She didn’t sound unfriendly, but something about her tone shut down any other ideas for conversation Misty might have had.She’d barely heard the woman say more than the monologue of the first days, and doubted she’d get any more words out of her before the combine was over.
By now, they’d arrived at the track.Everyone got their helmets on, negotiated positions, and took off at full speed.No matter how many times she did it, there were always a few terrifying moments that were all but obliterated in the rush of the ride.
Two hours later, the bobsled group returned to the hotel to see the yoga group leaving the conference room.“Did it help?”Misty asked.
Tish shrugged.“It felt good to stretch like that, but the lineup was in the back of my—”
Tish jumped and pulled her phone out of her pocket.Her eyes widened, and her face turned ashen.“What’s wrong?”Misty asked.
“Just got a text asking me to report to the same conference room where I had my psych interview in half an hour.What do you think that means?”
Before Misty could answer, Marla spoke.“I got that message too.”
Amidst the flurry of women checking their messages and speculating, Misty unzipped her coat pocket and pulled out her phone to see a message.“They want me to come to the conference room too.”She had no idea how the words had made it out around her heart in her throat.
“Oh, my God.”The moment of truth was upon them.
Everyone swarmed to the elevators to change into street clothes.Misty chose her outfit easily, but there was one more thing she had to do.“Shit, where is it?”
“Where’s what?”Tish asked from in front of the closet mirror, where she was taming her hair.
“My lucky duck.If I ever needed it, now’s the time.”Misty emptied half her suitcase, but there was no sign of it.
Tish slid one last bobby pin into her bun.“You definitely packed it, right?”
“Of course I packed it!I remember rubbing its head before we first went sledding, but I haven’t needed it since.”She tried to remember where she’d put it after that, but the upcoming meeting had erased almost everything else from her brain.It had been bad enough when she couldn’t find her Riverside Rockets t-shirt.
Tish bent down to help her look through the stuff she was putting back in the suitcase but paused at the sight of the digital clock on the nightstand.“We don’t have time for this.We have to get downstairs, and quickly.”
Misty couldn’t have felt less prepared than if she’d forgotten to stretch or hydrate.Ever since that first field day, she’d rubbed that duck’s head before every major event and enjoyed athletic, academic, and personal success.If she didn’t make the team, it would be Tish’s fault.She ruminated on that as the first elevator turned out to be too packed for them and they had to wait for a second.This didn’t bode well.
They made it downstairs on time and turned the corner to see the rest of the combine waiting outside the conference room.The sight drove home how many talented athletes had been invited to be a part of this, and only a small fraction would be going to the Games.That was confirmed as the vegan from the first night’s dinner left the room with a dejected expression.She walked away without meeting anyone’s eyes.
Ms.Coolidge emerged from the conference room.“Tallulah Bellemont.”
Misty tried to catch the blonde’s eye, but Tallulah didn’t seem to notice.She headed into the conference room with her face forward and perfect posture, leaving everyone else to wonder.
Tallulah didn’t return, but the next four or five women did.One was swearing under her breath, another was obviously trying not to cry, and the others didn’t say a word or meet anyone’s eyes.
“Tish Douglass.”
Tish took a deep breath, and Misty squeezed her hand.After the door closed behind her, she pulled out her phone to text Spencer.
Misty:Today’s the day.They’re choosing the team.
Tish didn’t return either, but Ms.Coolidge poked her head out anyway.“Vanessa Dunn.”
So they were doing this alphabetically.As she waited for his reply, Misty mentally went over all the last names she could remember and figured she’d be about halfway through.She hoped her nerves could take it and tried not to reflect that this waiting time could’ve been better spent looking for her lucky duck to ensure her spot.The tension of this was the kickball championships times one thousand.
As the minutes ticked by, more women left the room than stayed in.Some looked stoic, but others left on the verge of tears.That told Misty the team was being built from there.
Happiness for Tish and the others bloomed in her chest, but some small, noisy part of her demanded to know, “Hey!What about me?”She tried to keep count of the women who hadn’t left the room, but it had gotten lost in the anxiety of waiting.
“Eva Gardner.”Before Misty could see if Eva looked nervous, her phone buzzed in a welcome distraction.
Spencer:You got this.You’ve worked so hard to get there and didn’t slack off once you arrived.
Before she could reply to that text, he sent another.
