Chapter 152: The Great, Small City.
We step off the bus and notice the bizarre, big world around us. Cars and buses whizzing around us everywhere, so many out and about, waiting for buses, taxis and trains. Some already making their way into the big city below. In fact, we only saw a glimpse of a city, and this is just the train station.
"Alright, let's head down" Sam announces. I'm so distracted by the size of a train station that I've completely forgotten about the town. We begin walking into town, before everyone starts talking again.
"We should go to that burger place that we went to last year. I think it was called Bustle." Tye suggested.
"Oh, that place closed down last year, but they opened another burger place nearby." Sona tells him. "I think it only has a carnivore menu, but that's alright." At least they're being considerate to them as well.
"Jamel, I can't believe it's your first time in Lavalla." Kero says in excitement. "You definitely have to check out the shops and all the..."
As Kero continues listing off random places that I should go to, I begin to look around at everything. It's all so green and lush and beautiful. Palm trees in the middle of roundabouts and wide streets and nice bushes lined up along the footpath. All this scenery reminds me of those tropical coastal towns in the north.
"...but anyway, don't go there because it's for reptiles. Did you get all that?" Kero finishes. I guess I didn't, but I don't want him to repeat himself.
"Uh, yeah, I got it. This is such a beautiful town, it's amazing." I say in disbelief.
"Yeah, it's not bad." Jeddi says, looking around. I guess he's seen it all before.
We turn a corner around a building and see a large street ahead of us. There are about 5 sets of traffic lights on this street, and cars travelling in all different directions. So many buildings and businesses poking out from the streets. I look down the road and see a clock on a bank, showing the temperature as well. So many colourful signs, different animals and things going on at the same time.
"Well Jamel... this is Lavalla. What do you think?" Paddo asks me from behind.
"It's a lot going on. I've never been in such a busy place before." I reply.
"Well, Jamel, compared to Durranga, this town is actually pretty small" Sona tells me. I can't even begin to imagine how big it would be.
"This is only one street, Jamel. There's still a bit to see." Paddo adds. "This is Kalnan Street"
"Alright, where do you think we should check out first?" Abe asks my dorm mates. I still think that they're a little intimidated by his size, but that would be normal for herbivores around bears.
"Uhh... well, I'd check out Roundale Mall. It's basically the heart of the city, with all sorts of shops." Sona says.
"Well, let's check that out" Erica offers. At least they all seem to be getting along; I hope Abe isn't discouraged for being ignored.
"I think I remember Roundale Mall. We checked it out last year when we were at the District Finals." Tye said. That's right, I forgot; Erica, Tye and Sam have already been to Lavalla before because of sport. I'm not sure about Nalu and Abe though, because it's also their first time in the District Sports.
I look around a bit more, and notice some large birds flying. They fly so freely and beautifully, before landing in the streets, or onto a building and begin their day of shopping or errands.
We're all so different in many ways without realising it.
Chapter 153: The Dividing Walk
We begin to walk down Kalnan Street and see more of the city. Past various restaurants and bars that would be open later, as well as shops, selling various things, like bikes, computers, fur styling products and so much more. Usually in Whigata, if we want any of this stuff, we have to order online, and wait a week or two for it to arrive by mail. There's basically a store for everything here.
"So, like the city so far Jamel?" Paddo asks me. I can barely respond because everything is going by so quickly.
"Uh, yeah... it's absolutely amazing." I say, star struck by the activity in the city. We turn around a corner, and see a large area, which isn't really a street. It's more of a paved area, with benches and seats. There's tables and chairs outside of various cafes, as well as a lot of flowers and greenery. I guess this is Roundale Mall
Further down, we see a small alleyway, which intersects Roundale Mall. I think there are even more stores and places down there. This city is basically packed with things to do and see. There are two arrows, a red one pointing to the left alleyway, and a green one pointing to the right.
"Jamel, we have to show you the HerbAlley. They have shops and all sorts of things for us herbivores." Jeddi suggested. I guess that would be nice, but I hope the others don't mind going through this area.
