Spring Changes

Time had a funny way of moving forward whether Jess was ready for it or not. Spring had settled over the campus, bringing with it warmer days, blooming flowers, and a sense of renewal. Life had found a rhythm, though that didn’t mean it was without complications.

She had been spending more time with Ryan. It felt natural, comforting even. Kevin was making an effort to get along with him, though Jess could tell it wasn’t always easy. She could see the forced patience in Kevin’s eyes whenever Ryan cracked a joke, and the stiffness in his posture whenever Jess sat close to Ryan. But he was trying, and for now, that was enough.

Meanwhile, Hannah had taken it upon herself to teach Jess about fashion. Jess had resisted at first, but eventually, she found herself enjoying the small changes—finding the right pair of jeans, learning how to accessorize, figuring out what styles actually suited her. Olivia had also joined in, offering lessons in makeup. Jess had never cared much about it before, but she had to admit there was something oddly fun about experimenting with different looks.

Leanna was always there, steady and dependable. She never pushed Jess for answers, never questioned when she pretended not to notice the cryptography books left open on the coffee table, or the notes scribbled in the margins of Leanna’s journal. Jess knew exactly what she was doing, but she chose to ignore it. If Leanna wanted to work on the flash drive, fine. Jess just wasn’t sure she was ready for whatever truth it held.

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On the track, however, things weren’t going as smoothly.

Emma had become a clear rival, pushing Jess harder than she’d ever been pushed before. It wasn’t personal—at least, Jess didn’t think so. Emma just saw competition and wanted to win.

The Penn Relays were coming up, and there was only one spot left for a heptathlete to join the team. The deciding factor? The pole vault.

Jess had never liked pole vaulting. Something about hurling herself into the air with only a fiberglass pole between her and gravity felt unnatural. No matter how many times she practiced, she couldn’t quite get the technique right. Emma, on the other hand, made it look effortless.

“You’re hesitating,” Coach Reynolds said, watching as Jess failed yet another attempt. “You’ve got the speed and the strength, but your body isn’t committing. You either trust the pole or you don’t. There’s no in-between.”

Jess groaned, brushing dirt off her hands as she picked herself up. “Trusting a piece of plastic to launch me into the air isn’t exactly easy.”

Emma, stretching nearby, smirked. “Maybe this just isn’t your event.”

Jess’s jaw clenched. She knew Emma was trying to get into her head. And it was working.

Coach Reynolds clapped his hands together. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Get some rest. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

As Jess walked off the track, she glanced back at Emma, who easily cleared her vault on the next attempt. Jess had to do better. She had to win that spot. But first, she had to figure out how to stop holding herself back.