Chapter One

                                    

                                          
Author's Note: This is the first chapter from the first book I ever had the courage to really commit to and publish. It might be complete crap. It might completely flop. It might be a total disaster... Okay, I'm regretting this a little bit. :/
                          
Carter wiped at a single drop of sweat sliding down his temple.
                          
The muscles in his legs burned with the strain of the final lap. His brown hair clung to his forehead in wet clumps. Every little streak of his will power went into forcing air steadily in and out of his lungs. 
                          
A thin layer of sweat stretched over his skin, hot and sticky, as he finally slowed to a stop at the end line. Slumping down on the ground felt like a really appealing option, but he stayed on both feet as the rest of the team finished.
                          
Seth was right behind him by only a few seconds. He joined Carter on the side of the field, mimicking his position with their hands on their knees as they got a hold of their breathing. The next few members of the team were just a few steps behind.
                          
Carter straightened his spine and rolled his shoulders back as the last of his teammates joined them. He could usually handle their regular dose of running, but Coach Mason had asked them to run a few extra laps that day, even after putting them through one of the roughest training sessions in Carter's memory.
                          
Seth caught Carter's eye with a smirk. His fair face was spotless, his raven-black hair undamaged, except for the usual deliberate mussed up look. Carter thought about how he should look himself – damp hair, sweat-stained clothes and a red-splotched face – and felt a slight pang of envy towards his best friend. While Carter often only had to go through warm-up to start distilling, Seth could endure an entire practice without barely breaking a sweat.
                          
"Alright, boys, that was good. Stretch a little and hit the showers," Coach Mason, a beefy man with pale blue eyes and a bright red face, hollered at them.
                          
Carter and Seth made their way to the bench where they had left their water bottles and towels. They wiped their faces and necks, gulping down half of their waters next. No one seemed in much of a mood for talking as the team stretched in silence, before starting to scatter away to the locker room.
                          
Carter moved to his own locker, facing away from everyone as he removed his sweaty t-shirt. The usual noisy locker room banter seemed to have been put aside in favor of silent exhaustion.
                          
Carter took his sweet time undressing. It wasn't until people started clearing the shower area that he reached inside his bag for a towel. When Seth finally came from the showers as well, Carter stopped pretending to be looking for the shampoo bottle in his duffel bag and moved through the cloud of skin-clinging steam to the now emptying showers.
                          
Most of his teammates were gone or leaving when he returned, towel hanging by his waist. Seth was one of the few remaining, along with two seniors who were in the process of shoving all of their sweaty and rumpled belongings into their own bags.
                          
Seth sat with his back against the lockers, wearing clean dark jeans and a plain dark t-shirt. His head rested back against the lockers, arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. Only when Seth heard the sound of Carter's duffel bag being zipped shut did he open his eyes and got up, sliding his own bag over his shoulder.
                          
Carter held the locker room door for him.
                          
"You heading home?"
                          
Seth just shook his head as the two of them made their way to the school parking lot. His black BMW stood out, among the late working teachers' cheaper and worn vehicles. He unlocked the car with the press of a button.