January PPOW

The Secret

I ran as fast as my legs would allow. It was the first day of track practice and coach told us that we would be racing to see who would get to run the 4x2 race. That was my race. I needed to win. I have always been the fastest one in the class, but I got hurt at the end of last year am still working on getting back.

Stacey and I were neck and neck. I used to be able to beat her no problem, but since I hurt my leg last year I can’t run as fast as I used to, at least not yet. I wanted to win so badly, show everyone, and coach that I still have what it takes. Stacey knew how much this race meant to me, but its not like she cared any. Stacey has always hated me, and to be honest I really don’t like her all that much.

Stacey doesn’t even like to run sprints. She only wanted to win so I wouldn't. I was ahead and there was only a couple of yards left, I thought I had won, thats when my leg gave out. I got back up quickly, but not quick enough. Stacey ran past me and won the race.

“Guess you don’t have what it takes anymore Blair” says Stacey with a huge grin on her face.

“I have what it takes you just got lucky this time” I tell Stacey, as I feel my face getting red from anger.

“ Please, I could beat you any day, and don’t keep blaming it on your leg.”

She walks toward coach to talk about the race, and leaves me sitting on the bench feeling sorry for my self. For a second I think about if she’s right or not. Maybe it’s me and not my leg, but I quickly let that thought go because it is the leg, if I could run like I use to then I would. I changed back into my normal shoes and walked to my car.

I sat in the car for a long time before I started it. Why did Stacey have to ruin my life. It wasn't just in track practice. She always went out of her way to make my life suck. I told my mom about what happened when I got home.

She was mad of course, but when I brought up that it was Stacey that beat me she quickly changed the subject. I don’t understand why she always does it. Whenever I bring up Stacey, Mom will start talking about something else. I find it super weird, but then again who would want to talk about Stacey.

“Why do you always do that” I asked my mom when she changes the subject.

“Do what?” she asked. I could tell that she knew what I was talking about, but I asked again.

“Everytime I talk about Stacey you talk about something else.” I say, but I know she won’t give me a real answer.

“I don’t know what you mean” Mom says as she walks out the door to work. I push away any thoughts about Stacey. I sit at the window and watch Mom leave for work. She has two jobs. My dad left when I was really little so she has to work extra hard to keep us going.

I head to my room to do leg workouts. Ever since I hurt my leg I have been working super hard to get it back to how it used to be. My doctor said that it’s doing way better then he would of thought, but thats because I have been doing twice the work he told me to do. I don’t my leg to just be pretty good, I want it to be just like it was before I hurt it in the last race of last season.

At school the next day all Stacey talks about is how she is the fastest one on the team and how she beat me in practice the other night.

“Goodmorning class” my science teacher says in a bubbly voice.

“Today we will be getting into groups for our projects” she says with a smile on her face. Everybody in the room gets up to find a partner.

“Not so fast class.” Everyone in the room stops and looks at her.

“I will be picking your partners.” Everyone groans. Whenever she picks partner she puts you with the person you hate most. She thinks that it will bring us all closer together, but most of the groups just end up trying to kill each other. This makes me really mad because I already know who she is going to put me with.

I’m with Stacey everytime. It never works out we hate each other way to much.

“Well this will be fun.” Stacey says as she rolls her eye at me.

“It always is” I say as I sit down by her.

“Are you going to practice tonight” she says and I know where the question is going.

“Yeah, Why wouldn't I” I say.

“I just figured you would be to scared to get beat again.” Stacey says with her sly grin. The bell rings and everybody runs out of the room. This project is going to suck. Not only do I have to deal with Stacey at school and at practice, now she has to come over to my house to work on the project. I’m never going to get a break from her nasty personality.

Practice sucked, not only did Stacey take my event, coach asked if I was even ready to run, and if I should sit out for another season. I worked way too hard to sit out again.

“Ready to go?” Stacey says walking up to me after practice.

“I don’t know if I want you in my house” I say, even though I know, I don’t want her any where near my house.

“Mom, i’m home!” I yell into the living room, where I hear her watching t.v.

“Hey honey how was your--” Mom stops in the middle of her sentence, when she turns around. She is looking at Stacey like somebody just punched her in the face. I mean thats how I feel most of the time when I look at Stacey, but my mom had no reason to have that look on her face.

“Umm hi” Stacey says, but I can tell she feels weird about how my mom is looking at her.

“Mom, are you okay?” I was started to get worried when she didn’t move from her spot.

“Honey, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute?” Mom asked, finally looking normal again.

“Sure” I ask walking toward the door. “ You can just wait in here” I say to Stacey as I follow my mom out of the room.

“I should of told you this along time ago” Mom says as she looks at the floor. I feel my stomach flip, I could tell by the way she was acting, that what she was about to say would not be good news.

“When your dad left-” Mom starts her story. “We decided it would work best just to split everything we have and go our separate ways”

“Mom what are you talking about” I say and I feel my heart start to beat faster in my chest.

“You have a sister honey” she says, and I know where this is going, but I don’t want to believe it. “I kept you and your father took you sister” she keeps going.

“Don’t say it” I yelled as my head starts to pound.

“Stacey is your sister, Blair”

                                                     To be continued……………...