Run

by David Skuy

  “I’ll try,” Lionel said.

  “Awesome.” He stood up. “Let’s have everyone out on the track in fifteen minutes for a group warm up,” Whellan said loudly.

  He left. “You can win this race,” Bryan said to Lionel in a quiet voice. “You’re the fastest long-distance kid in school. Whellan’s right. You go for it. Don’t worry about me.”

  Lionel had a feeling he was more worried about Nick than the race. “There’s only one Nick and there are a bunch of us who’ve had enough of him, Stephane … Jaime. We stick together, there’s no problem.”

  “You’re right.”

  “And thanks … for helping me with Nick back there.”

  “You didn’t need it.”

  “Nice to have the help anyway.”

  Bryan grinned sheepishly and held out a fist. Lionel gave it a punch. They both finished changing, neither feeling the need to say any more about it.

  Lionel wasn’t worried about Nick, but was a little nervous about the race. It was one thing to run in the street, and something completely different to run in a track meet in front of the entire school.

  It suddenly occurred to him that even after the fight, and even though he was about to run in his first track meet, he felt pretty good — no headache and his chest wasn’t tight.

  Maybe he could throw those pills out soon?

  Monday: 2:30 p.m.

  A huge cheer went up. A girl in a blue uniform threw her hands in the air as she crossed the finish line, followed closely by two others. Lionel searched for Kiana in the crowd of runners waiting for the second heat of the eight-hundred-meter race. He couldn’t see her.

  “Yo, Lionel.”

  A hand clapped him on the back.

  “Deepak? Afonso?”

  “You thought we were gonna miss this?” Deepak grinned. He elbowed Afonso. “We both have dentist appointments — apparently.”

  Lionel let himself laugh. He needed to. His nerves were kicking up. The boys’ senior fifteen hundred was soon.

  “You feel loose, strong, powerful, stoked, mean — and angry?” Deepak said.

  “I think I’m loose,” Lionel said.

  They laughed, which relaxed him even more. He noticed Afonso had a big bag with him.

  “What’s that?”

  “My camera,” Afonso said. “I’m going to capture the magic.”

  “Shouldn’t we start with fifty mega close-ups of me?” Deepak said.

  “The lens will crack. Can’t get too close to that face,” Afonso said.

  “Photography is so complicated,” Deepak said.

  “Kiana’s race is about to start,” Lionel said. “You should get the camera out.”

  He’d love to have a picture of Kiana running. It would be creepy to ask, obviously.

  “I’ll snap a few for you,” Afonso said.

  He didn’t seem to care.

  “Thanks,” Lionel said.

  Deepak cupped his hands around his mouth. “Go, Kiana, go. Go, Kiana, go.”

  “There’s Gwen,” Afonso pointed.

  Gwen and Binny came running over.

  “Did we miss her?” she said, out of breath.

  “Just about to start,” Deepak said.

  “You’re so lucky,” Gwen said to Binny.

  “More exciting this way,” Binny grinned.

  “Binny had to do a million things this morning. I think I liked you better when you were lazy,” Gwen said, laughing.

  The runners took their places at the starting line. The starter held a pistol over her head. It went off and the girls charged forward.

  “C’mon Kiana,” Deepak cried.

  “Let’s go, baby,” Gwen said quietly.

  They rounded the first corner and then converged into a pack midway through the back straightaway.

  Afonso snapped a couple of pics.

  “Kiana’s making her move,” Gwen said excitedly.

  She’d shifted outside and passed a few girls, falling in behind the leader, about two yards back.

  “Excuse me,” Lionel heard a woman say.

  Kiana and the first place girl pulled farther ahead on the rest of the pack as they headed into the front straightaway. They flew along the track and into the second lap.

  “Excuse me. Thanks.”

  Afonso moved over.

  “Lionel, dear. I haven’t missed your race, have I?”

  “Mom? What are you doing here?” Lionel said.

  She tilted her head to the side. “I’m here to see your race,” she said.

