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I pulled up behind her left shoulder ―Go,‖ I hissed, ―go, go!‖

―Shut up,‖ she panted back Muddy water beaded on her neck Her jersey was soaked ―It‘s too early, I‘ll go whenwhen I‘irls passed us and then, finally, one of our tea and put on sonal because then the entire team went for broke

So did I Screw Danielle I cranked it up, stretchingThe faces of the refs stationed along the way blurred to a s with Mitch and ere flying over the ground, skio fast go fast go faster go go

I blew past Danielle in two seconds and then I was kicking it higher, blazing, a rocket streaking over the dead grass, shush shush shush shush I bulleted past , quads bunching and clenching The hooshed past irl ahead and then when I passed her, the next and then the next, and then I saw that it was justthe trail Stream ahead: I watched her hit the water, take a step then another and then both ar wildly just as I crashed into the water I tried veering left, away froered and aled the strea up the opposite bank

My lungs screamed; my throat was on fire One o Push off froround, punish it, punish it, punish it My heart was a fist, bruisingthat shuddered up my spine I remembered that first run with Mitch, how badly I‘d done and I would not let that happen noouldn‘t He aiting for me at the finish He would see me crest the rise and then hurtle down the final stretch, pulling a phalanx of runners intail of a comet all the way to the finish line He would be there; I would irl and ould--

― Bitch‖ Soht there, at my left elbow ―No, you don‘t,‖ she hissed, ―no way‖

I didn‘t answer I don‘t know if I could‘ve That she had the breath was a bad sign because thatdeep

We hit the ridge together, stride for stride, the trail only wide enough for three The drop-off on either side wasn‘t precipitous or a killer But that didn‘t mean you could recover from a misstep The trail was rutted and uneven, a hard-bed scra either side, as well as referees and screa Ahead, the ridge dropped then leveled out to a grassy fan, but a fall here and you could kiss the race good-bye

Which was precisely what Danielle was trying to force onto bully her way into the lead I shot a quick glance, sa the muscles of her neck stood out like ropes Her teeth were bared in a grimace Noas fast as we could

Faces flashed by Below, I could see the crowd at the finish line; I picked out David and there was Mitch waving us in and I could hear his voice above the others: ― Coo! ‖ I focused on that, on his voice, running to hi that trail as the hipped my hair and sweat ran in rivers down , unraveling, tearing the; I would win this for him, for him, for him A fraction of an inch and then another, and then I wasahead of Danielle and still I went faster, faster, faster, the kettle druo faster go go--

Then I felt a quick blow just belowswift and sure and sharp, and yet so fleeting I al had happened In the next instant, Danielle‘s feet tangled with ht burn as her spikes slicedWe caromed off one another like bumper cars Her elbow smacked my temple My left ankle rolled, and then it was like I‘d spiked a bare knuckle of bone into solid rock A shout of red pain grabbedwith it as the world swirled in a drunken spiral

Danielle and I turound rushed for ed against rock, and then the back of round My vision flickered like a faulty lightbulb and then I was so down the hill

You know that old riddle, Bob, the one about what‘s black and white and black and white and black and white? (Answer: a nun falling down stairs Or a zebra) That was like this, only it was gray rock and brown earth and dead grass and slack open , there had to be, but I didn‘t hear I‘d lost track of where Danielle was I don‘t knoI kneas sprawled flat onhead dragging below My mouth filled with a taste of wetforward, pushing in, dropping on their knees, shouting, the words all running together like broken egg yolks: heyheyareyouallrightsoettheemtsjennahowstheotherjennajenna

Leave ht, too noisy, go away--

Then someone shouted in htened and one I kneell by then, called ray clouds It was beginning to snow; I could feel the ice pecking loves swam into view Their lips moved, but I didn‘t hear them Didn‘t care For me, all that mattered was Mitch‘s stricken face