Puzzle Pieces (formerly Reach for the Sky)

Chapter 5

Just under two weeks later, I wake up extra early, unable to sleep any longer. Today is March 7th, the day of my first track practice. I packed my track bag last night, making sure to bring plenty of warm running clothes. It's still snowy at this time in Vermont. I've also been running with Hope in the afternoons, more seriously than our usual walks with bits of half-hearted jogging. The walking had kept me from becoming a total couch potato, though, and by now I can run five miles and still feel pretty good.

I'm distracted all through the school day, and can't concentrate on the conversation at lunch. Bianca informs me that she waved her hand in front of my face a few times before remembering I couldn't see it, and I realize I have been so absorbed in my thoughts I hadn't noticed the slight breeze from her hand or Lisa's barely contained giggles. I just need track to start already; I can't stand the nervous waiting.

Three hours later, I feel the exact opposite of my attitude at lunch. I need more time before this, although I don't know how I could be any more prepared. At least I won't be able to tell if people are staring at me.

I change into my running clothes in the bathroom instead of the locker room, trying to avoid the rest of the team as long as possible. Then I head to the gym, Hope guiding me.

Bianca and Lisa meet me there, and we stand in a corner with the rest of the freshmen. Bianca's sister is a junior on the team, so Bianca knows a little about track and explains what's going on to Lisa and me.

Coach Davidson's voice comes from the middle of the gym. She doesn't waste any time, but gets straight to the point. "Alright, everyone, start running around the gym. I'll tell you what's going to happen while you warm up."

Bianca, Lisa, and I start running slowly with everyone else, my hand on the wall to guide me. Hope sits outside the gym. "You'll divide yourselves into four groups," Coach continues. "If you think you're a thrower, head to the fitness center now. Your workout groups, weight amounts, and number of sets you need to do are posted on papers on the wall. The other three groups are sprinters; distance runners; and jumpers, hurdlers, and pole-vaulters. You keep warming up."

"Sprinters often jump, too, but distance runners usually do nothing else," Bianca informs Lisa and me. "There are also mid-distance runners, who run events like the 400 and 800. That's what my sister Brianna does."

At this point, Bianca grabs my arm to keep me from running into the person in front of me. "We're getting into a circle to stretch now. The captains lead from the center of the circle and we copy them. I'll tell you what stretches they're doing," she says.

Bianca describes each stretch to me in a whisper as Coach Davidson continues talking. "After stretching, field event people and hurdlers will go outside with our new assistant coach to practice your events. This is Coach Reichert, and I expect you all to give him your full respect. Sprinters will be doing 4 200-meter repeats on the track. Don't expect every practice to be this easy. And distance runners will be with me."

Footsteps and shouts fill the room as the rest of the track team makes their way out of the gym, leaving only the distance runners.

"Brianna, Isabella, go with the sprinters today," Davidson said shortly. The gym doors open and close again Bianca's sister and her best friend leave to join the sprinters on the track.

"Long run today," Coach informs the rest of us. "Those of you who are new to the team, you're running 5 miles. That's Bianca, Lisa, and Autumn. If you were on the indoor track team but this is your first outdoor track season, you're running 7. That's Henry and Jacob. The rest of you boys and Maria are running 9. The route is an out-and-back on the main trail in the woods behind the school. Maria's distance captain, if you don't know that already. You're confused, you ask her where to go. And now I need to go check on the sprinters, who are probably sitting on the track doing nothing." Davidson stalks off without another word, slamming the door behind her.

There's a moment of awkward silence before a girl whose voice I haven't heard before says, "That's just a typical Coach Davidson speech. Don't mind her. I don't think I've ever seen her act anything but annoyed or indifferent.

"I'm Maria, the distance captain," the girl continues, more brightly. "Let's start this practice. I'll tell you more details about anything you want to know about track while we run."

We leave the gym, and Hope, who has been patiently waiting by the door, greets me by pressing her nose into my palm and licking it a few times. Taking her leash, I head outside with the rest of the team.

The air is cold and the ground is still hard and frosted. Snow crunches beneath our feet as we begin running on a trail in the woods near the school, Hope keeping me on the path.

Bianca, Lisa, and I run together, keeping a slow but constant pace. The loud joking and talking of the boys gets fainter as they run further ahead. I had expected Maria to leave us behind, too, but instead she drops back to talk with me as Bianca and Lisa begin their own conversation.

I've heard a little about Maria from Bianca. Apparently she's amazingly fast, one of the best distance runners in the state. I'm surprised that someone so talented would ever want to talk with me, of all people, the blind girl who has never run in her life. I had been afraid I would be nothing but a hindrance to the team, but Maria seems to genuinely enjoy my company. She tells me some hilarious track stories, and I soon find myself relating to her my first day in class with Mr. Gibson.

After a little while, Maria stops and tells Lisa, Bianca, and I, "We've gone out the trail two and half miles now. We'll turn around here so that you three can run five miles. I'll come with you, then finish my run when you're back at the school."

Lisa begins asking Maria questions about other practices and meets, and Bianca and I listen to her replies. Maria explains, "Davidson only has one assistant, so she can't supervise every runner's practice every day. She assigns team members who have done track before to be captains of each section of events: distance, sprinting, throwing, and jumping and pole vault. Since I've been on the team the longest out of the distance runners– I joined track in 7th grade– I'm the captain now. Practices are very different every day; sometimes we'll run longer, others shorter but faster, sometimes we'll sprint and sometimes we'll run hills."

Lisa lets out a groan at the word 'hills', but then sighs and asks, "When do meets start then, and what are they like? And our team had better win if we're going to run hills in practice all the time to prepare for them."

Maria laughs and answers, "Meets don't start for another three weeks. Our distance runners usually crush the schools our size, but bigger schools at invitational meets provide some good competition. Our sprinters, as much as Davidson might complain about them, actually do okay. We've had very few people wanting to jump or throw recently, but the ones who do aren't too bad. As a team, we usually come in somewhere between third and sixth in our league."

"Sixth? Out of how many?" Lisa asks, sounding disappointed.

"Seven," Maria admits. "Don't let that discourage you though, because cross country is much better. We have a good shot at claiming the state title this year. With a team of Isabella, Brianna, hopefully you three, me, and one more, Davidson is dead set on victory."

"You'll have to find another runner," I tell Maria quietly. "Hope won't be able to run with me in races. I'm only on the team to have fun and meet some new people."

"We'll find a way to get you in the races," Maria replies confidently. "You run so easily; you haven't tripped over anything or hesitated for one step the whole run, even without being able to see! I could never do that."

"I'm just used to it, I guess. I was born blind. And besides, I have Hope to help me..."

"Do you want to race?" Maria asks suddenly.

I'd thought about it before, but quickly dismissed the idea. It's no use getting my hopes up for nothing. But now I answer honestly, "I really would. But it's just not possible."

"We'll find a way," Maria repeats. "We'll find a way for you to race if I have to guide you myself all the way to the finish line."

She's joking, of course. She must be. There's just no way.