A Million Reasons | K. Danvers ✔

[56] National Rounds

• June 19, 2017 •

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• June 22, 2017 (USATF Outdoor Championships) •

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To say that he was nervous would be an understatement.

Every milestone in front of him after securing the first one of being selected was equally important to finally be able to achieve his dream. He had trained long and hard and he was hoping for all the hard work to pay off well.

The USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships would be the scoring mark for Zach to get his ticket to the World championships. And he definitely had to give his best.

His parents and Ava had all accompanied him to Sacramento where the National Rounds were being held. Connor had surprisingly showed up as well along with Luke who had spent an hour scolding Zach for not bringing him along in the first place.

But right then he was on the track among all the candidates who had qualified and were there to prove their mettle. Right then his mind was focused on the finish line and qualifying for the next round.

With the signal given for the start of the race, all the candidates took off. Zach could hear the crowd cheering and feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he gathered speed. He had to do his best and reach the finish line in as less time as possible.

With six candidates ahead of him, his mind was still focused on the internal countdown. He wasn't competing to win but to secure his place for the championships and that didn't necessarily require winning.

He just had to make it within the given time limit.

Halfway through the track, there was a decline in speed for almost everyone. But Zach had been prepared for that.

Hence instead of concentrating all his strength in the first half, he had saved it up for that time. While the others were slowing down, he took the lead and ran as fast as he could.

Ava's grilling and getting him to run starting from fifteen laps daily were pricing to be quite helpful at the moment. His stamina had improved a great deal and he found it easier to keep his pace.

With the clock ticking fast, the finish line drawing near and the crowd cheering Metropolis loudly, he knew it was his time to prove himself. He was very close to his dream and he had to score that milestone.

"Go Zach, you can do it!" Luke and Connor were cheering from the stands whereas Ava was sitting with her head in her hands, shutting out the noise.

"Ava, come on, look up," Connor nudged her, "weren't you very excited for this day?"

Ava had been equally as excited as Zach and probably even more enthusiastic than him but seeing him get surpassed by candidates in the first half had deflated her spirits.

"He's not gonna make it and he'll get upset if he doesn't," she winced, "ranking sixth and time's running out... Spare me the trouble for as long as you can."

"He's not on the sixth rank anymore."

"Really? Even lower than sixth... Gods, I can't take this..."

Connor laughed, "oh come on. If you didn't look up how will you see?"

At that remark, Ava did look up reluctantly but saw that Zach was on the second rank with just one person ahead of him. He had surpassed the rest and was quickly making it to the finish line, on hot pursuit as the time was running out.

"Oh..."

"See, he's gonna make it," Luke remarked, "the whole crowd's cheering him on."

True enough, everyone was shouting Metropolis as he was representing his city in that race. And then he finally surpassed the boy ahead of him, dashing through the finish line at the first rank.

Cheers and applause broke out through the stadium and Aviana felt her eyes blur.

"Hey, are you crying? Ava..." Morena smiled as she saw her daughter wipe away the tears. She hugged her immediately afterward, stroking her head affectionately.

Ava never expressed it openly but she valued Zach a lot and helping him to achieve his dream had gotten her just as much invested. Such that when he had scored that milestone as well, she felt overwhelmed with joy and pride.

"I'm just so happy for him," Aviana mumbled, overcome with emotions such that she forgot she would have never said that normally.

He was two seconds over the time limit but he had made it first and that meant he would be the first choice to be sent for the World Championships.

He was standing on the very edge of reaching out to covet his dream and that was truly a special moment for him.

They went down to the track as the results were being announced and Zach had been receiving a lot of congratulations from the people who had gathered around him, including the press.

But his eyes were searching for his family and friends, wanting them to be the first people he would share that victory with. Because all of them had supported him in their own ways and if he had made it this far, it wouldn't have been possible without them.

Seeing them come down from the stands towards him made a relieved smile break out on his features at last. He excused himself from the interviewer and seconds later, Ava had tackled him into a tight hug.

"You stink," she mumbled and heard him chuckle as he squeezed tighter.

"In case you forgot, I just ran a marathon. Won it, in fact."

"All the credit goes to me," she remarked, "if it hadn't been for me diligently training you, you wouldn't have gotten selected either."

Zach laughed but didn't pull apart just yet, "yeah, credit definitely goes to you."

Connor and Luke joined in too as Ava was about to let go and she shrieked, not being able to pull herself out of the group hug, "guys, you're crushing me! Ew, now I'll have to take a bath when we go back to the hotel."

Shortly after Morena and Jonah also congratulated him when the four of them had pulled apart. Zach's face was shining with happiness and it was evident that he was ecstatic about getting qualified.

The next rounds would be the World Championships and he would be among the select few candidates representing the entire country on the Olympics' platform.

Right then he felt as if everything he had wanted from life had been granted to him. And it was a delightful feeling indeed.

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