Oh. My. Gods. - Weebly

“Is everything all right?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “We just had some stuff to talk through.”
“I know how much you miss your friends.” She wraps an arm
around my shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll see them again soon.”
Not soon enough.
“At least they’re flying out for the wedding,” she adds.
I force a grin. “Only three months away.”
“Don’t worry.” She gives me a good squeeze before releasing me.
“Your friendships will survive the hurdles of time and space.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, not meaning it.
Three months and seven thousand miles is more than I’m willing
to put between my friendships.
“Nervous?” Nicole asks as she slides in next to me at our lunch
table. “The big race is only days away.”
“Nah.” I shrug.
On the inside, I’m boiling with nerves at the mere mention of the
race. Sure, I’ve competed in dozens, maybe hundreds of races in my
lifetime. This one is different.
There is more riding on the outcome. I’m used to racing for myself,
trying to beat my time or beat my opponent. This time I’m racing for
my racing future. Not just my slot on the team is at stake. If I don’t
race well this year then no scholarship. No scholarship, no USC.
Talk about pressure.
But there’s more to this race than staying on the team. In all my
years of running I’ve had a pretty easy time. Make a little effort and
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