Page 41 of Fight or Flight
“I’d hope it’s pretty obvious that I’m going for a run.” I turn my speed up to match his. “Otherwise I’m going to startquestioning how you managed to graduate at the top of your class.”
“How do you know I was near the top of my glass?” he asks suspiciously.
“Was it a secret? Because if it was, then your school probably shouldn’t have published it in their newspaper, on their website, on the?—”
“You looked me up?”
I give him a wicked grin. “Maybe.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“Weirdo,” he mutters.
“I’ve been called worse.”
“But why are you herenow? Shouldn’t you be out celebrating your big appointment?”
“Shouldn’t you?” I ask pointedly. “It’s not like I’m the only one who got the news tonight.”
“Yeah, but the difference between you and me is that I don’t want it.”
I huff out a laugh. “Really? You think I want to be a leader next year?”
“You don’t?” He tosses me a surprised look, glancing away as soon as our eyes meet. “It seems like the perfect role for you.”
“And why is that?”
“Don’t narcissists like being in charge?” His words are accompanied by a sugary-sweet smile.
This time my laugh comes out as a snort. “You think I’m a narcissist?”
“Are you saying you aren’t?”
“Nope, not a narcissist, but I can see why you’d think so.”
“How about a megalomaniac?” He bumps up his speed.
“Getting colder.” I up my speed to match his.
“An asshole?”
“Yes, but that’s not a diagnosable condition.”
He rolls his eyes and mutters something that sounds like “Whatever.”
I turn my speed up a bit, and he immediately matches it.
“Why don’t you want to be leader next year?” he asks after a few beats of silence.
“Because the idea of spending my time trying to wrangle a bunch of entitled frat boys is about as appealing as wearing a condom made of poison ivy. What about you? Why don’t you want it?”
He grimaces. “That’s a little more graphic than I would have said it, but pretty much the same reason.” He pauses. “Did you know they changed the rules before today’s announcement?”
“Nope.” I crank my speed up by a tiny bit. “Did you?”
He increases his speed so we’re once again matched. “No. I had no clue. But my dad knew.”
