Adjective: unbeknownst
To exist without the knowledge of (someone)
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After a short while, playfulness filled his eyes, "I know your dying to ask."
"To ask what?" I pla...
The two boys ran as fast as they could the one on the right was slightly faster because he had longer legs. The boy on the left had no chance in beating the other at running but he had more upper body strength so this would be a close race. The boy on the right jumped the hurdles with ease but the boy on the left did those push-ups in record time. The jump rope evened things out since they both had to do them in five minutes and they got there at around the same time. They both sprinted at full speed to the football goal and even though the boy on the right got there first the boy on the left had no trouble climbing the rope. When they reached the track they both looked like they would pass out but they held up. The boy on the right was still just a little bit quicker than the one on the left and eventually won.
"That was a close one." The coach said, "But good job to you both."
The next two went, and the next until it was finally our turn. I had been watching each match carefully and almost every time the winner would beat the other only because of the end sprint around the track. So I would save my energy for then. Louise and I walked up to the starting points. My heart was pounding with anticipation. I looked over to Louis, he looked as if he wasn't even worried. I shifted my focus forward again. Focus I thought to myself.
"Ready, set, start!" coach yelled
My feet started to move without me even realizing, I ran as fast as I could, and took deep even breaths so that I wouldn't be tired at the end, my arms pumped and my heart raced. I jumped each hurtle fluently then dropped to the ground for the push-ups, with each one my arms burned but I couldn't give in now. I got up and raced to the jump rope in front of me. Five minutes I thought and I started, I made sure not to over work myself on something as simple as jumping rope so I took it easy and focused on my breathing, my throat was drying up and I could taste the thick blood and mucus in the back of my throat. After the five minutes I raced to the football goal and grabbed the rope. I pulled myself up with all my strength, I rapped my legs around the rope and used them to help push myself up. When I got to the top I slid halfway down the rope and jumped down from there. I looked up briefly and saw that Louis was still at the top of the goal. He looked amazed that I was beating him, then he saw me. His crystal eyes met mine for just a second and I smiled smugly at him. I turned around and took off toward the track. I felt a smile of pride stretch across my face and new adrenalin pup into my veins, running like this felt free and amazing. I ran even faster than before, my body reached new speeds and new limits. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and with each beat pain shot through my body but I couldn't give up. I wouldn't. I ran two whole laps around the track and I was mere feet from the finish when I looked back and saw that Louis was right behind me, but how could that be possible I was sure that I was ahead by more than the small gap that was now between us. He looked at me and time seemed to slow as our eyes met again, though this time he was the one who smirked at me. I shifted my focus forward again the finish line was there but I was not the one who crossed it first. I stumbled to slow down after I crossed the line, I looked at him and then looked back at the track.
"How did you-" I coughed and hunched over my knees to catch my breath, my lungs burned and my throat tightened as I gasped for air. The only thing I could taste was the blood that filled my throat. I spit to the side and a thick glob of it came out from the back of my throat.
"Whoa, you ok?" Louis asked, I nodded unable to speak. He came to my side and aided me to a nearby bench. There was a water fountain next to it, I stumbled over to it and took gulps of the cold water that came, forgetting to breath I chocked and gasped for air once again, as I did that my throat ached again and I drank more water breathing hard between each sip. Eventually my stomach filled with water and I nearly threw up. I walked back over to the bench.
"You were pretty good out there." Louis complimented
"Thanks, but, how did you pass me? At the football goal, I was ahead by 10 feet at the least."
"I guess I'm just a faster runner than you. Anyway, you have advanced bio-medical science next." He changed the subject
I was unhappy with his response but I knew he wouldn't explain how he did it now. As the races finished up I followed the other girls back through the gym and to the locker room.
"Did you see Louis out there?" one girl asked to the others
"I know he was so fast."
"But that girl, Emily, was so close to winning she's not half bad herself."
"Yeah well, I'm sure Louis just didn't want to hurt her poor little feelings, so he was probably holding back." One girl said bitterly.
"Maybe." The other shrugged.
"Don't you remember him saving that girl, Sarah, I think it was from falling off of the fence that surrounded the boys' dormitory? He was so, that if you blinked, you'd have missed it." the third girl said
I rolled my eyes and continued past them. After I changed back into my uniform my breathing was back to normal but my throat was still in agony and my muscled screamed every time I moved a limb. When I got out of the locker room Louis was there waiting for me.
"You weren't half bad out there, not many people can keep up with me." he praised.
"Where you holding back?" I said quietly but sharply
He looked at me confused "What's wrong why would you think that?"
I realized that I was over reacting, "It's just, I overheard some girls that said that you could have done better then you had and that you were holding back." He burst out laughing and I punched him in the arm lightly "it's not funny I'm serious. I like a fare fight" My face began to feel hot and I was sure that it was turning red.
He took deep breaths, "To put it simply, yes I was holding back a little," I was about to punch him again except this time right in the nose. I raised my hand to strike, "Wait," he raised his arms in defense, "There's a but," I lowered my hand. "But, I only held back because I was testing you to see how well you could keep up with me."
"Why?"
"Because I think you should be on the guard. That obstacle course proved that you are more than capable." He looked at me with hope filled his eyes
I thought for a moment, "Maybe"
His face lit up, and a brilliantly white smilespread across his face, I couldn't help but smile too.
