NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Track Tryouts!
Zoey got down into starter position like the others and readied herself to take off at the sound of the starter gun. She didn’t recognize any of the other girls at tryouts so, she had nothing to focus on but herself. The gun went off and Zoey was actually a bit startled by the sound of it and started off way slower than the other girls. In no time, she shot out like a bullet and quickly overtook the other girls. Once she realized just how fast she was going, she intentionally tripped and lost her lead before finishing in third.
“Are you okay?” A girl with her hair wrapped up in a ponytail asked after the run. She got first place.
“Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking.” There were no scrapes or bruises on her legs.
“I’m sure you would’ve got first if you didn’t trip.” She got second and passed her after she tripped.
“Maybe.” Zoey didn’t want to look cocky even though she knew she would’ve smoked all these girls.
Zoey didn’t know exactly how fast she was because she never ran long distances before. It was like in that one superhero movie where the kid with super speed joined the track team and could easily pass the other kids with his power but chose not to so that he could fit in with the rest of the kids. Well, it was similar to that. This was for her to gain friends mostly but she could also get a scholarship for track and field if she does well enough on the team. Thinking about college was something that was never too early. Especially since she would be the first one in her family to go to college if she did.
Since her mother got pregnant young, she never went. Zoey had no idea where her birth father was or what he was doing. And with their financial situation, it would probably be a burden to send her to a good college. They were a lower middle-class family so, it would be for the best for everyone if she did get a scholarship for college. But this is where things became a pain in the ass.
Should she continue to do only well enough to stay on the team to try and make friends or completely blow her peers out of the water with her 1.5 Body stat to guarantee a scholarship?
‘Well, I'm still only a junior. I can worry about scholarships in my Senior year and focus on making friends this year.’ Zoey decided.
“Good run out there girls. You all had some good times. If anyone wants to try out other events please follow me. For those who only wanted to try out for the 100m, stick around on the benches and I'll tell you if you made the team or not at the end of tryouts today.” Coach Lady explained.
Zoey made her way to the bench and immediately got to playing on her phone instead of socializing with the other 100m run runners. It wasn’t in her nature to be social and talk to others first. She usually lets other people talk to her first and then socializes with them. Probably one of the reasons why she had no friends now but she still had time to change! Being a socially awkward freak was just a phase and definitely not something that would follow her into her adulthood.
“Hey. I didn’t catch your name.” Ponytail tapped her shoulder.
“I’m Zoey.” She took her earbuds out.
“I’m Callie. I never seen you before. Is it your first time trying out for track?” She was so bright, sociable, and pretty. It was almost blinding to Zoey’s eyes.
“Was it that obvious?” Zoey asked.
“Well, I've been running since I was in elementary school. So, it’s easier for me to tell than other people.” She admitted.
“Oh.” Zoey didn’t know how to respond to that.
“I was surprised by how fast you were going. I was so sure that you were going to get first place. Are you sure you haven’t done any track before?”
“Unless you count doing the mile in P.E, then none at all.”
“You definitely got talent for running then. I can’t wait to run with you on the team! We’re gonna blow the other teams out of the water this season!”
“Yay...?” Zoey couldn’t handle the positivity and brightness coming from this girl.
“Oh, and my best friend Katlyn is also on the team with us. She was the girl that got second place. She’s more of an endurance runner than a sprinter but she can do both really well. Well, she can really do any of the events well but she mostly does the 400, 800, and relay. I’m only good at running fast.” Callie shared.
“Have you both been running since elementary?”
“Yep. That’s actually where we first met. We were total enemies back then and both fought for the title of track star for our school. Both of us had to share the title eventually but at that point, we didn’t care who was better than the other. We just both really loved track and strived to do our absolute best at it.”
“Sounds like a movie.” Zoey couldn’t believe such friendships could actually form in real life.
“I know right?!” Callie beamed. “It's like we were meant to be besties.”
“Sounds great.”
“But enough about me. Why did you decide to try out for the team?”
It was super embarrassing admitting this to someone like this but what the hell? She came here to make friends in the first place. “I wanted to make some friends.” Zoey honestly shared. The tearful look in Callie’s eyes almost made her think she was pitying her but her next few words fixed that misunderstanding instantly.
“That is the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life...” She wiped away the tears about to form around her eyes. “I’ll be your first track friend Zoey! And I promise to make everyone else that makes the team friends with you too!”
“That’s a lot of people... Can we start small first?” There were more than a dozen people here. How could she handle being friends with that many people at once?
