Nikki's Guide To Flunking Awkward Situations

                Usually, when I train, my coach oversees my progress and reports to me how fast I ran and how I can improve. However, one day, we had numerous clubs participate together. Being a female junior sprinter, my coach was unable to attend to me since we had a good few girls competing. Therefore, a member of another team had to help time me.

            [FLASHBACK]

            When I was in Elementary School, no one knew I was a runner. I barely showcased my talents. I never even took part in Sports’ Day. I was the big nerd of the school. No one really liked me much anyways. I had a lot of acquaintances and only two best friends, Elena and Liana. However, I remember one of my friends quite well. Our mums were almost best friends and we went to lessons together. He wasn’t a complete douche like most guys, but he was disgusting (if you know what I mean [perverted and gross].) Yet, for a large part of Elementary School, we pretended to be step-siblings.

            Naturally, I was a curious child, and being me, the nerd, having no friends, I decided one day to just walk around at lunch. Little did I know what I was in for! As I turned the corner, I caught Lucas red-handed. He and he older grade students apparently had a deal where they would buy rated games for him and he would pay them, or he would rent it and his parents didn’t know. The elder guy, Samuel, realising that I’d seen told El (the nickname I gave him) to return the games at once before I ‘run my mouth.’

            In a pickle, El did the only thing he could think of, which was to pull me into his side, hugging me around the waist. I, being inexperienced with guys, just froze and provided a small smile, trying not to alert Sam of my obvious discomfort. El replied, “Oh no. Not to worry. This is my step-sister.”

I raised my eyebrows and looked at him. Samuel looked confused and didn’t appear anywhere close to have been convinced. He replied, “So why don’t you go home together?”

 El hung his head and in a wavering voice, that I would have believed had I not known the truth, said, “You ever notice how my dad never comes to pick me up and only sometimes her father comes to pick her up?” He waited for Sam to nod, and then continued,

            “Well, her father was a cheater and made me with my mum then left us. We don’t like being associated as brother-sister. So please don’t tell anyone. We are entrusting you with this.”

            Stupid Samuel feeling a sense of responsibility said, “Of course bro. I got you covered and don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”

            We both waited in anticipation for him to tell us off for both having younger siblings but he was so stupid, he didn’t. When he left, we turned to each other and stepped away quickly, “Sorry about that.”

            “No problem.” I replied.

            “Thanks though. You won’t tell, will you?” He looked scared.

            I pondered for a moment, “Anybody finds out what you’re doing, I didn’t know. I didn’t see or hear anything just now.”          

            “Deal.”

“Deal.”

            I smiled and waved, walking away, “Bye brother!”

            “Bye sis!” He called back and chuckled.

            Little did I know how much our ‘brother sister’ way of seeing each other would change.

I waited to see who my timer would be and my jaw dropped. My bestie and fellow sprinter, Tori, was next to me, and elbowed me, “He’s cute,” she said.

“I went to Elementary school with him. We were friends.”

“Really huh! Lucky!” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me and I chuckled, shaking my head.

El walked in my direction. I smiled and waved, “Morning! Boo!” However, my smile dropped as he rudely walked right past me, not bothering to respond to me, and greeted his friends.

Jerk.

“Wow. You were really close friends,” Tori raised her eyebrows. I shrugged my shoulders and warmed up. I couldn’t put into words how upset I was.

When it was time to race, El and his friend, Nathan, had to time for me. After my warm up end, I noticed that they were arguing over which one of them would be timing next so I rolled my eyes.

“Hey El!” I said since it was his turn to time, after I ran around the savannah once more, “I’m sorry you have to time for me. I need to get a timer.” I smiled warmly to him.

He walked closer, showing me the timer, so he was really close and said softly, “Or you could just get me.”

My heart stopped. I didn’t know what to do. I looked at his poker face and saw his smiling warm eyes that were so cold before. Oh my God! He just said that. Was he flirting? Was he making fun of me? He stepped closer to me and I said quickly, “thanks.”

Then, I took off, racing down the track.

When I got back, his friend came to get his turn. Nathan said, “Dude, you go get water for your girl and I’ll time.”

Your girl?!

I turn and ran again.

What was my life coming to?!

In the small competition, I ended up placing third, which wasn’t bad considering there were ten girls. Yet, I could have done better.

Something was nagging me.

I really wanted to see El. I looked around and saw him with his friends. I wanted to approach him but he seemed happy smiling. Oh whatever! I started walking towards the other bleachers, where the other team was located, but Tori stopped me.

“You know if you go there, all Hell will break loose, right?”

“But-”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

I looked across to El, who held my gaze. We shared a sad smile, and I think he understood what happened. I looked at the field that separated us. So close, yet so far. I sighed.

            Just like life, things seem so close but can be far or seem far but can be close. Sometimes, we have to make a decision, jump or walk away. I did neither. I ran, because that is all I know to do after all.

He does too. But until the day our tracks cross, we’ll be on different teams, but till that day, I’ll wait to be his friend. He made his choice and I’ll make mine.

And I choose me, Nikki Grey.