A life in the Dark

C h a p t e r F o r t y T w o

This morning I woke up before the alarm, sunlight streaming directly into my face, and after checking to see it wasn't too much earlier than usual, decided there wasn't enough time to go for a run. Instead, I got out the yoga mat and performed my routine, just holding everything for longer.

I reached up, my fingertips brushing the ceiling, before swinging down to clasp my ankles and straightening my legs. After ten seconds I then walked my hands down into a downward dog.

Sports day, I thought as I pushed down into seal. I was signed up for 1500m and 800m again and volunteered for the 100m and 200m-because no one else would-so today I'm already running 2.6k.

I rocked back and forth into "child's pose" and then got back up into downward dog, raising each leg for twenty seconds.

What book should I take this year? I wondered, rolling onto my back and stretching out my shoulders before going into backbend. Every year I've taken a book in and sat in the shade to read it while I'm not doing anything. It's not like I had anything else to do.

I settled on Secrets and moved on to stretching my legs, working towards splits. Over the past year I've definitely improved; I now hover only a few centimetres above the floor.

Proud and satisfied, I finished up and went out for breakfast.

*****

"Hey bitch!" Keira waved me over, dressed in her red polo-signalling the fact she was the enemy today-and black skort that the school insisted had to be worn today, despite the increasingly large number of flaws with it. 

I smiled. "Hiya, you participating in anything today?"

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, beginning to walk to the side of the field and I followed in suit. "India signed me up for long jump and hurdles, despite my protest, I might add."

"Don't worry, at least she can't complain when you help our team by losing." I jabbed her ribs playfully. She snorted in response. 

"Well now I'm gonna try," she stuck her tongue out at me, and I grinned back. 

"So d'you wanna come sit with Frankie, Ethan and me? We're gonna play cards I believe."

I glanced up to find the two of them staring at me and my stomach lurched. As welcoming as Keira is, I'm still not really welcome in her group. I declined politely and said goodbye just as the 1500m participants were called up over the loud speakers.

*****

My legs pounded underneath me as I got into the swing of pacing myself against the other girls in the year, most of which were the lazy, can't-be-asked ones who were forced into the race, but mixed in were the few sporty ones who actually liked long-distance. After one lap, myself and three others girls had broken off from the rest, the gap only increasing as we got closer to the finish.

Steadily, I found it in me to push forward, overtaking the girl ahead on the straight to get into second, just behind a girl with long dark hair.

We were on the last half a lap when she chose to sprint, and although I wasn't expecting the sudden change, I followed in suit. As we came up to the crowd of pupils, a handful of pincones suddenly came coarsing through the air at my feet. I didn't have time to respond. My foot slipped back and my centre of gravity was thrown forward as I stumbled to regain my balance. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the culprit. And the answer didn't surprise me.