Best Mistake ︱Pedri González

80

The night had finally arrived. This was it — the moment I had been preparing for, yet the pressure weighed heavily on me.

"Alright, Luciana, remember what we practiced!" Gavi exclaimed, slapping my shoulder. His grin was infectious, even if his enthusiasm made me a little nervous. "You're gonna crush it!"

"Yeah, just think of us as your lucky charms," Jude chimed in, trying to look serious while stifling a laugh. "You've got this. Just ignore the other racers. They're nothing compared to you."

Camavinga, standing beside him, nodded earnestly. "And if they start getting ahead, just channel your inner beast mode! We're all rooting for you!"

I chuckled, despite the butterflies swirling in my stomach. These guys were ridiculous, but their support meant everything to me. Still, I couldn't shake the nerves. In my race, there were a few serious competitors: a Spanish girl, two Italians, three British runners, and one German athlete. I had to keep reminding myself that I was ranked second in personal bests, but the girl with the number one ranking hadn't beaten her record in two years. That thought gave me a flicker of hope.

As we piled into the van for the drive to the stadium, I felt a mix of excitement and fear. Gavi was bouncing in his seat, talking non-stop about how he was going to run out on the track to give me a high-five after my race.

"Just don't distract me, okay?" I replied, half-laughing and half-serious.

"Me? Distract you? Never!" he replied with mock innocence, his eyes sparkling.

When we finally arrived at the stadium, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, I took a deep breath. The cheers from the crowd were deafening, but seeing my friends in the stands made it a little easier to focus. Mikky, Miles, Jude, Frenkie, Gavi, and Camavinga were all waving and cheering, their excitement palpable.

"You've got this, Luciana!" Mikky shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Just go out there and show them who's the fucking boss!" Gavi added, hopping up and down like a child.

"What does fucking, mama?" Miles asked while eating some snacks. Mikky and Frenkie turned to look at each other with horrified expressions, Frenkie slapped Gavi on the shoulder, Jude and Camavinga bursted out laughing as Gavi was getting scolded.

 "You've got Miles saying swear words now, shut up". Gavi just shrugged it off and continued jumping up and down.

"Lane four is yours!" Jude pointed, trying to help ground me.

I nodded, feeling the energy from my friends wash over me. "Thanks, guys!"

Warming up felt like both an eternity and a fleeting moment. I ran through my stretches, my heart racing as I thought about the race ahead. I took a moment to close my eyes and visualize the track, the starting line, and my feet hitting the ground.

"Focus, Luciana!" Camavinga yelled. "You've trained for this. Just remember to explode off the blocks!"

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

The minutes flew by, and soon it was time to line up. I took my position in lane four, glancing to my right and left at my competitors. The Spanish girl, the Italians, the British runners — they all looked intense and ready to race. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

"Good luck!" Jude shouted as I settled into the blocks.

"Yeah, break a leg!" Gavi added, winking at me. I almost laughed despite the tension.