Project Moonlark: A Fanfiction

8. EVERGLEN

Coach Oregon brought me to the big open yard, and it was extra awkward because I was the only one around. Why was I even doing this? I turned to Rob, who just smiled encouragingly at me.

"I knew a Shark would want to try out for the Battle," she mused. "Come on, dear. Why don't you run a lap around our track?"

"Um." I looked around for a track. Where were the signature red stripes and white lines? That's when I saw where Coach Oregon was gesturing to. A colorful, shimmering rollercoaster-like road with about a million loops and insane slopes and slides greeted me.

"Let's get going, Kristen!" Coach Oregon said hurriedly. "I've got to attend a staff meeting soon, and I'm sure you want to go home and study, too."

"Of course," I said, taking a deep breath. Now where exactly was the start? "Where do I—"

"Over here," Coach Oregon responded before I finished my sentence, directing me to a red line which apparently marked the start. It read "8 MILES".

"Just one lap, sweetheart," Coach Oregon reminded me, as if I needed reminding. I couldn't do that! I could barely run the mile. Eight miles would be the death of me. I felt bad for wasting Coach Oregon's time. She already looked impatient.

Trying my best and still failing couldn't hurt, right? This was my only option now. It was too late to go back. I decided to compromise: If I ever felt like some part of the obstacle course in front of me was too impossible, I would stop, and I wouldn't regret that decision. But otherwise, I must finish the eight miles.

"Are you ready? I don't care. I'm starting your timer anyway!" Coach Oregon shouted as I launched myself into the death trap.

The first part was easy. I sprinted forward as far as the easy part went, grateful for the sort of calm start. Then came the first steep hill. Looking at it almost made me want to deem it as "impossible". But someone had to have done it, right? Why would they be giving me a different test from everyone else?

Should I crawl it? I stared at the hill blankly, aware that every second I wasted would slow my total time down even more. The bad thing was that that made me panic, and I could never think when I panicked. What should I do? Should I just leave? Would that be embarrassing? Oh no! Ah. My thoughts turned more and more incoherent.

"Kristen," I heard Rob's voice in my head. Was I hallucinating now? I didn't know I could do that.

"What are you doing?" Rob asked, his voice calm and composed. I forced myself to trace the source of that voice, and noticed him standing right next to me, just off the side of the track.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked quickly. "Help me," I squeaked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

"You've never climbed trees when you were a kid?" He asked. I tried to recall what I did when I was a kid.

"No, not really. I mostly studied. My parents found me odd."

"That is odd," he agreed. "Well, I can assure you that you're not going to fall."

"How do you know?" That hill looked pretty dang steep, unless gravity didn't apply in the elvin world. That didn't sound too off, honestly, with all the crazy things that elves did.

"I don't know," he confessed. "Well, I'll catch you if you fall. But you probably won't."

I already looked like enough of an idiot. I needed to stop thinking and start climbing. I wasn't going to fall! And if I did... I imagined myself in Rob's gorgeous arms. I squirmed. I would react too much. That was not going to happen.