  “Um, sure … but work?”

  “I mentioned to Sheila that you were in a track meet and she went all crazy and told me I had to come.” She laughed quietly. “Anyway, I hurried over and … here I am.”

  Kiana tried to pass the girl on the back straightaway, but she wouldn’t let her get in front. The crowd began to cheer louder.

  “C’mon, Kiana. C’mon,” Gwen said urgently. “This is the same girl who beat her in the Citys. She has a massive kick. Kiana needs to push now.”

  “Is that Kiana … the girl with the braids?” his mom whispered to Lionel.

  “Yes, Mom,” Lionel said.

  The two girls pulled farther away and headed into the final lap.

  “Go Kiana,” Deepak yelled. He was jumping up and down.

  Afonso’s camera clicked away.

  The girls headed into the final straightaway. Kiana was still behind.

  “Now, Kiana,” Lionel yelled. “Go!”

  The gap between them opened slightly, then a touch more, then even wider. Lionel lowered his chin and he stomped his foot on the ground. Kiana was going to come second.

  “That girl’s gotten into Kiana’s head,” Gwen said.

  They crossed the finish line. The girl threw her hands over her head. Kiana slowed and put her hands on her hips.

  “Second is pretty good,” Deepak said.

  “Maybe,” Gwen said. “They have one more heat, but I think that one will be the fastest. Kiana’s not going to be a happy camper, though. She really wanted to win.”

  Sure enough, when Kiana came over, her eyes were flashing angrily.

  “I choked,” she said to Gwen. “I tightened up and did everything wrong.”

  Gwen rubbed the back of Kiana’s head gently. “That’s why we race,” she said. “Learn from your mistakes. You didn’t go out hard enough and she had too much in reserve. You’re stronger than her, but not in the last hundred.”

  “Then why didn’t I do it?” Kiana fumed. She kicked at a rock on the ground.

  Gwen laughed. “You tell me.”

  “’Cause I’m stupid?” Kiana said.

  “That was my guess,” Deepak said.

  Kiana dropped her shoulders. “You’re supposed to be supportive — and in school. What’s up?”

  “We have a dentist appointment … or a doctor appointment … or …” Deepak looked at Afonso. “What do we have?”

  “A burning desire to see a track meet?” Afonso said.

  Binny laughed outright. Gwen tried not to.

  “You boys are so bad,” Gwen said. “I’m a responsible adult and I know your parents.”

  Deepak turned to Lionel. “This may be a very obvious attempt at changing the subject, but … is this your famous mom?”

  Lionel felt himself blushing furiously. “Yeah. Sorry. Mom, these are the guys I run with, the Marketeers: Deepak, Afonso; you’ve met Kiana’s mom, Gwen, and her dad, Binny — and that’s Kiana.”

  “Hi, I’m Charlene.”

  “The boys’ senior fifteen hundred meter is next. Please come to the starting area,” a voice called out on the loudspeaker.

  “You’ve got this, Lionel,” Deepak said.

  Afonso clicked a picture. “I want a before-sh
ot of the winner.”

  “Good luck,” Charlene said.

  Kiana stood in front of him and took his hand. “You are going to win this race,” she said.

  He felt ridiculous.

  “Say it,” she said.

  “I’m going to … win this race.”

  “Like you mean it,” Kiana said.

  “C’mon. This is dumb.”

  “Say it,” she said intensely.

  She seemed deadly serious. No one else was laughing, either.

  “You have to believe you can do it,” Kiana said. “We all know you can. You’re the only one who doesn’t. Now say it.”

  A rush of energy surged through his body. “I’m going to win this race,” he said.

  They all cheered.

  He looked at them. They were so important to him it was hard to express. Obviously, his mom was ... well … his mom, and she’d become a real mom lately. Deepak and Afonso — they were friends, good friends, and why shouldn’t he accept that? Why couldn’t he have friends? They’d come to see Kiana run, but him too. Gwen and Binny were great. They were older, but they were fun to be with. They made him feel good about himself.

