athletic training.”
He took the bottle back and twisted off the cap. “Here,” he said. “Give it a try.”
“Whoa, no. I don’t think so.”
“It’s totally safe, Tucker,” he assured me. “It’s basically salt. Some sugars too.”
“And it’s not illegal?”
“How can it be illegal? Nobody even knows it exists.”
“I don’t know…”
“I saw you play today, if that’s what you call it. Do you want to repeat that performance again tomorrow? Or in a game?”
I didn’t have to answer that.
“Here,” he said, grabbing my hand.
He tapped a few tiny crystals into my open palm.
“That’s, like…nothing,” he said. “Let it dissolve in your mouth.”
I stared at the red crystals. They were almost pretty.
“I don’t even like taking aspirin,” I said.
Feit laughed.
“Why is that funny?” I asked.
“Look, it’s an absolutely harmless natural salt. I’ll prove it to you.”
He tapped a much larger portion into his hand, screwed the cap back on the bottle, and jammed it into his pocket.
“If it was dangerous, would I do this?” he said and licked the crystals from the palm of his hand. He then licked his lips, and smiled. “Tasty too.”
I watched the cocky guy closely, not sure of what to expect.
“Yeah, so?” I said.
“Race you to the lifeguard tower,” he said with a smile.
“No way. I’m too sore.”
“Or maybe you’re afraid to get beat by an old man.”
He took off his sunglasses and gave me a wink and a smile. He then took off running faster than I thought was humanly possible. He blasted along the shore, digging through the soft sand like he was on turf.
I stood there staring, stunned. The lifeguard tower was at least a hundred yards away and he was there within seconds. How could that be? Was he really that fast? Or was it the Ruby?
I examined the crystals in my hand. It was salt. From the sea. What harm could it do? I was torn between fear and curiosity. I raised my hand and took a closer look, as if I could possibly unlock the secret of the stuff by staring at it.
I may have been looking at the crystals, but what I was seeing was Kent Berringer’s smug smile as he stared down at me through his face mask after nearly knocking me cold. I didn’t ever want to see that again.
I licked the rough crystals off my palm.
They were sweet in more ways than one. An instant wave of warm energy flowed through my body. Through my veins. My legs no longer felt heavy. Miraculously, impossibly, the soreness was gone. Everything snapped into focus as my senses perked up. The sunset seemed redder, the surf sounds louder, and the smell of the ocean more distinct. I didn’t question what was happening. It felt right and I knew there was only one thing I could do.
Run.
I took off sprinting along the shore. The pain from the punishing practice was a dim memory. I felt the suddenly powerful muscles in my legs flex quickly, driving me forward, pushing me faster than seemed possible. Within seconds I was standing next to Feit at the lifeguard tower. I wasn’t even out of breath.
“And that’s the Ruby,” he declared with a proud smile as he stood leaning against the tower with his arms folded.
I stood there, flexing the muscles in my arms, making a fist, experiencing my newfound strength. It was exciting…and frightening.
“This is…this is wrong,” I said.
“Wrong?” Feit said with a scoff. “What could be wrong about unlocking your full potential? Now you can show the team what you’ve really got…and Olivia too.”
I snapped a look at him. How did he know about Olivia? My blood was racing and I didn’t think it was only because of the Ruby. It was like the salts had increased my brain power as well as my physical ability…which was probably why a thought came to me.
A horrible thought.
“Did Marty take this stuff?” I asked, though I feared the answer.
“No,” Feit said quickly. “I told you, I didn’t get the chance to give it to him. Who
He took the bottle back and twisted off the cap. “Here,” he said. “Give it a try.”
“Whoa, no. I don’t think so.”
“It’s totally safe, Tucker,” he assured me. “It’s basically salt. Some sugars too.”
“And it’s not illegal?”
“How can it be illegal? Nobody even knows it exists.”
“I don’t know…”
“I saw you play today, if that’s what you call it. Do you want to repeat that performance again tomorrow? Or in a game?”
I didn’t have to answer that.
“Here,” he said, grabbing my hand.
He tapped a few tiny crystals into my open palm.
“That’s, like…nothing,” he said. “Let it dissolve in your mouth.”
I stared at the red crystals. They were almost pretty.
“I don’t even like taking aspirin,” I said.
Feit laughed.
“Why is that funny?” I asked.
“Look, it’s an absolutely harmless natural salt. I’ll prove it to you.”
He tapped a much larger portion into his hand, screwed the cap back on the bottle, and jammed it into his pocket.
“If it was dangerous, would I do this?” he said and licked the crystals from the palm of his hand. He then licked his lips, and smiled. “Tasty too.”
I watched the cocky guy closely, not sure of what to expect.
“Yeah, so?” I said.
“Race you to the lifeguard tower,” he said with a smile.
“No way. I’m too sore.”
“Or maybe you’re afraid to get beat by an old man.”
He took off his sunglasses and gave me a wink and a smile. He then took off running faster than I thought was humanly possible. He blasted along the shore, digging through the soft sand like he was on turf.
I stood there staring, stunned. The lifeguard tower was at least a hundred yards away and he was there within seconds. How could that be? Was he really that fast? Or was it the Ruby?
I examined the crystals in my hand. It was salt. From the sea. What harm could it do? I was torn between fear and curiosity. I raised my hand and took a closer look, as if I could possibly unlock the secret of the stuff by staring at it.
I may have been looking at the crystals, but what I was seeing was Kent Berringer’s smug smile as he stared down at me through his face mask after nearly knocking me cold. I didn’t ever want to see that again.
I licked the rough crystals off my palm.
They were sweet in more ways than one. An instant wave of warm energy flowed through my body. Through my veins. My legs no longer felt heavy. Miraculously, impossibly, the soreness was gone. Everything snapped into focus as my senses perked up. The sunset seemed redder, the surf sounds louder, and the smell of the ocean more distinct. I didn’t question what was happening. It felt right and I knew there was only one thing I could do.
Run.
I took off sprinting along the shore. The pain from the punishing practice was a dim memory. I felt the suddenly powerful muscles in my legs flex quickly, driving me forward, pushing me faster than seemed possible. Within seconds I was standing next to Feit at the lifeguard tower. I wasn’t even out of breath.
“And that’s the Ruby,” he declared with a proud smile as he stood leaning against the tower with his arms folded.
I stood there, flexing the muscles in my arms, making a fist, experiencing my newfound strength. It was exciting…and frightening.
“This is…this is wrong,” I said.
“Wrong?” Feit said with a scoff. “What could be wrong about unlocking your full potential? Now you can show the team what you’ve really got…and Olivia too.”
I snapped a look at him. How did he know about Olivia? My blood was racing and I didn’t think it was only because of the Ruby. It was like the salts had increased my brain power as well as my physical ability…which was probably why a thought came to me.
A horrible thought.
“Did Marty take this stuff?” I asked, though I feared the answer.
“No,” Feit said quickly. “I told you, I didn’t get the chance to give it to him. Who
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