The Runner Within

The Beginning of the Season

"Breathe in, breathe out. Take long strides, and relax."

That's what I had to keep telling myself as I prepared for my race, the first race of the season.

 I had escaped my mother by telling her that I was going over to Harry's to do some homework.

 Harry is my best friend, he's practically like my brother, he wasn't on the Cross Country team like I was, but he has been with me every step of the way.

 The gunshot was heard, the runners took off, and I followed. There were three, or four girls in front of me, I would not let them beat me. I ran at a medium speed, and as people started to disappear behind us I started to slow down and run at my own pace. We first ran on grass, and then quickly passed to concrete. I hated running on concrete, it made me feel slower, and it also got me tired faster, but we had all trained running on concrete back at the school, that’s why Pershing HS was beating this race. Quickly after the concrete we passed to the hills, those are killers, I was pretty sure that a lot of people would walk up them, and then run down. We as High School Varsity had to run a 5K on every single race. I had gotten on the Varsity team when I first entered Pershing, and the only reason of why I had made it was because I could run the 5K in about 17 minutes max, and well a lot of teacher recomendations helped too. I was already on my second mile, and as I passed by a spot close to the Football fields I saw my teammates cheering for me to go on. My teamates were  pointing to the girl from West U. that was in front of me, and they were all yelling. “C’mon Cassidy! You can beat her! Pass her!” I started taking longer strides, and in no time I passed her, my team cheered for me like crazy.

And they went crazier when they saw me coming in second place.

When I crossed that finish line I was the happiest person in the world, I had gotten myself in a very good place, and this was just the beginning of the season. When I finished I felt like crap, I was out of breath for that sprinting in the last part, and my legs ached. But this was just like one of the quotes out team used. “Cross Country is like hitting your head against the wall, it feels good when you stop.” The truth is that it really doesn't feel good when you stop, it feels worse.

I drank the glass of water they handed me slowly, and taking my time. Then I stepped out of the track, and as soon as I did it I was splashed with ice cold water. I turned around to see my friend Angela, and Wesley behind me.

"You both!"

"You aren't very mad are you?" Asked Angela doing a puppy face.

"Mad? You both are running sprints Monday all day."

"Only if you can catch us!" Yelled Wes as he sprinted away with Angela following him close by.

I ran after them, and I caught Angela knocking her to the ground.

"Wes! Help!" She yelled while laughing.

"Sorry A. Every man on their own!" He yelled back.

Angela and I wouldn't stop laughing.

"Wanna go catch him?" I asked her.

"You are on." She said, we highed fived each other and ran after him, when we were about ten inches from him I yelled.

"Now!" Angela and I both jumped on him and the three of us fell to the ground. We all laughed non-stop.

"Now the results. Junior Varsity," Said the man on the speaker.

"Shh, I wanna hear." I told them both.

"Girls,Pershing first!" Instantly everyone cheered. "Boys, First place West U! Second place Pershing!" Our team cheered once more. "Now Varsity, girls; first place Pershing!" Angela and I were quickly off our feet and cheered llike crazy huging each other and jumping up and down. "Boys Varsity; First placePershing!" Angela and I looked at each other and engulfed Wes in our collective hug as we cheeered.

"Coaches, please bring your teams to the field to get your awards."

The three of us walked towards the field where they were handing out the throphies, we got four. We were the only team with so many trophies.

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Short chapter, I like to start small, but next chap will be longer, and hopefully I'll have the cover by then.

This chapter goes to my evil Twin Angela =p

Picture to the right

The other one is of the coach of the team holding the trophies.