"I don't remember it from last year. Is it new?" Sam asks. I can tell that Sam is also a bit nervous around my dorm mates, just like Abe.
"Not really, it's been around for decades. But maybe you didn't notice it. There's also the CarnArcade, which is the same thing for carnivores, but we don't really feel comfortable down there..." Kero says, while trailing off. Well, I doubt that my carnivore friends would feel comfortable in the HerbAlley, I said to myself. There's a short, awkward pause, before Erica suggests something.
"How about we carnivores check out the CarnArcade and you guys can take Jamel through the HerbAlley? Then we can meet back here in half an hour" she says. Not a bad idea. "You guys can get to know Jamel a bit better, and we can check out some shops."
"Yeah, sure. That sounds great." I say. I have been excited to check out this "HerbAlley" that I've heard so much about. "Just curious, what exactly is this place?" The others turn around and all begin calling out at once.
"Oh, you're gonna love it, it's basically a strip of shops and places that specialise for herbivores."
"There are cafes with herbivore menus, self-defence classes, libraries on herbivore species, hubs to meet up."
"Come on, you're gonna love it!"
Beyond all the excited chatter and chaos around me, I see the others ready to leave to go to the CarnArcade. Erica looks like she's telling the rest something. I try to listen in out of curiosity, but I can't make it out. She seems to be kind of stern and serious... as if they're about to do something dangerous and risky.
"Uh huh, right." I say to my dorm mates. "Do any of you guys know what's in the CarnArcade?" I say, trailing off what they're saying.
"Nah, not really, we aren't allowed down there. And besides, we don't want to know what's down there." Jeddi tells me. I hope they don't run into any trouble whilst they're down there.
We walk over to the entrance, with two police officers standing outside. There is a metal archway, covered in vines and leaves, which glisten a beautiful green in the sun. The two police officers nod their caps at us, greeting us into the laneway.
I turn around to see the others walk into the CarnArcade. Erica also looks back, slightly concerned. She and I are both wondering "What lies in the buildings ahead of our friends?"
Chapter 154: The Irrefutable Request
We go a bit further into the alleyway, there are so many more here, all herbivores of course. Many are out shopping, socialising, or just here for fun. For the first time since I arrived here, I see herbivores who feel safe and very happy with where they are; not having to worry about "the paranoia of a carnivore attack"
"For us, it's the meet up place. There's a lot of stuff just for us herbivores, and it's a place where we can feel happy and safe. It's nothing big, but it's enough." Jeddi explains
"I think it's really cool." I say in disbelief. I've never seen so many herbivores before, and they're all so different to the ones in Whigata. I watch a small group of elephants move by us, and I keep looking at them in disbelief.
"Heh... you've never seen an elephant before?" Sona says.
"No..." I say, still amazed by their size. "I knew they were big, but I didn't think they'd be that big." I add. So many different species I've never seen before. Walking by the shop fronts are even smaller herbivores, like mice and squirrels. They make me feel so big, but the elephants make me feel small at the same time...
Such a weird feeling.
"No way! You guys, check this out!" we hear. We turn around to see Kero pointing at a sign. We all hurry along to check out what it says. Written in chalk, we see "Deer, Antelope and Sheep Horn Waxes; 40% off today." Oh no. Not today.
Many herbivores like to get their horns waxed for a few reasons; to impress their friends, to show off to a partner, or to celebrate something. But I do know the main reason why herbivores get their horns waxed and scented: To keep carnivores away. I personally don't like getting my horns waxed, because it hurts my head when they apply it, plus most of the flavours are bad for the carnivore nose.
Many would douse their horns or antlers in citrus or other weird scents that carnivores don't like. Imagine how pissed everyone from school would be if I reeked of orange or lemon or pine or something bad.
"YES! Jamel, you should get your horns waxed. These waxes usually last for a week, so you'd smell nice on the day of your race" Paddo tells me. Well, on the plus side, maybe I could distract a few of the racers, and keep Fassid and Masama away from me.
"Oh, that'd sound nice... but I don't have enough money." I tell them with a smile. I really don't want this.
