The Way It Is [#OpenNovellaContest2019]

• Chapter One •

A girl was running, running as fast as she could. Her long, wavy golden hair whipping in the wind as she raced down the track. Her strong, fast legs a blur as they carried her closer and closer to the end. Her slender, graceful arms, pumping in a fast rhythmic motion as she finally dashed across the finish line. Slowing her pace, the girl ran back the way she came, slowing, slowing, stopping beside another girl who had a timer in her hands.

"Nice job, Anna!" The timer girl told the blonde, who was sprawled on the ground, panting. "A new record!"

"How.....long", Anna huffed between breaths.

"Three minutes and twenty two seconds. For going twice around the track, that's sure impressive."

Anna grinned as she rose from the ground and picked up her water bottle. Gazing around her at the empty oval running track, she chugged her water bottle and gestured to her friend to follow her.

"Thanks for doing this with me, Faith. Having you encouraging me while I run is really nice," Anna told her friend.

"Hey, anytime!" Faith beamed. "I enjoy it."

"Ice cream?"

"Definitely."

They started waking down the street, breathing in the fresh, summer air, and observing all the nature around them. Trees, grass, a couple flowers here and there. They lived in Saskatoon, a city right in the middle of Saskatchewan.

Faith looked over at her friend as they walked. "So, remind me again how much money you'll get when you win this track meet?"

Anna smirked. "If I win this track meet, I'll get 10,000 dollars to put away in my savings account so I can go to university. You know, the same one you're going to, that Marina's going to, that my dad went to..."

Laughing, Faith gave Anna a gentle shove, and Anna retaliated with a slightly harder shove.

They walked down the street together, and Anna smiled to herself as the two fell into comfortable silence.

The two girls were best friends, always together, always laughing, almost never fighting. They were like twins, although they looked nothing alike. While Anna had long golden locks going down to her waist, Faiths light brown hair stayed just below her shoulder blades. Anna's body type was slender and muscled, while Faiths was more skinny and graceful.

However, the two were both tall, friendly, and had a certain sparkle in their eyes that gave them the look of mischievous siblings. Anna and Faith loved each other dearly, and knew that no one could replace each other as best friends.

A couple minutes later, they were walking up the sidewalk to their favourite place to hang out, Asya's Ice Cream Shop, a little shop full of delicious treats ran by a woman named Asya, who was somewhere in her late 50's. She was never married, and she always said she preferred music over men.

Anna and Asya were both singers, and sometimes they did duets in the shop while people ate, earning applause when they were finished. Faith was their biggest fan.

The little bell on the door tinkled as they walked in, waving to Asya behind the counter.

Faith raised one eyebrow. "The usual?"

Anna grinned. "You got it."

They split, Anna grabbing their usual booth at the back in the corner, while Faith went to the counter to order. Their booth sat next to a nice big window that showed cars passing by, and Anna and Faith had made up a game to play with the cars. They placed a napkin in the middle of the table, shut their eyes, and one person named a colour. Then they opened their eyes, and the first person to spot a car with that colour and grab the napkin wins that round.