120

821 72 114
                                    

Double for the trouble for the final chapter? Say less.

Double for the trouble for the final chapter? Say less

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

__

Alana

Here I was... and it felt unreal. To be in this stadium that seemed way more packed than the Trials. To be wearing the USA uniform instead of my high schools or my colleges. To be known by so many others and to have everyone looking my way ready for me to beat a world record.

I had trained my ass off. With the coaches from the US team. With my college track coach. Hell, I even got in more than a few sessions with Mackenzie whenever I could. I knew that I was ready. Truly ready. My times were down and I knew that I had to make this happen three times back to back today in order to really be ready to celebrate.

However, I had not expected to be getting in position next to the one person I hadn't seen since my back hit the pavement at the dreadful track meet back in highschool. There she stood in all of her glory. She had noticed me at the same moment that I noticed her and I had expected a smirk or a sarcastic remark but instead she merely nodded her head before speaking. "I know it's been a while and I should have been said this, but I'm sorry for how I behaved and what I did at that meet back then. You're really fucking talented Alana. Really really talented and back then I was so jealous and I wanted to win so bad that I took that chance away from you. I have nothing but respect for you and I mean it when I say that I genuinely apologize. I know it won't rewind time and get you that win that you should have gotten but I mean it, honestly."

My words fell a bit short, saying I was so used to bickering and feuding with her. I had known she made the team when I arrived at the first practice but she was an alternate for this event I was running so I hadn't at all been prepared for her to be next to me. Finally, I looked back at Crystal and mumbled. "It's all good, I shook back and realized that it wasn't my fault. Good luck today."

I tuned her out quickly afterwards, searching the stadium hoping to see where my family was seated but still came up empty. I had been looking for them since a few before they called us to line up and I hadn't been able to place my eyes on them yet. Knowing them well, I knew that they were somewhere around here and screaming loudly at that... however, so was the other thousands of people sitting in this stadium.

It was ironic wasn't it? How this moment came full circle for me... how I was a freshman running against what felt like people whom had worked harder than me for this. This was a blessing. A true blessing that came right back for me. I had missed out my senior year just to be standing here a year later in a better position than I was before.

Staying calm, I put my head down and began saying my prayer. I would usually lock eyes with the love of my life but I had to settle for the moment. So instead, after my prayer, my long winded prayer... I imagined my girlfriend in front of me. Smiling that smile that told me all the words she didn't have to say and saying that she loved me and to give this 110 percent.

Alana's ScentWhere stories live. Discover now