shoulders forward. “I’m free today. There’s no football practice, no weight training, no going over game plans or watching game footage. It’s the first Saturday I’m free since… Since forever. I want to do something. I want to do it with you.”
His words surprised her. He had a whole day off and he wanted to do something with her? Only a crazy person would say no. “What do you want to do?”
His face lit up. “Anything.”
“Anything?”
“Absolutely anything.”
A horn sounded to let the athletes know it was time to line up for the race. Aileen checked her watch. The race started in five minutes. “I’ll try and think of something while I’m running.”
“I’ll catchya at the water station.” He turned as Coach Anderson called out his name. “I might have to do some schmoozing with the alumni after the race. If I don’t see you, do you want me to come by your place when I’m done?”
An image of her in the shower and Tyler joining flashed in her head. She blinked several times to clear the thought. “S-Sure.”
“Aileen!!” Jani called from the start line. “Get over here.”
“Shoot. I gotta go.” She did not want to leave.
“Me, too.” Tyler nodded back toward Coach Anderson. “Have fun. Oh an’ good luck.”
Slowly they jogged away in opposite directions. Suddenly Aileen couldn’t wait for the race to be over. She planned on being the first across the finish line, and for an entirely non-competitive reason.
She lined up beside Jani, who looked like she was dying to ask what they had talked about but said nothing. Aileen retied her shoe to make sure it wouldn’t come loose during the race. “How hard do we have to go?” she asked as she straightened.
“Like how we run to practice. It’s not about time. The goal is to raise some money for the team and get some alumni to come for a barbecue after and donate more.”
Aileen checked her watch and sighed. She wanted the race to go faster, not slower.
“You in a rush to go somewhere?” Jani tilted her head, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. “Maybe hit the water table for a quick visit.”
Aileen playfully swatted her friend. She leaned in so only Jani would hear her. “Tyler wants to hang out after the race.”
Jani clutched her heart. “With me? That’s so sweet he asked you to tell me.”
“Jani!” Aileen groaned.
“You know I’m just teasin’.” Jani shot an annoyed look at the sound of Coach Maves blowing her starter horn twice to warn them the race started in a minute. “Tyler’s still totally into you. Told you so.” She turned at the sound of Coach Maves’ voice calling them to their marks on a loudspeaker horn.
The gun sounded and nobody started to run. Aileen stood in the second row and took a step forward and then waited for the runner in front of her to go. “What’s…” She glanced at Jani.
Jani winked at her while counting silently, mouthing the countdown to Aileen, “ Ten, nine, eight, seven, six… ”
Coach Maves hollered at everyone to move. She continued shouting into the mouthpiece while everyone stood frozen.
After Jani had reached zero, she mouthed, “ Go! ”
All the runners burst into a sprint. Aileen stumbled to keep up with the sudden pace, but she easily managed to keep up. As they rounded the first pylon that would bring them through the small forest paths where the cross country team trained, the rapid pace slowed.
“What the heck was that?” Aileen kept pace with Jani. “Don’t you think you could have told me we were supposed to do that?”
Jani puffed out a laugh. “I was planning on it. ’Cept you were too busy talking to Mr. Football. The team decided to do it while we were waiting to go. Did you see Coach Maves’ face? She was so mad!”
“You had time to tell me just before we started.”
“Ha! You were too lost in Tyler la-la land to listen.”
“I was not!”
Jani gave her a look but didn’t say anything.
“Okay. Maybe.” She
His words surprised her. He had a whole day off and he wanted to do something with her? Only a crazy person would say no. “What do you want to do?”
His face lit up. “Anything.”
“Anything?”
“Absolutely anything.”
A horn sounded to let the athletes know it was time to line up for the race. Aileen checked her watch. The race started in five minutes. “I’ll try and think of something while I’m running.”
“I’ll catchya at the water station.” He turned as Coach Anderson called out his name. “I might have to do some schmoozing with the alumni after the race. If I don’t see you, do you want me to come by your place when I’m done?”
An image of her in the shower and Tyler joining flashed in her head. She blinked several times to clear the thought. “S-Sure.”
“Aileen!!” Jani called from the start line. “Get over here.”
“Shoot. I gotta go.” She did not want to leave.
“Me, too.” Tyler nodded back toward Coach Anderson. “Have fun. Oh an’ good luck.”
Slowly they jogged away in opposite directions. Suddenly Aileen couldn’t wait for the race to be over. She planned on being the first across the finish line, and for an entirely non-competitive reason.
She lined up beside Jani, who looked like she was dying to ask what they had talked about but said nothing. Aileen retied her shoe to make sure it wouldn’t come loose during the race. “How hard do we have to go?” she asked as she straightened.
“Like how we run to practice. It’s not about time. The goal is to raise some money for the team and get some alumni to come for a barbecue after and donate more.”
Aileen checked her watch and sighed. She wanted the race to go faster, not slower.
“You in a rush to go somewhere?” Jani tilted her head, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. “Maybe hit the water table for a quick visit.”
Aileen playfully swatted her friend. She leaned in so only Jani would hear her. “Tyler wants to hang out after the race.”
Jani clutched her heart. “With me? That’s so sweet he asked you to tell me.”
“Jani!” Aileen groaned.
“You know I’m just teasin’.” Jani shot an annoyed look at the sound of Coach Maves blowing her starter horn twice to warn them the race started in a minute. “Tyler’s still totally into you. Told you so.” She turned at the sound of Coach Maves’ voice calling them to their marks on a loudspeaker horn.
The gun sounded and nobody started to run. Aileen stood in the second row and took a step forward and then waited for the runner in front of her to go. “What’s…” She glanced at Jani.
Jani winked at her while counting silently, mouthing the countdown to Aileen, “ Ten, nine, eight, seven, six… ”
Coach Maves hollered at everyone to move. She continued shouting into the mouthpiece while everyone stood frozen.
After Jani had reached zero, she mouthed, “ Go! ”
All the runners burst into a sprint. Aileen stumbled to keep up with the sudden pace, but she easily managed to keep up. As they rounded the first pylon that would bring them through the small forest paths where the cross country team trained, the rapid pace slowed.
“What the heck was that?” Aileen kept pace with Jani. “Don’t you think you could have told me we were supposed to do that?”
Jani puffed out a laugh. “I was planning on it. ’Cept you were too busy talking to Mr. Football. The team decided to do it while we were waiting to go. Did you see Coach Maves’ face? She was so mad!”
“You had time to tell me just before we started.”
“Ha! You were too lost in Tyler la-la land to listen.”
“I was not!”
Jani gave her a look but didn’t say anything.
“Okay. Maybe.” She
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