Our Bittersweet Lives

[five]

Oh, look at that bird! The branch it's sitting on looks about ready to snap at any moment!
I wonder what goes through a bird's head as it flies. Does it look out at the city and try to name buildings? Is it afraid? I wonder if a bird can be afraid of heights! That would be unfortunate. Can you imagine...

"Taegan? How about you?"

Oh poop.

I look up and see Mr Gron's waiting face, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes flashing dangerously.

"S-sorry, Sir, what...what was the q-question again?" I stutter? My hands are shaking. Mr Gron angry is not a pretty sight to behold.

"Just as I thought. Daydreaming again, were we, Taegan? Lunchtime detention with me today, please! See you here at 12:50 sharpish. Don't be late!"

I sigh inwardly, but just nod as Mr Gron hands me a detention slip. I glance across the classroom at Regina as Mr Gron turns his back, and she gives me a sympathetic smile.

I can't help daydreaming! Mr Gron is so boring! And it's second thing on a Tuesday morning. Come on. I was so excited to learn German, but Mr Gron has just made it the third worst lesson of the week. The second being RS and the first being maths. Of course.

My detention was sitting in a room alone with Mr Gron and cleaning his three whiteboards fully. With the cleaning wash that stinks. It took me forever, and because I'm not exactly gifted in the height department, to say the least, my arms were on fire by the end of it.

Afternoon lessons passed slowly as usual, and then school was done which means cross country training! Yay! I run to the bus which takes us to the fields where we train, and sit in the middle. I pull out my French homework and manage to get about half of it done before I have to get off the buss with the rest of the team.

I love cross country and I love my coach too. He is so nice, and he lets you listen to your own music with headphones in training if you want to. He always knows exactly how to challenge each member of his team, and sets us different tasks each week that are personalised to what each individual needs to work on. We all love him, and no one on this team is here because they have to be; we are all here because we love running and our coach makes it even better.

"Maya"

"Here, Coach"

"Maxim"

"Yes"

"Taegan"

"Yes, Coach Matt"

"Sebastian"

"Here"

"Elise..."

With the register and the warm up done, coach gives us our routes and we each set off. I have the mile loop today, because I need to get a mile down quicker. I start running with Ed Sheeran pounding in my ears and my feet finding their rhythm.

I'm supposed to complete a mile in under five and a half minutes, that's what Coach Matt keeps telling me. My fastest time to date is 5 minutes 47 seconds. I'm close, but not close enough. I just need to work out how to shave those 17 seconds off my time to get to under 5 and a half minutes. I gotta do it soon, too, because though Coach Matt is nice, he is also very fair to others that don't make it onto his strictly 15 man team. He likes all round runners. If I can't deliver, he will make way for someone new on his team. And I really want to stay on this team, so I'm going to get that time no matter what.