I feel a blush creep up my neck. That’s exactly why I’m doing it, but I was hoping it wasn’t quite so obvious. “Lily told me you were desperate for runners and would take anyone at this point,” I blurt out.
Coach Trish’s smile makes the outside corners of her eyes crinkle in humor. “She’s not wrong. I’m down to five runners, and if anyone gets sick, we can’t compete.”
“Well, I’m not actually a runner. More of a speed walker.” My fingers play with the bottom hem of my shirt, awhite polo with the school’s logo embroidered on the top left.
She tilts her head to the side. “Are you willing to try?”
I nod.
“Good. Practice starts right after school. We meet at the football field for warmups and stretching. See you there.”
She doesn’t mean… “Today?”
“Yes. We need to get you running as son as possible.”
I grimace. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I have some PE uniforms in my office.”
“What about my shoes?” I’m wearing a pair of sneakers that are comfortable, but they aren’t running shoes by any stretch of the imagination.
She looks down at my feet. “Those will work for today, since I don’t expect you to be running a long distance. But yes, you will need to get a good pair by the end of the week.”
My stomach roils. How much are proper running shoes going to cost? I calculate how much I can spare from my bank account since I know my mom won’t be able to help. Suddenly, I feel like I’m making a huge mistake. Not only am I wildly out of shape but completely unprepared. It was stupid to approach Coach. I fumble for an excuse so I can walk away and pretend this exchange never happened. I wrap my arms around myself. “Uh…”
“Come give me your best effort, and I’ll give Dr. Freck your name as my recommendation for Citrus Scholar.”
Wait. Is she one of the members of Dr. Freck’s super-secret board? She has to be. Why else would she say that? My heart leaps in my chest. “You will?”
She nods and sticks out her hand for me to shake. I unwrap my arms and put my hand in hers. “Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you?”
“Thank you,” she says. “See you this afternoon.”
The cafeteria is much more crowded than it was when I first got here. I weave through the large room, careful not to bump into anyone as I walk toward my lunch table. I plop down in the empty seat Lily saved for me but don’t face her right away. My gaze is unfocused as it stays trained on the far wall. Did I just commit to running cross country?
I’m going to be arunner.
She pops a tater tot in her mouth. “How’d it go?”
“I have practice today,” I say, slightly dazed from what just happened.
Lily laughs. When my head snaps in her direction, she covers her mouth with her hand and pretends that she was coughing.
My eyes widen. “You’re the one who told me to join!”
She presses her lips together to fight the smile on her lips. “I know.” She clears her throat a few times and finally gets control of her features. “I didn't think you’d actually do it.”
“Lily!”
“No, it’s good. I’m proud of you.” The smile starts to return.
I steal one of her tater tots. I know I should eat something, considering I just agreed to run cross country, but my stomach turns almost immediately. “Coach Trish said she would give me her recommendation to be Citrus Scholar if I joined the team.”
“She does know you’ve never run before, right?”
I steal another tot but throw it at her this time. When I miss, she giggles. “She just said I needed to give it my best effort.”