“Nope! Every single one of them are going to become your friend.” Callie decided then and there.
“Uhh...” Zoey was frightened for her future on this team.
“Yep. So, get ready to talk with all these people just like how you’re talking to me.” Callie smiled.
“I’m terrified.” Zoey wasn’t scared to admit that. Callie only giggled at that.
She thought it was cute and funny that Zoey was scared to make friends. When it was a perfectly reasonable thing to be afraid of! Friends aren’t things you have. Your bonds will be things that you have to constantly take care of or they’ll break! If you leave them alone for too long, they can wither away! And with all of these people, she’ll have to juggle bond after bond to make sure that none of them get broken by her.
“There’s nothing scary about making friends Zoey. You’re literally the only person in the world who would think that.” She laughed.
“I disagree.” She’s been on the internet more than enough times and has read plenty of comments from other real human beings about their social anxieties.
“By the time track season ends, you’ll think back to this moment and laugh at how silly you were being.” Callie promised.
“I’ll have to get accepted on the team first.” Zoey pointed out.
“You don’t have to worry about that. I already know that you’re going to be on it.” Callie puffed out her chest with confidence.
“How?”
“Didn’t you see how fast you took off out there?! The coach would have to be blind to not bring you on the team! You were awesome before you tripped.”
“I agree. You’re definitely going to be on the team.” Second place came over and added as she wiped the sweat off her face with a towel.
“Katlyn! Meet our new friend Zoey! We’re now her first two track friends.” Callie excitedly declared.
“Is she bothering you, Zoey? I can’t zip up her mouth but I can kick her somewhere else if you want to be alone.” Katlyn offered.
“No. She’s being nice.”
“Don’t assume I'm bothering people! I’m super nice and friendly to everyone.”
“Not everyone likes super nice and friendly. Sometimes it's just annoying.”
“How can that be?”
“Not everyone wants to socialize all the time. Even I need a break from you every once in a while.”
“Is that why you sometimes stop texting me back at a certain time after school?”
“Yes. You just don’t know when to shut your pretty little mouth sometimes.” Katlyn pinched Callie’s mouth shut as it formed into a cute pout.
“Hmph! I’m sorry I just want to talk with my bestie and get to know people.” She crossed her arms.
“Don’t get upset just because I was being honest with you. You just got to learn to moderate yourself.”
“I’ll think about it as long as you promise to watch that movie with me later on tonight.”
“Fine.” Katlyn rolled her eyes. “Do you want to watch it with us, Zoey?” She offered.
“Uh. Sure. What time and what movie?” Zoey was blindsided by the offer from out of nowhere. Her mouth moved before her brain did.
“We’re not going to a real movie theatre but like watching it on Zeeflix while on the phone together.” Katlyn explained.
“Cool. I can do that.” Zoey pulled out her phone.
“Oh my gosh. Is that really the qPhone 13 Ultra?!” Callie basically screamed.
“I didn’t think you were a rich girl, Zoey...” Katlyn was just as shocked as her best friend.
“I’m not rich. I just uh. Got this as a gift from my uncle. He’s the rich one.” She lied.
Zoey didn’t know how to explain that the money she got for the phone was gained by killing demons. Now that she had a second to think about it, she could’ve just said she had a part-time job and saved up for it. After realizing this, she wanted to smack herself in the face. Why couldn’t she think of that before she opened her fat mouth!?
“If your uncle is rich, then how aren’t you rich?”
“I actually just lied a moment ago. I saved up for it at my part-time job.” Zoey revealed.
“Uhm... Why’d you feel like you needed to lie about it?” Katlyn asked, slightly put off by the lie.
“Because I didn’t want you two to ask me about my job. I’d like to keep it a secret if that’s okay.” She felt like a total fucking mess. Jesus fucking Christ, why couldn’t she have been born with a normal brain?
“That’s fine Zoey! As long as you aren’t doing anything dangerous, it's fine with us.” Callie told her. “It’s not dangerous right?”
“Nope. Totally safe.” Zoey flat-out lied again.
“Then it's cool.” Katlyn said.
Zoey then added their numbers to her phone and got to know them both a little bit more before the end of tryouts came. Just like Katlyn and Callie said, she passed tryouts and was now an official runner on the team. As long as she handed in a physical from a doctor that said it was safe for her to participate in sports. Once she brought that in Monday, she would be allowed to join in practice with the rest. So, Zoey left track tryouts and went home. Considering today a huge success as she made the track team and gained 2 friends!