Standing In The Rain

To a Meet (Thursday)

After I asked him his favorite color, he told me we could be done for the night. I had headed for the cones to pick some up, but he said we could leave them. No one came to this field anymore, they wouldn't be bothered. He'd asked me if I needed a ride home, Again, he was nervously watching my feet. I told him I was fine, I could walk a few blocks. I told him "hey, if this and cross country won't kill me, a little walking on a sore foot shouldn't be too bad," He shyly smiled, still glancing at it. I nodded him off, and I watched his pick up drive down the street. His muscular arm slightly out of the truck window. Country music softly playing off of the radio. I shook my head, the sooner I forget about this boy outside of training, the better off I'll be. I walked home, I could feel my ankle throbbing and aching, and I was finally feeling the spasms in my thighs and calves for working too hard at once. I got home, filled up my favorite water bottle to the rim, and gulped almost half it down in one go. I went into the dining room, my sister was finishing up eating a small plate of spaghetti while chatting eagerly with our dad. My mom was all ready doing dishes. I sighed and grabbed a plate and stacked it high with noodles.

"Jeez, Alex, hungry at all??" My dad smiled at me.

"Nope" I remarked.

No one noticed me keeping my weight off of my left foot. No one asked why I grabbed my already made bag of ice. Whatever, it's better that way anyway, I don't like answering questions. I went into my room quickly after finishing off my spaghetti easily and drinking the rest of my water. I grabbed an old notepad and dusty pen and wrote a quick note. "JO-meeting Thursday 6:00 p.m." We decided that we would meet up on Tuesdays and Fridays.
     Wednesday went by quickly. I didn't tell Meagan, Alyssa or Reilly about him in PE. I didn't mention it to Elijah or Riley. And I didn't get a chance to talk to my other best friend, Chance (ironic, I know) It was too much. I got home after a short cross country practice because tomorrow, Thursday, is our first meet of the year. I got home and laid in my bed. First thinking about the meet. Then about training. Then about JO. I wasn't sure why I trusted him. Why I like him, I'm not superficial, but it does help hat he is super cute... I just don't know.
     The next morning I threw on my blue-purple jersey and a black shirt over it. Then I threw on the standard black running shorts with the same blue-purple stripes along the sides. I got through the first few classes, when finally just after a gross lunch of biscuits and gravy, I was saved by having to go to the locker room before loading up the van to go to the meet. I sat in the middle row of the van next to my running buddy Makala. Makala sat in the middle, and Brooke, (a total snob) sat on the other side. Soon Makala fell asleep, spreading her legs out across the seat. I sighed, and slid off of the seat, in between the side of the van, and the seat. I put in my ear buds and started listening to "pump up songs" like *Eye of the Tiger* while I rocked with the van. It was quite bumpy, sitting on the tire hump. I got thrown off entirely when Coach missed our turn, and instead of turning around at the next drive through, he solved it by doing the sharpest turn a van has ever done. We go there soon enough, and I started to look for the familiar rivals from other schools.