What He Wouldn't Give (Unedited Version)

Chapter Twenty: The Finish Line Is In Sight

Chapter 20...The Finish Line is in Sight

The meet and greet went fairly well for Eli as he just ended signing his name on a shirt for most people of the competition and then the next person came and Eli had to sign again. They were sold shirts at each contest so people had merchandise for the fans and following the contest could wear. Now all Eli had to do was wait for tomorrow to come so the results would be posted on their website so they would know who the final four were.

Eli hoped he would make it to the final round and he knew that it would upset him only because he worked so hard. Driving home after eating dinner at the local pizza place with the hosts and Chester, Eli yearned for his bed. The black sheets called for him as he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The cool breeze of the early morning fanned across Eli's face as he sat on his porch tying his shoes before going to run. Making sure he stretched somewhat out before taking off Eli's ears were filled with lyrics and music from the Maine talking about following the lines and taking every road back home. Appropriate music for running came onto shuffle after the first song played and he took off with feet pounding on the pavement. The demons that tormented his mind daily always slipped away once he began to run. The feeling of his legs burning as he pushed himself, the sweat that rolled down his forehead stinging his eyes when he went to wipe it away with the bottom of this shirt and the music playing in his ear as each foot pounded on the ground carrying him further away from his house somehow silenced the thoughts in his head. Maybe it was focusing on the breathing so he didn't cramp up or due to not being able to function he put all his energy into running he didn't have the time to think. Whatever it was it was always refreshing, except for now since he hadn't gotten a run in, in a while so his legs killed him by the time he got back.

Half an hour later he felt like he was just at the post office he passed on his run, which he passed over ten minutes ago. Another thing he liked about running was that even though in the moment time seems to drag on in the end it really has flown by as an hour later he was back at his house falling on the grass and just taking a moment to control his breathing before he would get up and head inside.

Eli got used to checking his email on his laptop first thing in the morning, yet going for the run this morning he didn't check it. So heading up to his room he brought the laptop down so he could check it while he drank water and made a list of what he wanted to eat for when he went to the grocery store today. Filling a thirty-two-ounce water bottle with ice cold water to soothe the dryness of his throat, Eli sat back down and logged onto the laptop and pulled up the internet and then when to his email. Deciding on getting a shower once the errands were run, he ran upstairs and attempted to mask the smell of sweat with deodorant and this cologne that Iz made him buy.

At the grocery store, Eli zipped up and down the isles looking for what he needed and tried to avoid anyone he knew as he had only a limited time to get his next video in before the deadline as Danny and JoBell couldn't run a regular schedule before they left on a trip and they had to squeeze in the last two rounds so the video submission was noon today for the next round and if someone didn't send one if they would be disqualified that way and they planned for that to see who was truly dedicated to this.

Eli had a video that he never showed anyone that he planned to submit he just wanted to make sure he got his submission in and then he wouldn't have to worry and then all he would have to do is wait to see it tonight. In the email they stated that the two semi-finalist would be notified and arrangements would be made for them to fly out to New York for the final round. So if everything was in Eli's favor, by tomorrow he might be planning for a trip to New York.