All Pepped Up (Pepper Jones) (24 page)

Jenny killed it in the finals for the mile earlier today, placing fifth amongst a highly competitive field.
Her awesome race seems to have psyched her up for the relay, and she bounces on her feet before toeing the starting line with the rest of the first-leg relay runners.

Jenny surges forward and leads the pack for the first two laps before fatigue catches up to her.
Runners start to pass her and she loses the lead. I was worried this would happen. She’s starting to feel the effects from racing in the mile preliminaries and 4 x 800 yesterday, and then the mile finals again this morning. Despite how small she is, Jenny is one tough cookie. I can see her falter, getting ready to give in to the exhaustion, but she hangs on to the back of the lead pack as they round the last straightaway. She doesn’t let anyone else pass her and I admire her determination.

Zippy takes off with the baton with four other runners just barely ahead. The top five relays have put a solid distance between the rest of the field. Zippy also had a packed two days of racing, but she’s a senior with a lot of experience. She’s done the
multiple-day racing challenge before and proven she’s got stamina.

One of the runners can’t keep up with the quick pace and by the time the 400 leg comes around the curve to pass off the baton, there are only 4 teams in the lead pack.

Zoe raced the 2-mile yesterday but she’s been laying low with me all day, waiting in anticipation for the DMR. She’s got a decent 800, but she might have trouble maintaining our position in the lead pack. I’m not familiar with all the runners on the other teams, and some of them might be exhausted from earlier races, while others still have fresh legs, like me.

Zoe hangs in there on the first lap of the
2-lap leg but she begins to fade on the second lap. The team that fell behind on the last leg catches Zoe, and there’s now a small gap between the two of them and the three teams who have pulled ahead. Nothing I can’t handle. I shake out my arms and legs one last time before positioning myself on the track to grab the baton from Zoe.

But as I jog forward and reach back for the handoff, the baton fumbles in my grasp and slips out of my hand. I stop mid-stride to retrieve it, nearly tripping over another runner taking her position for the handoff.

When it’s firmly in my grasp, I take off and look ahead to examine the damage. I’ve lost a few seconds, but I’m not going to let the mistake ruin my race. It won’t allow me to back down from reaching for first place. I make this clear to the crowd as I zoom forward, setting a pace that’s more appropriate for an 800 race than the mile. But I’ve recently discovered the joy of testing my limits.

One lap into the race, and I’m passing the third place runner. She’s fallen off from the other
two. It’s the same Everfield girl from Districts leading the field. Katerina Davis won the individual mile at Districts but placed second in it earlier today to the girl wearing red who is currently on her heels. The announcer is in his element as he highlights the rivalry between them that goes back to their freshman year.

When I surge past the leaders at the halfway point, the crowd realizes that this is no longer a race between the two rivals. Out of the corner of my eye I see
people in the stands rise to their feet.

“
Jones has taken the lead for Brockton Public. Davis and Cruz are trying to stay on her tail, but she’s setting a brutal pace. If she can keep it up, we’ll be seeing a new State record in the girls’ DMR tonight.”

Instead of crippling me, the mention of breaking a record lights a fire, and I push the pace even harder. Katerina Davis stays on me for half a lap before giving up. I’m in my element, letting the loud cheers fuel me.

I glance up to the foothills as I rip through the line into my last lap. The sun is setting on the horizon and the sky glows. I’m racing faster than I ever have, yet my legs glide along smoothly, showing no sign of letting up. If I wasn’t using my mouth to suck in air, I’d be grinning.

When I float through the finish line, I’m told that Brockton Public holds the new State record in the DMR. It wouldn’t have happened without my teammates
, but for the first time, I feel like maybe I’ve earned the Brockton Public Phenomenon label. I’m not just an imposter. I’ve proven that I have the courage to race like I own the track.

My smile widens when I look over the fence
on the other side of the track and see Jace and Gran waving at me. Wes leans over the rail next to them, with Jim and Annie on his other side. That’s my family over there. I might feel like I’m missing out on a traditional family, but it’s the people watching me proudly on the other side of that fence who have proven they care about me. Even Annie, who came around a little late in the game, beams with pride.

With Zoe’s arm around my shoulder, and my teammates surrounding me, I can’t imagine feeling like I need anyone or anything else. It doesn’t matter who tries to hurt me, I know exactly who I am and I will fight to protect what I have.