Two Seconds

Sixty-Nine

PART SIXTY NINE

Aston's POV

"It's great to see you again Aston," Jess' mum said to me as I joined them in the bleachers. We had an excellent view of the track, and of the big screen that listed off times and results.

"You too," I smiled, "This is all so exciting."

"Isn't it just?" she replied.

I couldn't help but sit in silence and take in the spectacle. The stadium was maybe two-thirds full and filling more every minute. Jess had explained to me that tickets were pretty much free for the event-they were using the event as a practice run for the Olympics.

"I'm just so happy she's here," I heard Jess' Dad say.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"After what happened four years ago... I thought she was done racing forever. But deep down she just loves it so much, I don't think she could ever stay away from it. I'm just so proud that she's made it this far again."

"Make sure she knows that," I told him.

He gave me a gruff nod in reply, knowing exactly what I was referring to, the big discussion we'd had after her race in Germany.

The first race went off after that, and we sat in silence as we watched all sorts of athletes battle it out for their place on the British Olympic team. It was so dramatic and exciting, I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

"She's up next," a voice said behind me as a sprint race ended.

I turned to see Joe climb into the seat next to me, Jess' bag over his shoulder.

"How does she look?" I questioned.

"Surprisingly calm," Joe said, "Not sure what music you gave her, but it seems to have done the trick."

I gave him a knowing smile, glad that she'd listened. I knew it was cheesy and kind of stupid, but it was my last ditch attempt to get her from breaking down, keep her at least a little bit distracted.

"Next up, Women's 5000 meters!" a voice boomed across the track.

We all leant forward and scanned our way across the starting line, looking for Jess. She was right smack in the middle, her eyes glazed over as she shook her legs out.

"I don't know if I'm going to survive this," I breathed out. My heart was beating like crazy for her, I was so nervous.

"Just wait, they'll be running for like 13 or 14 minutes... Around minute five you'll feel like you're going to lose your mind."

"Fantastic," I muttered.

The announcer introduced the names of all the racers, the four of us in the stands screaming our heads off when they called for Jess. She didn't even notice though, she was so in the zone.

And then the gun went off and I felt my heart thud even harder.

"Joe?" I asked as both of our eyes glued on the track, "Why is she so far back?" And she was, it was weird but she was in the back half of the pack.

"She always does this," Joe said, "Starts easy and builds it up. Likes to gauge the faster girls before she really goes."

"She needs to move up!!!" I shouted, my nerves taking over.

"Hold on!!!" Joe laughed.

I sat back and watched for the next five minutes or so. It was so hard to watch, with things out of my hands as they were, but at the same time I couldn't keep my eyes away.

"There see," Joe said after the first thousand meters had passed, "She's moving up now."

"I can't handle this!!" I said, "I'm going to have a heart attack!"

I snuck a peek over at Jess' parents. Her mother was sitting with her hands over her eyes, mumbling to herself. Her father was standing up, his eyes on the track like a hawk, hands on his hips.

"She's so in the zone," Joe breathed out after the second thousand meters. Jess was now stuck in a group of four other girls right at the front. She was sitting easily at the back of the group, her eyes focused directly on the shoulders of the girl ahead of her.

At this point I couldn't help but stand up, "GET IT JESS!!!!"

It was in the back half of the next three thousand meters that things changed considerably.

"There she goes..." Joe shouted, standing up next to me. "HIT THE GAS J!!!"

With just four laps to go Jess was sitting comfortably at the front with just one other girl, the pair of them running easily together. I couldn't be prouder of Jess, she was running this out like it was her's to win, just waiting to pounce.

"That's 1000 meters to go," Joe said to himself, "HIT THE GAS!!"

I couldn't help but grin at Joe as he shouted at Jess, and just as the words came from his mouth, Jess knocked up the pace just a little bit. And then again at 800 meters to go, and then again at 600. By the last lap she was clear ahead of the rest of the girls.

"GIVE IT EVERYTHING," Joe yelled.

My heart was thudding uncontrollably as we watched her streak across the track, sprinting out the last lap as fast as she possibly could.

And then in a flash she was across the line. The fury of the finish was insane, but it didn't really matter because Jess was so far ahead of the other girls.

"What's her time?" I asked, turning to look up at the results board.

"I can't believe this," Joe breathed out. His hand was on my arm tightly as he tried to comprehend what he was looking at on the board.

"OH MY GOD!" I yelled loudly. I flicked my eyes down to Jess who was walking in a slow circle, completely oblivious to everything that was going on. "JESS!!!" I yelled, waving my arms madly as I tried to get her attention.

It took a few more yells before she finally looked up, a serious look on her face. She was clearly still in her zone.

"LOOK!!!" I shouted, pointing to the results board.

I watched as she turned and looked up, clutching a hand to her heart as she saw the result, taking a staggering step back. Oh I wish I could have been down on the track in that moment. All the love I felt for her was bubbling up and I just wanted to plant the biggest, proudest kiss on her lips.

After a second she turned back to look at Joe and I, who were celebrating together in the stands, her father standing next to us with what may have been an actual smile on his face. I could tell she was teary eyed as she smiled up at us. And then she made a sweet little hand heart for us to see.

"YOU DID IT!!!" I yelled with the biggest grin I could muster on my face, returning the hand heart.

And she had done it. She'd won the race and qualified for the Olympics.

And she'd also broken the national record in the process.

By two seconds.

THE END