Chapter 7: Lightning

                                    

                                          
7. Lightning
                          
"Mitchell, you're up," Coach told me.
                          
"Ready?" Val asked me.
                          
"I'm always ready to run Valeria," I smirked.
                          
She nodded. "I'll allow your cockiness because ego boosters are good for competitions."
                          
I laughed, and then remembered something.
                          
"My wristband," I said in alarm, reaching into my bag.
                          
I searched and found it before putting it on in relief. It was superstitious, but I never ran a race without it. It was my lucky wristband. Chase had given it to me before my very first track meet in freshman year. He used to wear it whenever he played soccer but after seeing me come close to my nervous breakdown he let me wear it, and I've kept it ever since.
                          
***
                          
"I'm going to puke," I said nervously.
                          
"Lee, relax, you're pretty fast," Chase consoled.
                          
"Well what if the other girls are faster?" I asked. "What if I come in last? Or worse, fall flat on my face and not even make it past the finish line?"
                          
"Stop that," he told me. "Leslie Mitchell, you're lightning. Just clear your head and run. Besides, I highly doubt everyone's going to expect you to outshine everyone else on your first race. You definitely can, but no one expects above and beyond from you. Just go do what you love."
                          
I smiled, thankful for him and his pep talks.
                          
"In fact," he said, pulling something out of a small compartment in his backpack.
                          
"What? Chase, no," I declined as he handed it to me. "That's your good luck charm."
                          
"And now it's yours," he chuckled, sliding it down my fingers and onto my wrist. "Besides, I don't need it anymore. I already made the team remember?"
                          
"Leslie, we've got to go," Val called, poking her head through the door of the girls' locker room.
                          
I nodded at her, turning back to Chase.
                          
"You'll do great," he said.
                          
I hugged him. "You're the best."
                          
"I know," he laughed. "Now go kick ass."
                          
I flashed him a thumbs up and turned to leave.
                          
"Oh, and get out of here before someone walks in and thinks you're a creep," I told him.
                          
He flashed me a quick smile and I left the room to well...go do what I love.
                          
***
                          
I took my position in the fourth lane, recounting my first time running for the school. I came in third that race, partly thanks to Chase's pep talk. I ran ever race with the wristband since then, allowing his calming words to ease my nerves.
                          
"Lightning," I whispered to myself, right before the gun blew and I took to my heels. 
                          
A fifteen hundred meter race meant that I had to run almost four laps around the track. I had to do that before competing in the five thousand meter race later. It really wasn't the easiest thing, but to be honest it was my favorite category to participate in. I liked that I could test my limits. When I felt my body start to give out, it only reminded me to push myself harder till I crossed the finish line. In some strange way, I guess you could say that the pain was my fuel.