Neviara
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Cycle 35-8: No Pain, No Gain
🕑 Added 2024-08-05 16:00:12 +0000 UTCAt 7:20 AM the next Monday morning, Kaitlyn arrived at the outer gate of Hartland's football stadium. The morning was a dreary one, dim and foggy enough to make most people happily snuggle a bit deeper under their covers. But for her, it was a great time to be out.
It's not too cold, either. Just enough that it'll feel nice once we get going. Dang, starting just an hour later really does change things, doesn't it?
She walked up to the front sidelines, a drawstring bag slung over one shoulder. Her usual running attire of shorts and a white shirt felt a little lacking at the moment, since they had yet to start running. Usually, she'd be off as soon as she left the dorms, so the morning cold wouldn't remain a concern for too long. Fortunately, the later hour helped to offset that.
A walrus-like man in a pristine white polo stood against the gates leading up to the stands. A large whistle hung from his neck by a red and gold cord that matched the ball cap atop his bald head. His impressive white mustache twitched into a smile as she approached.
"Mornin', there! What can I do ya fer?"
Kaitlyn reached out a hand to shake. "Coach Davies? My name is Kaitlyn. I wanted to ask about coming to join the team."
Coach's bushy eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Well, well! Ain't this a nice surprise! I don't get a lotta folks poppin' up after the first few weeks, ya know. But we'd be glad to have ya." Turning around, he began rummaging in a red backpack on the ground. "Gotta say, though, if yer lookin' to run competitions, ya might be outta luck, there. I like to have those folks on board at the start…"
She shook her head. "No worries. I'm just here to get in shape. I like running, that's all."
"Then you'll fit right in." Coach spun to face her again, a clipboard in his hands. "Okay! All I need is fer ya ta read this over and sign, right here…"
Kaitlyn barely glanced over the familiar piece of paperwork before signing her name at the bottom. And just like that, it's done. I'm right back in.
The moment should have felt more impactful. Signatures like this really did make things feel a lot more official and important, like a big decision or commitment was being made. Only, she knew that wasn't the case. It was just a safety waiver, nothing that actually stated she was a member of the team or made her joining official.
The rotund man tucked it dutifully away. "Right-o! Well, go ahead and drop yer stuff, then. We're gonna start our warm-up run in just a few, here, so why dontcha go meet a few o' the other folks while we wait on the last stragglers?"
With a final thank-you to Coach, Kaitlyn headed past the man to drop her bag with the others. Just as Coach had said, most of the team had already arrived and chatted in small groups along the grassy edge. A scan of the runners revealed the familiar faces she'd expected—Cedric, Rachel, and Alex among them. There were also plenty more that she couldn't quite put names to.
Let's see… I definitely remember most of these faces. I know that's Irene, and that guy's… Paul? Pete maybe? I don't actually know. I didn't pay too much attention before, I guess.
Her attentions slid back toward the tall, tanned and muscular figure that loomed over the others. Alex's wavy black hair was already tied back, his own white shirt flapping slightly in the breeze. He stood casually, hands clasped behind his head as he grinned at some joke she hadn't quite heard.
Kaitlyn took a deep breath. Still, despite bracing herself, she felt no reaction. No sudden stab of melancholy or longing. No fear. Even now, staring at him like this, she felt… normal.
So far, so good.
She turned her attention away before the athlete caught her staring. As she walked toward the grass, she saw Rachel look over from a small group of other female runners. Her eyes brightened with excitement as she broke away, jogging over to Kaitlyn with a spring in her step.
"Hey! Glad to see you, sweetie!"
Kaitlyn gave the athletic girl a sheepish smile. "Yeah. Sorry it took a while."
"No, no worries at all!" Rachel set a hand on her shoulder. "I certainly hope you didn't feel pressured. I simply wanted to extend an invitation."
"I didn't. Promise. I just… had to think about it."
"That's alright. Well, glad you decided to give it a try!" Rachel beamed a smile. "Want me to introduce you to the team? I promise they don't bite!"
