Six Things Before Breakfast

24

They don't talk about it after summer.

Sanders spent the rest of it in Thailand and India, with his moms' families, and then to his dad's place in the city. Becks spent her summer cooped up with her family, too, visiting her grandparents, hiking mountains, picking strawberries in a farm. They talk, send the mandatory "have a safe flight!" and "have fun, don't trip, loser," messages, but they don't talk. They said they would after the summer.

But Sanders is back in the apartment first—he lugs his heavy suitcases and food packs across the stairs, grins at Lucianna who grunts in response passing him, unpacks his things and places clean sheets over his mattress, and crashes on the couch. It's quiet without his roommates, but Sanders feels good sleeping on his bed again.

And then Maxon comes back next with Kaitlyn, and they have celebratory pizza and drinks for renewal of the contract. Sanders tries to think back to the time when he hated Maxon and shudders.

And then Becks comes back, and she hugs Maxon with one arm and a wide smile, dragging her luggage into the living room. Sanders stands from his place on the couch, a half-eaten burger in his hand, but doesn't move. She glances at him, offers him an awkward wave, and heads to her room.

Maxon looks at him. "The fuck was that?"

Sanders chews on his patty and lettuce slowly and shrugs. His roommate rolls his eyes and goes back to doing his laundry.

Sanders stares at the television for a total of fifteen seconds before he puts down his burger, sighs, and stands. Hesitantly, he knocks on Becks's door.

"Yeah?" she calls out, and Sanders's fingers shake at the doorknob.

He only sticks his head in. Becks is hovering over her luggage, piles of clothes on her bed and cluttered mess of equipment and other things on the floor. She blinks at him, and Sanders swallows thickly. "Uh, have you eaten?"

Slowly, a smile spreads over her face, and Sanders relaxes. "I was hoping you'd cook something for me."

He rolls his eyes. "What do you want?"

Becks grins. "Ramen. With eggs."

Easy enough. Sanders can't help his smile as he turns around. "Fine. Welcome back, by the way."

"Thanks, idiot."

"Loser."

"Ass!"

And then they slowly fall back into routine. On their first day back, Sanders is up first. Maxon is taking a shower, so Sanders waits for a bit before using it in turn, and then they run together around the block. Terry smiles and salutes him, and Sanders grabs almond milk after checking the fridge for some other options (he doesn't buy anything else, like always), and he salutes him back before leaving the store.

Becks is still in bed. Sanders throws the covers off of her and dumps the milk on her table. "Get up, ugly."

She grunts in irritation and pulls them back up to her face. "Go away!"

Sanders can't help but grin. Ah, good old times.

Training is as excruciating as ever during the first few weeks—all of these athletes have been slacking off during the summer, and they need to shape back up in time for the first games and matches of the season.

Rosen jogs beside Sanders with heavy pants. "Rush...I think I'm...think I'm dying." He says that last word like an exhale.

Sanders pushes him with one hand. "Get away from me," he pants, feeling the muscles of his legs burn. They're on their twenty-third lap around the oval with no breaks and he's sweating all the way through his toes. "Coach is...gonna kill..us."