𝑾𝒆❜𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑭𝒂𝒓 - 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒙

Both Thomas and Camila agreed not to tell the team. Not only because they felt it should come from White, not them, but they didn't want to impact everyone's performance at state.

The boys slammed their hands on the bus, cheering for Coach. Everyone was clad in their new uniforms, and it seemed like the entire town had come to watch them, or at least send them off. Thomas and Camila stood off to the side, watching them cheer him on. It felt wrong, when they knew he was just going to leave.

As Coach walked in, taking his seat at the wheel of the bus, Camila and Thomas walked forward. Camila moved into the bus, not deigning to speak to him. She sat down in a seat at the back, staring out the window toward the blue sky. The same blue sky they were about to spend hours running beneath, for a man who didn't deserve it.

Thomas, however, stopped at the door. He stared Coach down, a deep frown on his face, despite also wearing the uniform.

"Why are you even here?" He asked quietly, so the boys wouldn't hear. "Alright? We don't need you to coach."

"Rules say you can't run without a coach." White replied. "You forfeit the race. So if you still wanna run, Thomas, you're gonna need to take a seat." Thomas frowned, stepping forward and moving to sit next to Camila. White closed the door behind him, and they were off. The thrum of cheering spectators held up signs as they ran after the bus.

Camila squeezed Thomas' hand in her own. This race, they were doing it for themselves. Not Coach. The entire way there they were followed by an envoy of cars, even Javi and his group, filled to the brim with people coming to cheer for them.

When they got off the bus, all the other teams were there and warming up. Different colours dotted the massive lawn, and it was, at the very least, intimidating. The team stopped at the outskirts, looking over their competition. Danny wretched, running over to the side of the bus to throw up.

They moved forward, claiming a small spot on the grass to begin stretching. Victor jerked his head at Thomas, and they turned to see Thomas' family arrive with the group from McFarland. His father was watching him closely, but Lola smiled, holding her new baby in her arms. Camila gasped, grinning at the sight of the little bundle. Thomas' dad even gave them the slightest hint of a smile.

The announcer asked the crowd to stand for the national anthem, and White motioned for the team to rise, and they followed suit. Putting hands to their hearts, they mumbled the song along with everyone else, albeit poorly. Camila noted that Thomas could not stop looking at his family.

"Alright everybody, gather round." Coach called as the crowd sat. "Come on. I want you to look around. Best in the state, right? Every team that's here, deserves to be. Including you. But they haven't got what you've got. Alright? They don't get up at dawn, like you, and go work in the fields. Right? They don't go to school all day and then go back to those same fields, that's what you do. And then you come out with me and you run 8 miles, 10 miles, and you take on even more pain. These kids don't do what you do. They can't even imagine it.

"When I went out in the field with you Diaz kids, I'll be honest with you, it was a... It was the worst day's work I ever had to do in my life. And I said to myself, whatever kind of crappy job I end up in, it'll never be as tough as that. You kids do it every day. And your parents hope that they can do it every day, and they'll do it for a lifetime if it means a better life for you. You guys are superhuman. What you endure just to be here, to get a shot at this, the kind of privilege that someone like me takes for granted? There's nothing you can't do with that kind of strength, with that kind of heart. You kids have the biggest heart's I've ever seen... Now go run your race. Thomas, you're... you're the captain." He said, stepping back.