Twinkling in the Dark | ✔︎

Chapter 26

"Go!" The referee shouted followed by the shoot of a gun in the air. 

Runners drenched in neon colors ran like their legs were on fire, electricity coursing through their every bone. I knew we were all feeling the same as we set our gaze on the finish line and were desperate enough to get there faster than everybody else. But another thing we all knew despite the separation of teams- only one team would win.

I pushed up like a spring off the ground and ran, letting every annoyance, every anger, every fear shoveled deep in my chest out. 

Every thing from the sophomore who cut in front of me in line for lunch a few weeks ago to the party freshman year. From that party, I wasn't mad at Parker; what's done was done. I was more so annoyed at myself for being so dumb. But I'm working on that. Slowly but surely. I may not be ready for some things now like parties or sex, but I will be. I know I will.

We had already finished the other races, so this was our last one and the easiest one- the 400 meter run. My times during practice were always 51 seconds for a 400 meter since they've increased tremendously from last year, so why did I feel that I would let myself and the team down?

-Ah, I forgot, my fear of imperfection, right.

Things seemed to move in slow motion. I had 8 seconds to finish accordingly to my usual times. I had to.

I checked the sides in my peripheral vision quickly for our competition clad in neon yellow.

7 seconds.

 I was barely in the lead. It was between me and some the guy dressed as a highlighter only a foot behind me.

6 seconds.

My heart thumped in my chest, in perfect rhythm with my footsteps stomping across the ground as sound clouded out.

5 seconds.

My legs and core combusted in fire.

4 seconds.

I leaned forward, but not too much where I'd fall. I had made that mistake in sophomore year, never again though.

3 seconds.

The only thing important in that moment was getting to that finish line first. Not anything else could stop me from fueling myself to blast to that finish line.

2 seconds.

My brain became mush and my senses became slowed.

1 second.

My feet carried me over the line. Yells and hoots could be heard from the bleachers, specifically Olivia's. Even when we fought, we both knew we'd support each other.

"You did it, White!" Coach Segal shouted, rushing over to me from the sidelines.

I met him halfway, giving him a bearhug. "I did it, Segal!"

A blur of our neon blue and neon yellow shirts came into view as they all crossed the line. All I could make out was that the neon blue shirts were toward the front.

"Well wouldya' look at that," our coach said before throwing his baseball hat behind him and blowing his whistle to celebrate our victory.

I jogged over to where the team surrounded him, the Canyon Shore team and coach sending eyes of lasers to try to dim our cheers, but we'd continue to cheer and hoot louder than them pouting on the sidelines. 

We finally made it to state. After years of waiting and reaching, we finally grabbed it.

"We fricken did it, guys!"