Kaitlyn chuckled. "Sure, why not?"
With that, the curly-haired girl guided Kaitlyn forward, gently shepherding her toward a group of curious onlookers.
***
As practice went on, Kaitlyn noted two things in particular. One was that, because joining the team had been Rachel's suggestion, the girl had taken an almost parental responsibility for making sure she was well taken care of. The second was that Kaitlyn wasn't just ok with practice. She actively enjoyed it.
"Alright, folks! Like up fer sprints! Four lines, you know the drill!"
Coach's voice called out across the field in a thickly-accented staccato. She'd just about managed to catch her breath from the warm-up run before they were already on to the next exercise. But as much as her legs were already protesting, Kaitlyn found that it didn't bother her so much.
Did… was practice always like this? I swear it wasn't.
It was still hard work. Coach didn't go easy on them, not that she'd ever expected him to. Despite that, it wasn't as torturous as she'd feared. Her own running schedule had evidently paid dividends in this case.
Her eyes passed over the other team members as they lined up, many of them already shiny with sweat. A few of the other stragglers lurched ahead of her, looking far worse for wear. One of the girls in particular—Paula, if she remembered right—caught her looking and smiled tiredly.
Kaitlyn shot her an encouraging thumbs up. Despite being a little faster, Paula looked even more beat than she herself felt. Maybe that meant she was just trying harder. Or maybe she'd spent all her energy on the warmup. Either way, Kaitlyn could respect it. Not to say that she was feeling much better, though.
Seriously. I don't remember actually having fun at practice. Did I just get way more used to exercise? Or is there something else going on here?
Her newfound appreciation for running did explain a lot. However, thinking about it made her realize it wasn't the whole story. There was more to it—namely, the team aspect of things.
In the past, joining the cross country team had been a means to an end. It was a way to get close to and bond with Alex. That was it. The countless mornings spent sweating and turning her muscles into jelly were a necessary sacrifice in order to make that happen.
But now, cross country took on a whole different tone. She no longer had to be zeroed in on Alex all the time. It had suddenly become an opportunity to bond with and even talk to other people, when they weren't too out of breath to speak of course. She could pay attention to the other people around, something she realized she'd done embarrassingly little before.
I mean, sure, I was friends with Cedric and Rachel, but that was different. They were also friends with Alex, so it kinda grew naturally out of that. Everyone else, though…?
A sharp fweet from Coach's whistle sent the next line of runners across the track. A glance over them revealed an uncomfortable fact. She didn't really recognize most of their faces, much less know their names.
To be fair, I worked on my memory way more AFTER I left the team. Still… wow. The realization made her wince. That feels pretty bad.
The sharp sound of the whistle brought her back to the present. Kaitlyn shuffled up to the head of the line, readying herself for her turn. When the note sounded again, she took off, pumping her legs as hard as they could go.
The others in her line pretty much immediately left her in the dust. She ran through the finish a few seconds after them, breathing hard and slowing to a walk after. A few people gave her high-fives and nods of approval, Rachel included.
It feels weird, especially knowing they're all WAY better than me. But they seem pretty genuine… and I gotta admit it feels nice. Maybe this time, I'll actually feel like I'm part of the team.
"Good effort!"
A familiar bronze-skinned hand reached out to offer a fist bump. Following it upwards, Kaitlyn tilted her head back to see Alex smiling down at her, the faintest sheen of sweat beginning to form on his brow.
Smiling, she met his fist with her own and wheezed out a weak response. "Thanks."
Alex's grin broadened, his attention moving on as she moved past him toward the back of the reforming lines. As the last few team members ran through, she met them with the same kind of encouragement.
Yeah. I still don't know if I'll stick around. But so far, I think this was a good decision.
Her legs obviously didn't agree, of course. But then, when had they ever done anything else?
Ignoring the familiar ache of her muscles, Kaitlyn rolled her neck. Last time had been slow, but not too slow. Maybe this time, she'd be able to close the gap a little more.
