Movie Star? Superstar? I Thought I Was Just a Normal Kid!
Chapter 1
"Time."
"Five fifty. C'mon Mauri, you've only got to beat two other kids."
"I know, I know," I panted. "I just didn't have much time this week." I knew that it was a lame excuse, but it was totally true. I'd had a million and one things going on the past week, and I had barely managed to squeeze in twenty minutes a day for practice.
"Look, Maur. Number one and two are both boys. They are also making borderline grades. Which means two things. One, they have more time to practice, and two, they may get kicked off the team after semester." Coach Lisa put her hand on my shoulder. "But you can't count on it. You need to shave about a minute off your time."
I nodded. Coach didn't need to know that I had gotten less than six hours of sleep last night. Thank heaven for Friday. Friday... oh, darn!! I thought, I have to catch the bus!
"Coach, I promise to practice over the weekend. I'll re-run the mile on Monday..."
"But you have to catch the bus?" Coach smiled. "Maur, I know you too well. Go ahead. Go change. But," she shot me a stern glare, "You better beat Travis Monday!"
I laughed, and headed towards the locker room. Track was hard! But I loved it, and I was third on the team. The feeling was wonderful, both running and the success of being so high up in rank. The very thought made me smile, even though I was tired beyond belief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?"
I ignored Travis, who just happened to be the fastest runner on the track team. The very one I had to beat that coming Monday.
"Shouldn't the track all star be at practice? Or maybe, maybe she gave up!"
"Oh, shush, Travis. You know as well as I do that I'd never quit track. It's my addiction." I smiled to myself as he tried to think of a comeback. Throw something as simple as 'addiction' at him, and he's stumped. It made me want to beat his time even more.
"Hey Mauri. I didn't know you were riding the bus!" I sighed as one of my best friends stepped onto the bus, saving me from the lame comeback that Travis was sure to throw out.
"Hey Molly. I have dance tonight, and my mom wanted to take me shopping before my class," I explained as she slid into the seat across from me.
Molly reached into her purse and pulled out a bag of skittles. Tossing them to me, she said, "These are yours. They're from Coach Lisa, for being third. She said that she hopes it's the last Friday that she'll have to put your name down by the big number three." Molly laughed. I smiled, and offered her some skittles. Taking them, she asked, "So seriously, are you planning on passing up Dill and Travis?"
"Yup. If I can." I popped an orange skittle into my mouth, and reached for my cell phone. I turned it on, and it started vibrating like crazy.
"Woah, girl!" Molly exclaimed. "I haven't seen a phone vibrate like that since I broke my leg, and everyone texted me at once!"
I laughed, but was a bit concerned. Who would call me while I'm at school? Worse, who would call me and leave so many messages that my phone goes crazy?
I checked my voicemail, and sure enough, I had twelve voicemails. Three were from my mom, one reminding me to ride the bus, one wishing me good luck on my mile, and one of pure screaming. The other nine came from...
...the High School Musical producers.
"Five fifty. C'mon Mauri, you've only got to beat two other kids."
"I know, I know," I panted. "I just didn't have much time this week." I knew that it was a lame excuse, but it was totally true. I'd had a million and one things going on the past week, and I had barely managed to squeeze in twenty minutes a day for practice.
"Look, Maur. Number one and two are both boys. They are also making borderline grades. Which means two things. One, they have more time to practice, and two, they may get kicked off the team after semester." Coach Lisa put her hand on my shoulder. "But you can't count on it. You need to shave about a minute off your time."
I nodded. Coach didn't need to know that I had gotten less than six hours of sleep last night. Thank heaven for Friday. Friday... oh, darn!! I thought, I have to catch the bus!
"Coach, I promise to practice over the weekend. I'll re-run the mile on Monday..."
"But you have to catch the bus?" Coach smiled. "Maur, I know you too well. Go ahead. Go change. But," she shot me a stern glare, "You better beat Travis Monday!"
I laughed, and headed towards the locker room. Track was hard! But I loved it, and I was third on the team. The feeling was wonderful, both running and the success of being so high up in rank. The very thought made me smile, even though I was tired beyond belief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you doing here?"
I ignored Travis, who just happened to be the fastest runner on the track team. The very one I had to beat that coming Monday.
"Shouldn't the track all star be at practice? Or maybe, maybe she gave up!"
"Oh, shush, Travis. You know as well as I do that I'd never quit track. It's my addiction." I smiled to myself as he tried to think of a comeback. Throw something as simple as 'addiction' at him, and he's stumped. It made me want to beat his time even more.
"Hey Mauri. I didn't know you were riding the bus!" I sighed as one of my best friends stepped onto the bus, saving me from the lame comeback that Travis was sure to throw out.
"Hey Molly. I have dance tonight, and my mom wanted to take me shopping before my class," I explained as she slid into the seat across from me.
Molly reached into her purse and pulled out a bag of skittles. Tossing them to me, she said, "These are yours. They're from Coach Lisa, for being third. She said that she hopes it's the last Friday that she'll have to put your name down by the big number three." Molly laughed. I smiled, and offered her some skittles. Taking them, she asked, "So seriously, are you planning on passing up Dill and Travis?"
"Yup. If I can." I popped an orange skittle into my mouth, and reached for my cell phone. I turned it on, and it started vibrating like crazy.
"Woah, girl!" Molly exclaimed. "I haven't seen a phone vibrate like that since I broke my leg, and everyone texted me at once!"
I laughed, but was a bit concerned. Who would call me while I'm at school? Worse, who would call me and leave so many messages that my phone goes crazy?
I checked my voicemail, and sure enough, I had twelve voicemails. Three were from my mom, one reminding me to ride the bus, one wishing me good luck on my mile, and one of pure screaming. The other nine came from...
...the High School Musical producers.
♠ ♠ ♠
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