At practice the next day, the team warmed up and then set out on a run. The pace was not difficult, and soon Abby settled in at the back of the pack, where she made friends with Franz and Ellen, a willowy girl with flowing, red hair. The weather was pleasant, and Abby actually began to enjoy herself. Her feet touched the ground lightly as she strode along the side-walk, the rhythm of her footfalls feeling like the pulse of poetry. This isn't so bad, she thought.
Just then, Margaret called up from the front. "Alright people, faster!" she said. "Abby, come up front with me. Jutta was our number two runner, and you need to replace her, so up to the front!"
Though Abby felt much more comfortable in the back making sure Franz didn't have an asthma attack, she dutifully moved up to the front, where Margaret was rapidly increasing her speed. The faster pace proved more difficult to hold, and soon all thoughts of poetry and the weather had left Abby's mind, replaced instead by a hope for mere survival.
Soon the road appeared a blur to Abby, and every step felt as though it would prove her last. She breathed rapidly, deep and increasingly-painful gasps that never seemed to satisfy her body's demand for air. She closed her eyes now and then, imagining she was somewhere else. How far until we stop she wondered desperately.
Just when Abby believed she could run no further, she found that they had arrived back at school. They stopped at the playground, and immediately Abby dropped to the grass in exhaustion. To her surprise, much of the rest of the team did the same. Sara was holding her side, a pained expression across her face, and Franz looked dazed. Even Margaret seemed winded, panting heavily as she checked her watch.
"26:22 for 5K," she said between breaths. "A new--record."
It took several minutes for everyone to recover from their record-setting run. After helping Franz with his inhaler, Abby and the rest of the team dispersed for home. Margaret lived in the same direction as Abby, so they walked together for a time.
"You did good today, " said Margaret with a smile, pulling a sports drink from her bag. "Here, take this," she said, "for recovery."
"Thanks," said Abby, who felt dizzy and tired. The drink seemed to revive her a bit.
They continued until reaching Margaret's street, where they parted ways.
"Well, see you tomorrow," said Margaret.
"Yes, see you," said Abby, who again began to feel dizzy. She arrived at home a few minutes later, and promptly fell asleep.
The new two weeks were every bit as painful for Abby as the first run. Since Mr. Roskilde, the usual running coach, was away on business, Margaret led them each day; sometimes through the park, others through the neighborhoods, and still others over more hills than Abby cared to remember. After several days, the rest of the team could no longer keep up. They dropped back at the beginning of each run and ran at their own pace. But Margaret wouldn't let Abby run at her own pace, and so Abby was obliged to keep up no matter how tired or sore she felt.
"We have to keep the pace strong," said Margaret one day after Abby suggested that they slow down and wait for the others. "Arthur Diliard said you have to run at your best aerobic pace for the distance."
"What does 'aerobic' mean?" asked Abby breathlessly.
"I'm not sure," replied Margaret, "but it sounds like 'air,' so I guess it means how fast you can run while still breathing."
"Great," thought Abby hopelessly.
On Monday of the week of the big race, Jutta appeared at recess.
"I'm cured!" she said excitedly, running up to Margaret and giving her a big hug. Jutta had interrupted Margaret's lecture on race tactics, but that suited the rest of the team just fine. It was nice, they all agreed, to see Jutta off crutches again. Abby seemed especially pleased.
"It's so wonderful to see you up and about again," said Abby, a great smile across her face.
"Yeah, it's really great," said Jutta. "I was so worried we wouldn't be able to compete, but Margaret e-mailed me saying you had agreed to fill in, and I was just so happy! We can be running buddies now!"
"That would be great!" said Abby. Perhaps with Jutta back, thought Abby, Margaret would let her run at her own speed. That would be nice, she thought, feeling some lingering soreness in her legs.
"Actually," began Margaret, who suddenly wore a sly grin across her face, "now that we have Jutta back, we don't need you anymore, Abby."
At that, the entire team erupted in protest.
"That's not fair, she's worked so hard!" exclaimed Sara.
"Yeah, plus she kept up with you on every run," pointed out Ellen.
"And she's the only one on the team who bothered to help me with my inhaler," said Franz, who was looking slimmer these days.
Margaret rose above the others, looking imposing. "It can't be helped," she began, "We need seven runners, and we have them now that Jutta is back. According to the rules, we're only allowed to enter seven runners total. Since Abby is the newest, she should be the one left off. It would be more unfair to give a spot over someone who's been training longer."
Margaret's logic seemed to silence the team's protests. Jutta seemed especially troubled. She bit her lower lip, pained by the intractability of the dilemma. "It's just not fair," she remarked, more to herself than anyone else.
"No, it's fine," said Abby soothingly. The sight of Jutta near tears deeply affected her. "Margaret is right, this is the best choice for the team."
"But not for you," said Jutta, a tear now rolling down her cheek.
Abby struggled in her mind between the two incompatible truths. "Please, Jutta, it is okay," she said. "It is not fair to me, but it would not be fair to ask someone else to sit out." She paused, looking at the team. She had known none of them two weeks before--aside from Jutta of course--but now she regarded each of them as a dear friend. For Abby had rarely had any friends who, as a rule, were not from books. Real people made little sense to her, and since she was not especially out-going, most others felt the same about her. An equilibrium of non-understanding had meant that Abby could live in her book world, and others wouldn't disturb her. Now that equilibrium was destroyed, and all the complications that went along with friendship seemed to be coming down upon Abby's head at once. "I helped my friends, and that is more important than any race."
The others made to speak, but Abby quickly silenced them. "I'll go now," she said, walking away rapidly so to avoid crying in front of everyone.
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