  Kiana?

  Enough said. She was perfect.

  But what if he sucked and came last? Kiana would lose respect for him and …

  “You probably need to actually run in the race, if you’re going to win,” Deepak said, pushing him towards the track.

  Lionel wanted to say something to them. How much it meant to him that they were here.

  “I don’t care what place you come in,” Kiana said. “Just don’t lose because you think you can’t win.”

  Her words hit him like a hammer.

  “Last call for the boys’ fifteen hundred,” the voice blared.

  “Go,” Kiana said.

  Lionel ran to the starting area, his heart racing, his mind in a whirl.

  Don’t lose because you think you can’t win.

  Could he win? He wanted to so badly it hurt, to make Kiana proud, and his mom. Everyone.

  The woman with the starter pistol was talking to the runners.

  “We’re only running one heat,” she said. “There are sixteen runners, so be careful at the start. I’m sure you’ve all run this distance lots of times, but I’m supposed to tell you that it’s three full laps and then the last lap is only three-quarters of the way around.”

  “That’s way too far,” someone joked.

  The boys laughed.

  Lionel looked at the track. Almost four laps. It was a long race.

  Bryan pulled him aside. “Whellan asked me not to tell you, but we’re tied with Brockton, Hamadi Kalu’s school. This is the last race of the meet. Whoever gets the most points in this race could win it. Brockton only has one kid in this race, Kalu, so if you win, we win.

  “But if you and I get more than ten points between us …”

  “I’m not going to be in the top ten. No chance.”

  “Is your leg that bad?”

  Bryan looked off for a moment. “My leg’s fine. I’m … I’m just not in your league. It’s up to you.” He crossed his arms and kicked at the track. “And sorry for all the stuff I did. I was a jerk and … I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be saying sorry,” Lionel said. “Listen, I need your help to win this thing. Go out as hard as you can in the first lap and I’ll run right behind you — drafting — like you said. That’ll let me keep more energy for the big kick against Kalu.”

  Bryan stood up taller and he nodded. “No problem. Let’s do this.”

  He held out his fist and they punched.

  “Please line up,” the starter said.

  Most of the boys dashed for a spot close to the inside. Kiana, Deepak, and Afonso were at the start line. Whellan was standing behind them. Kids and parents lined the track practically the entire length of the straightaway. He even saw Mohamed!

  A cold sweat broke out all over him. If he didn’t beat this Kalu kid, Brockton was through to the regionals. He’d have messed up in front of the whole school.

  The starter laughed. “No killing each other before the race. You still have fifteen hundred meters to go.”

  The boys were jostling for position. Lionel lined up on the outside behind another runner.

  “Back off, goof,” Lionel heard Bryan say to another kid.

  Bryan leaned into him.

  “Then move over, jerk,” the boy said.

  “Bite me,” Bryan said.

  “Everyone needs to calm down,” a third boy said. “It’s not like any of you can beat me.”

  “You can bite me, too, Kalu,” Bryan said.

  Kalu laughed. “I’m sorry, did you win the Citys last year?”

  “You’re living in the past, bro,” Bryan said. “You’re about to be introduced to second place.” He looked over at Lionel and winked.

  Lionel took a moment to check Kalu out. He was rail thin and not very tall. Lionel touched his own stomach instinctively. His pot belly was gone.

  He’d always thought of himself as a fat kid.

  But he wasn’t anymore.

  The guys were beginning to act like this was a football game, jamming elbows into ribs, and pushing guys away with their arms.

  “All you, Lionel. No problem,” Deepak yelled.

  His mom waved to him.

  “You got a fan club?” a boy in front of Lionel said.

  “No. It’s just … friends and …”

  “Is that your mommy in case you fall and get a boo-boo?” he said.

  “What’s with the clown shoes?” another kid said. “You lose a bet?”

  Lionel’s mind raced.

