Her Freshman List

Chapter 5: The Meet and Homecoming Day

          It was the Friday before the cross country state meet and the team was heading up to Austin in the bus.  Ginny was very excited to be going and was also very glad hat her dad was driving up as well after he finish work.  She was also excited because she finally managed to run two miles in 14 and 1/2 minutes in the last meet and hoped that she could still cut some time off in the state meet.  But she was a little worried because she had not been feeling so well since the day before.

          On the bus ride, Ginny did some of her homework, listened to her ipod, talked with some of her team mates and slept.  When they got to the hotel, Ginny went up to the room that she was sharing with her dad and dropped her stuff off.  Coach had told them that they could hang out for a couple hours before they would head to dinner at Olive Garden (which, Ginny learned, was the teams tradition).  She texted her dad and asked him when he would arrive at the hotel.  He called her back and said that he would arrive in half an hour or so.  

          Her dad finally arrived and soon after wards the cross country team got on the bus and drove to Olive Garden.  Apparently they were not the only team with the same idea, so many tables were full of high school students eating and chatting with their team mates.  They finally got seated and their coach made sure that they all had plenty to eat so they could have plenty of energy in the morning.  Ginny was starting to feel a little more sick, but knew that it wasn't nerves.

          They finally left the restaurant and went back to the hotel.  An hour later, while Ginny was getting into bed, she heard one of the girls, Aaron, yelling down the hall.  Ginny immediately rushed to her door and looked outside.  Most of the team was around Aaron, congratulating her; Ginny then realized that Aaron was shouting for joy because she just got a text telling her that she was Homecoming duchess.  That's right!  They announced the Homecoming court tonight at the football game!  Good for her Ginny thought with a smile.  Just then, her phone vibrated and saw that James had sent her a text.  It was a picture of him playing his trumpet with the band at the football game.  She smiled again because he was wearing the mum that she got him for asking her to Homecoming.  Ginny thought of the mum he'd gotten her, safe at home.  With this thought still in her mind, she went to bed and fell asleep.

******

          The next day, Ginny woke up with a horrible headache and a terribly stuffy nose.  Oh no!!!  My allergies are are going to cost us the meet!!!  Her dad noticed her dilemma and got out her allergy medicine and inhalers (It's kind of funny how the girl with asthma runs cross country).  

          She was still feeling pretty bad when she went down for breakfast.  After they ate, the team drove to the field that the meet would be at and set up a canopy.  Ginny's lungs were still tight and she started to panic.  She tried to run some warm up laps but that did her no good.  She realized that ceders all around the area were the cause of her asthma.  Half an hour later, it was time for the meet.

          The girls were supposed to run first, so Ginny lined up with the rest of her team on the starting line.  The senior, Mary, said to the whole team," O.K.  This is the last meet of the season! It is the state championship!  You have all worked hard and i want you to leave it ALL on the course.  You can do it!"   Soon the man with the starting gun told them the starting procedure about staying behind the line until the gun was shot and going only when the gun was shot.  He stood on the side lines "ready...set.."

Bang!!  They were all off and Ginny was surprised that she wasn't feeling too bad.  Suddenly, her lungs felt like no air could get to them; she then panicked which only made matters worse.  But she kept running.  Ginny felt like crying out of surprise, rapid exhaustion, and mostly shame and disappointment towards herself.  Indeed some tears crawled down her face as she ran, but she still ran as hard as she could.  She kept telling herself to calm down and just run.  After the first mile long loop, she told her self Just one more loop!  Just one more mile! relax! Calm down just one more!... Most of her team mates had passed her up but she (guiltily) took  encouragement from the fact that she was still ahead of one of her team mates.  She was finally near the end and put all of her energy into the last burst (which wasn't much) and crossed the finish line.  

Ginny sat down and silently cried because she could barely breath. Her dad came over and cradled her in a loving hug until she could catch her breath and really started to cry.  He said "Ginny I love you and I am ssssooo proud of you.  I just want you to know that".  Marry also came over and comforted her saying "You did great.  I know you left it all on the course and that's all that counts!", she also said that Ginny should be proud of her self for still running with an asthma attack instead of giving up like most people would.  Ginny was slightly comforted and gave Marry a hug and dried her tears.  Ginny was glad to learn that one of the girls, Aaron, got first.  She was the fifth person on the team to finish; some how she still managed to beat one of the girls on her team.  

          Ginny had calmed down enough to watch the boys run and was glad to see that five of the boys were top ten finishers and one of them was first as well.  Their boys team got first place, but their girls team got forth place.  

          "Alright Virginia, we have to high-tail it out of here", her dad said.  Ginny had to leave pretty quickly to get back so that she could get ready for when James came to pick her up for dinner.  "Bye, see y'all at the dance!" Ginny called back to her team.

****

Ginny got back just in time to shower and change before James came. When he arrived, Ginny was trying to find her purse and her dad opened the door and allowed him in.  Just then Ginny's black lab wandered over to him, gave him a growl, and wandered on his way.  Ginny's family burst out laughing because that is something only seen in movies.  James'  face turned red but he kept his cool as best he could.  Ginny went with James to his dad's car and his dad drove them to the restaurant.

          James and Ginny got a table for six and waited for the others to arrive.  Emily showed up with her date, whose name was Zack.  He was a nice kid in their grade who played football.  Later, one of James' friends, Bobby, came with a girl from another school, named Claire.  They ordered their meals and talked for awhile.  Ginny was very glad that the others were there as well because it made conversation easier.

          Their dinners were served and Ginny noticed that both other girls had just ordered salads for dinner (the same salad at that), Ginny had ordered a buffalo burger.  At first she felt bad for getting something relatively expensive, but told herself   Hey, you were the one that ran this morning and hasn't eaten since breakfast.  Besides, you ordered the cheapest entr'e and James knows you like meat and would be surprised if you didn't get any.  With that she ate her burger gladly and enjoyed the rest of dinner.  When it was time to go, the boys payed for the girls' meals and they drove off to the dance.  "See ya in a little bit", Emily shouted to them all as they left.

          The dance was in the high school courtyard with a live band.  Strings of small lights criss-crossed over head.  Lots of people were already there.  Ginny and James said hi to friends for a little while and James asked her "Come on, Ginny.  Let's dance!".  For some strange reason, Ginny was afraid to dance, but after MUCH persuasion, and a little shove from Emily ("you'll be fine!"), James was smiling at her and had his hand on her waist, gently leading her to the rhythm of the slow dance.  Ginny felt like she had fallen into a dream, James was dancing with her!  With the frizzy haired, slightly nerdy girl with glasses.  Ginny was so happy and was sure that her face was bright red.  Ginny couldn't wipe the smile form her face even if her life depended on it.  "I told you, it would be fun.  I know you enjoyed it", James said, giving her a smirk and a wink.  "Of course I enjoyed it.  I don't know why I get so scared, it's totally irrational", Ginny replied as James took her hand.  "Exactly, so let's dance some more!".

          They dance to almost every song doing the two step with every one else.  She constantly had to get her inhaler from her bag (her asthma still had not completely cleared).  One time they did the swing (for their seventh grade cotillion, Ginny and James were the best at the swing) and James had to pull her on the dance floor again.  "Come on. We've been through this already.  Besides, i know you're good at it" James told her with a wink.  He sure is winking at me a lot tonight. Over all, Ginny had a marvelous time and was rather sad when James' dad came and they dropped her off at her house.