Running From You

Chapter 10

The next two weeks go by fast, filled with track practices, schoolwork, and chores. Evan and I haven't gotten anywhere with our music piece and we've been bullshitting our way through the reports. I think Mr. Tanner is going to realize soon that we've got nothing.

Tyler's been treating me the same as before; either ignoring my presence completely or throwing jabs whenever he sees an opening. I'm so tired of it.

Mom's been traveling more than she's been home. Our first track meet is today and she can't make it. Not that I'm surprised. I'm used to having no family in the stands.

It's finally Saturday and the varsity and junior varsity teams are supposed to meet in front of the school at eight in the morning. It's an hour and a half drive to where the meet is held, and we're all driving there together in a school bus.

I'm dressed in my black running shorts and a red top that says Wellcrest High Panthers. I throw a team hoodie and sweatpants over them and shout a quick bye to Mads before hurrying to my car, wanting to be early to show a good example. A captain can't really be late. I pick up Olive and Michelle on my way and we make it to school with a quarter hour to spare.

After everyone has arrived and been counted for, we load onto the bus and get going. I sit next to Lexie, with Olive and Michelle behind us. I have my own competition day ritual and so I dig out my earbuds and put on my running playlist and close my eyes, trying to relax.

The drive goes by quickly and soon we're at the stadium. This is a big enough meet for the field events to take place during the track events, which is always a plus.

The first track event, the four hundred meter relay, is starting in an hour. The varsity runs first, then JV, and girls before boys. I've signed up for four events: the four hundred meter dash, long jump, eight hundred meters, and the mile relay. It's going to be a long day.

After signing in, most of us head straight to the bathrooms, after which coach Wheeler gives us his normal pep talk, one that always gets everyone pumped up. The other coaches are all here as well, helping us through the day.

Since my first event, the long jump, won't be starting for a while, I go support the relay team. Paige, Ximena, Nia and Zoe all look like they're going to throw up from nerves. The first meet of the year is always the most nerve-wrecking.

Finally they move from warming up to the track, taking their places. They're running in the second heat. And the gun sounds off.

Paige gets a good start and in no time she's run her hundred meters and hands the baton to Ximena, who fumbles with it a bit but manages to keep her hold on it. She falls a bit behind the other runners but she manages the handoff successfully to Nia, who can't quite catch up to the other runners. She's a few feet behind them when she gives the baton to Zoe, who speeds up. She passes one person, second, third, and comes in on fourth place.

We all cheer. Ximena looks crestfallen when she walks to me, the rest of her team trying to cheer her up. Fumbles happen. It's only the first meet. It's okay.

After the varsity girls have all run, the boys are called. Tyler, Joshua, Isaac and Zach run in the first heat and have already warmed up. I move to stand next to Evan, where I can see the race properly.

"Runners, take your marks!" the race-official yells in the megaphone. "Get ready!" the first leg runners move to their blocks. Joshua's in the seventh lane. "Get set..." BANG! The pistol is fired and Joshua sets off like a lighting bolt.

He's ahead of everyone by the time of his blind handoff to Isaac, which goes perfectly. Isaac powers through his hundred before making another beautiful pass to Zach, who runs like his life depends on it. He's holding the lead, if only by a step. Tyler's ready for him and then he's off, sprinting full-out.