EQAO

Chapter 19 - I Have Great Friends

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. All noise around me was drowned out by the roaring wind. But I somehow managed to spread myself out to stop myself from falling so fast. For several seconds, all I did was pray to God, and await death. Then, a pair of hands grabbed each of my limbs. I ceased falling, and opened my eyes to see Kat and Sameera holding my hands, and Michelle and Anika holding my legs. Slowly, we ascended back up towards the course. I resisted the urge to throw up what little was in my stomach. Once we were level with a golden hoop, Sameera asked,

"Now what?"

"Well," started Michelle, "Jessica, try to start your jetpack again."

I tried. It gave a weak cough, then died.

"I guess we'll have to carry her." Anika said, matter-of-factly.

"The whole way?" Kat asked nervously.

"Do we have any other choice?"

"Yes." I found my voice, "Yes, you do. You guys can't do this for me. Leave me here, and go on to win this."

Speaking caused another wave of nausea to wash over me. But my friends just looked at me like I was mad.

"Sorry Jessica," Sameera said, "but we're carrying you there, whether you like it or not!"

My friends nodded in agreement. Once I was sure that I wasn't going to puke by opening my mouth, I managed to choke out,

"Thanks, guys..."

They all looked at me, smiled pityingly, and then proceeded to carry me through the hoop. We went along the course with less energy and grace than before, because we couldn't really do anything fancy in this position. My arms started to hurt after a while, but I didn't complain, considering that they had just saved my life, and now they were literally carrying me to the finish.

"We're probably in last place." moaned Anika after we had passed all five of us through a particularly small hoop.

"They never said anything about being disqualified for coming in last." Kat pointed out.

Anika didn't look convinced.

"Well there's nothing we can do, but keep moving forward."

Then, suddenly, we saw it. The finish line. We started moving towards it with new enthusiasm, when we saw the smallest hoop of them yet. It was only wide enough for one -fairly skinny- person.

"Guess we'll have to go around." I shouted, so that they could all hear me over the wind.

"No way." Anika said firmly, "We'll have to go one at a time."

"How?" asked Sameera, "We have all this dead weight with us."

I glared at her, but she just smiled back.

"What if..." Kat said slowly, "we put Jessica through first, while we go around to get her again? Then, while three of us hold her, we'll take turns going through."

"Yeah," Michelle nodded, "that makes sense."

"So Sameera," Kat continued, "drop her arm for a second, and go around the hoop. Now, Jessica, hold your arm out straight in front of you through the hoop."

I did as I was told, and the feeling in my arm returned to me. Sameera grabbed my hand, and Kat repeated the process. Now I could feel myself sliding easily through the hoop. Michelle and Anika gently rested my feet on the bottom of the hoop. I knew that I should've been afraid. I was barely balancing on the hoop. But for some reason, I wasn't. Anika and Michelle grabbed hold of my legs again. We had managed to get me through the hoop. Then, one by one, my friends also flew through the hoop, doing a few twirls and such. All we had left now, was the final stretch.

And we were going to make it. Together.