I join Mason at the track meet

The next day I find Mason already up, getting ready for something. Knowing his class starts the same day mine does, I wonder what he’s doing besides sleeping in. “What’s going on, Mason?” I ask.

“Tryouts for Track & Field, but I’m trying to get on the Cross Country team,” Mason tells me. “If you don’t have anything better to do today, you can join me and watch from the bleachers.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there,” I say. He leaves right away, but seeing that it’s still early, I go back to sleep, setting my alarm to ring at 8am. When I wake up, I get ready and dress comfy. It’s a hot day out, so I put on some running shoes (though I don’t intend on doing any running), yoga pants, a sports bra and a tank top to go over that. Since I’ll be exposing a lot of my skin, I make sure to put on sunscreen.

I chose to take a shuttle to the running track on campus. It only takes five minutes from the dorm to where all the sports fields are. Once I arrive, I can see that students are all doing normal track and field activities. I make my way to the bleachers and take a seat, scanning the field for a sign of Mason.

I do spot one of the former guys from my group out on the track. Olivia was her name. I wonder how her first few days were. From what I can see, her tall stature makes her a **** to be reckoned with when doing the High Jump and Long Jump. When one of the coaches calls out to those who want to join the Cross Country team, I notice that Olivia has joined them. And next to her, standing at the same height, is Mason. He looks to have done a lot, worked up a lot of sweat.

As I sit there on the bleachers, peering at my roommate, I feel an arm wrap around me and a larger body sit beside me. A sleazy voice says, “Dressed up to run, but you’re just sitting here. Maybe you don’t want to run, but do something else that makes you sweat.” When I look, there’s this guy with aviator sunglasses on him. I try to recoil, but his arm keeps me close to him.

“It’s clear she’s disgusted by you, Barry,” a voice calls out. The arm is removed and the man who had sat beside me stands. “This is no place for you, pervert.” The sleazy guy, Barry, leaves and another guy sits next to me, but gives me space. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No. I don’t think so,” I say.

“It’s no way to treat women like that, especially if they’re freshmen,” the guy says. “You’re a freshman, right?”

“Yes,” I reply, looking up to see the face of this man. Next to me sat a young man with dark hair, lightly-muscled arms, wearing a T-shirt and track shorts. I somehow make a connection that he may be on the Track & Field team. “Are you running with them?”

“Sadly no. I injured my ankle a month ago. I’m okay now, but my doctor says I can’t run on it for another month,” he says. It’s then I see an ankle brace at the end of his foot. “Say, if you’re not running, then are you here for someone?”

“I am,” I say. “I’m here for Mason. He wants to get on the Cross Country team.”

“Lucky dude. I spotted him earlier. He’s real dedicated. He’ll get it, no doubt,” he says. “Oh, sorry. I’m all talking to you and I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Zack.”

I remember that a Zack was on the list that Emily had about potential roommates. I wonder if this is the same guy. “I’m Eliza. Say, do people call you adventurous?”

He laughs, confirming, “Yep. Totally. How do you think I got injured?” We turn when we hear a distant round of clapping. The crowd around the Track & Field coaches disperses. I see Mason as he turns and stops to shield his eyes from the sun, as if he is looking towards the bleachers. I raise my hand to wave to him hello.

He waves back and he jogs over to where me and Zack are. Mason and I embrace. “You look good out there, Mason,” I tell him.

“Yeah, bro. As I was telling Eliza, real dedicated. Did you make the team?” Zack asks.

“I’m good enough for Track & Field, but as for Cross Country, it remains to be seen,” Mason says. “We’re going to head to Wells-Elings Marsh Trail for the trials.”

“Cool. We’ll meet you there then,” Zack says. He tells me the prospective team will take a shuttle to the trail’s parking lot, but anyone else has to find their own way. Zack invites me to a car ride to the place. Along the way, he tells me how he got his injury. He was playing basketball, but he wasn’t wearing the proper footwear. He simply made a defensive move that required him to jump straight up, but when he came back down, his foot buckled to the side, rolling his ankle. He actually had to be taken in an ambulance because he couldn’t put any weight on his foot. Fortunately, they didn’t have to do any surgery, but he would have to stay off the foot for a good while. It seems seeing him in his ankle brace, he has succeeded in doing that, but there is a fire in his eyes that conveys to me that he still has his adventurous spirit.

When Zack and I arrive, all of the prospective runners have already started their trial. The coaches have prepared a large cooler full of ice-cold beverages, but after talking to them the runners have to complete a total of two laps of the marked trail. Besides disqualification, I wonder what would happen to any runners that get too tired or potentially get injured while running. Since it’s already midday once the runners have made it onto the trail, the heat is starting to rise. Zack sees my concern and comforts me by rubbing my shoulder. He tells me if any of the runners look weary as they pass the halfway mark, then it would be his duty to help them.

After what seems like ten minutes, we start to see a line of runners keeping pace as they near the beginning of the trail. I see that Mason is one of them and he seems to be going strong, even passing by a guy who was in front of him. More runners pass, but I grow worried as I don’t see Olivia among them. I’m relieved though when she appears, but her pace is slow, and I sense that she is struggling. She even gets passed by another young woman behind her. I signal to Zack who understands, and we start walking on the trail, hoping to catch up to her.

“Hey we got somebody down here!” shouts someone on the trail. We make haste, but eventually catch up to the next runner. My heart drops when I see an unresponsive Olivia, her head being cradled by another runner. He too looks tired. Zack assists in getting Olivia up on her feet and when she’s upright, she coughs. I wrap her arm around my shoulders, and I assist her back to the parking lot. I look back and see Zack doing the same for the other guy. The coaches run to help the exhausted runners and we help to get them near the cooler. Fortunately, there are camping chairs made available to them and once they are seated, they start to give them drinks to cool them off. I help by blowing air on their heads with portable fans. Soon the other runners return and they too get drinks to replenish their fluids. Some time passes until everyone is back in the shuttle, where the air-conditioning is on blast.

The coaches thank Zack and I for the help. They leave to take the runners back to campus.

“I’d say it’s a good day whenever I can help someone out,” Zack says.

“Agreed. Sad that girl didn’t finish,” I say, speaking my condolences for Olivia’s result from today’s trial.

“There’s always next year. At least she’s part of the Track & Field team. Only the best ones can promote themselves to be on the Cross Country Team,” Zack explains. We go back to his car, but before we get inside, he asks, “Hey, Eliza? Do you have plans for the rest of the day?”

“Besides rehydrating myself and staying cool in this weather, I’m not doing anything else,” I tell him. He might ask me out. Not on a date. Would it be considered a date? Somehow, my face feels warmer than it should be.