I didn’t expect that my first time out with Aiden Emerson I’d end up at the old football field behind the middle school. The junior varsity team and the marching band use it, since the high school doesn’t have room for a practice field since putting in tennis courts a few years ago. It’s tucked behind the red brick school, and you wouldn’t even know it was here from the road.

“Just pull right up to the grass,” Aiden directs as I drive down the little road that runs behind the building and dead-ends at what used to be a playground, but is now just a sidewalk that leads to an open field.

I do what he says, and drive off of the concrete and right up to the edge of the grass, next to the one set of metal bleachers that runs along the sidelines.

“I didn’t bring any cleats,” I joke, hoping Aiden will tell me what the hell we’re doing here. I wasn’t serious about the yoga pants; I did bring them, but didn’t actually think he was going to take me out to run sprints or something. At least I remembered my inhaler this time.

AIDEN

“We’re going to make this easy, and go by yards.”

Olivia nods, ready for more instructions. I love that she hasn’t asked me for details yet, even though it’s clear that she’s dying to know what we’re doing. We’re standing along the sidelines, her with a giant spool of string looped over her arm and me with a handful of wooden dowel rods. There’s a hammer tucked into my pocket, which is the only thing that feels familiar right now.

“I’ll put the stakes out, and you’re going to run the string.” I show her the sketch I’ve made of a giant grid, with a line running between each yardline, and another set of lines running every five yards crossways. “We’ll do the perimeter first, and then we’ll work our way from end to end.”

She nods again, like she’s ready to be sent to war.

I smile—or maybe it’s a smirk. I’m pretty amused by myself right now. “Have you figured it out yet?”

“Honestly?” She looks at me blankly. “The longer we’re here, the more confused I am. Running wind-sprints made more sense than this.”