhodes intended to bring home the win.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Give me strength.

Give me speed.

When he opened his eyes, he stood and headed toward the water cooler to refill his bottle.

He was the last event of the day, which meant he had plenty of time to watch everyone else compete.

Rhodes settled into a spot near the track and watched as the runners prepared for the 100-meter sprint.

Yazzie stepped into his blocks.

Rhodes immediately jumped to his feet.

"Come on, Yazzie!"