  “Good comeback, bro,” the boy in front said, laughing.

  Lionel bent his knees and got ready. He’d sound like an idiot no matter what he said. Bryan was still chirping with Kalu and things were almost out of control, with guys pushing and shoving and trash talking, when suddenly the starter raised the pistol in the air.

  “Runners take your marks, get set …”

  The gun fired.

  The boys surged.

  Lionel looked around. Didn’t she have to say go?

  “Run!” Kiana screamed.

  He took off like a shot. Stupid idiot. Already in last place. He was supposed to be right behind Bryan. He sprinted all out. By the end of the first corner, he’d pulled even with the back of the pack. Lionel slowed his pace. Up ahead, about ten yards, four runners had formed a leader pack, including Hamadi Kalu.

  Lionel spotted Bryan. He shifted outside and ran up to him.

  “Where were you?” Bryan said.

  He was panting heavily.

  “I got a bad start,” Lionel said.

  “Let’s get you to the front,” Bryan said.

  “Right behind you,” Lionel said.

  They entered the second corner.

  Bryan began to sprint. Lionel hung off his shoulder and followed along. It really was easier to run behind someone. There was a bit of a headwind and he didn’t even feel it.

  He looked at Bryan. His lips were tight and his face strained. His head was bobbing up and down.

  The leaders rounded the corner and headed up the front straightaway.

  “Go for it,” Bryan gasped. “I’m done.”

  Lionel charged after them. He crossed the spot where Bryan had tripped him. Back then he’d given up and let himself fall.

  He wasn’t the same Lionel.

  He had friends.

  He had a wonderful mom — who loved him.

  He’d stood up to Nick — and he would help Stephane and Jaime.

  And … he had a beautiful girlfriend named Kiana who only wanted him to run his best.

  Lionel caught the leaders by the start line.
r />   “Do you guys always run this slow?” Lionel said.

  “I don’t see you in front, Green Shoes,” Kalu said.

  “That’s the Green Machine to you, bro,” Lionel said.

  The boys burst out laughing — until Lionel exploded past them.

  The crowd cheered him on as he blasted into the first corner of lap two. He looked over his right shoulder. Kalu was still with him. The other three runners were already five yards behind, and falling back fast.

  “You’re serious about this?” Kalu said.

  Lionel could see him shift outside. He was going to try and pass. Lionel lengthened his stride and went faster. Whellan had said he should push it. Kiana said he didn’t get tired. Time to find out if they were right.

  “This will be fun,” Kalu said. “Show me what you got.”

  Lionel continued to lead for the next lap. They ran together, stride for stride, Kalu seemingly content to let him stay in front. They came into the front straightaway.

  “I should thank you for letting me draft off you. Cuts the wind nicely, thank you,” Kalu said.

  Stephane, Jaime, and Angelina were standing by the edge of the track.

  “Last lap. You’re doing great,” Stephane called out.

  Angelina and Jaime were jumping up and down.

  “Take it home, bro!” Mohamed yelled.

  “You have a lot of fans,” Kalu said. “Hope they enjoy seeing me — and Brockton — win.”

  Kalu spurted forward. Lionel responded by speeding up himself. They raced up the straightaway — three-quarters of a lap to go.

  The bell rang.

  Kiana was clapping over her head and yelling. Afonso was taking pictures. Deepak and Binny were doing a crazy dance of some sort. Gwen and his mom were cheering him on.

  Kalu dropped in behind Lionel.

  “You can run into the wind again,” Kalu gasped. He was breathing heavily.

  Lionel didn’t feel much of a wind. He entered the corner and pressed on. The curve let him take a glance inside. It was a two-man race. The nearest runners were twenty yards back, and the main pack wasn’t even close.

  Lionel let his body take over. He lengthened his stride even longer and swung his arms from his shoulders. He could go faster. Lionel gritted his teeth and pushed himself. He came out of the final corner. He couldn’t hear Kalu behind him. He was running alone, but he didn’t feel alone.