"Nonsense! We'll be happy to pay for it, right guys?" Kero offers. The others nod encouragingly. I guess there's no way out of this. I don't want to be rude and decline their offer, but I also don't want to purposely smell unpleasant towards my other friends.
We step inside, to a small shop, with a few seats facing mirrors. There are hundreds of small bottles lined up on shelves across the walls, all flavours of wax. A small bull steps out from behind the counter, greeting us.
"G'day, just having a browse?" he asks us.
"Nah, our friend here is gonna get his horns waxed" Jeddi says, while slapping me on the shoulder.
"Oh, yeah? Great, we just take a seat here, and I'll show you the scents that we have available" he says. Great, I should have just said no.
Alright, for the sake of myself and all my friends, I just have to pick a scent that I, and carnivores, will like. I see the bull in the mirror reflection, staring at the bottles on the wall. They have to have at least one flavour that wouldn't be bad on the carnivore nose, right?
Chapter 155: The Nose Knows
"Hmm... I have Lemon and Orange, they're usually the most popular with students" The bull says. I think back to a talk that Riley and I had a few months ago;
We were walking to school, and it was early in the year, so a nice warm morning. He was talking, but then suddenly stopped, and sniffed the air. He always does this when something caught his attention.
"Eugh, someone's got a lemon tree around here. I can smell it." He says in disgust.
"Not a fan of it?" I ask him curiously.
"No, we carnivores hate citrus. It's too much for our noses." He replies.
"Wow. Better keep that in mind." I say.
And I did. "Uh, no thanks. Any other plant flavours?" I say politely.
"Uhh... we have lavender, that's also a nice one." He offers, holding a small purple bottle from the shelf. I reminisce further, to see what the verdict is:
It's recess time, and I'm sitting with Ollie and Syd. They both seem to be reading something on their phones.
"Hey, listen to this. In the Mediterranean, herbivores usually hold celebrations, such as weddings and birthdays with lots and lots of lavender. It's said that it can ward off evil spirits, and keeps carnivores away, because they don't like the smell." Ollie tells us in amazement
"Huh. That sounds kind of nice, but also a bit mean. I love the smell of lavender, but I wouldn't want to smell like it." Syd replies. I wouldn't want to smell like lavender either.
So now isn't the time to smell like it.
"No thanks." Oh boy... how should I explain this? "I, uh... have a few carnivore friends... and I want something that we'd all like..." I tell the bull. He tilts his head slightly in surprise. I look over to the others, who seem a bit awkward. I guess they realised that they forced me into doing it, and I realised that I should have just said no.
"Well... I guess... I would recommend mint, but that's not good for the herbivore nose... Maybe try some vanilla?" the bull suggests. I look over to the others, who seem interested. I don't think carnivores hate the smell, I certainly don't.
"Yeah, okay. I'll take that." I say.
The bull then unscrews the lid, filling the air with a nice, sugary smell. He places it on the table, before walking back to me in the chair. He gets a bucket of hot soapy water, and begins to wash my horns down.
"I've always loved antelope horns, especially blackbuck. They just look so grand and amazing." He said while washing them down. We Blackbucks have always been proud of our horns, but not to the point where we wax them all the time. Some goats and sheep act like it's a competition though... after about a minute of washing down my horns, he got the vanilla scent and poured a small amount on a cloth, before scrubbing it in hard. The way he brushed my horns hurt a bit, as he was pulling hard on my head.
After a few more minutes of polishing, he sets up a tall heater next to me to dry it up.
"Okay, just leave that for a minute, and it should be alright. It's stay for about week, and it's shower-resistant, so it'll stay in for good." He says. He then walks to greet another customer, leaving me with my dorm mates.
"Well guys... how do I smell?" I say anxiously.
"No offence Jamel" Jeddi says. "But with the vanilla, and the heaters, you smell like you live in a bakery." Well... I guess that's true. I just wanted something that everyone would like. I still like it at least.
"Well, I really like it. It's nice; you could be a trend setter in Whigata." Kero says. When I think about it, there aren't many horned animals in Whigata, and definitely nowhere to wax our horns.
"Speaking of bakeries, once we've finished and paid, we should stop by the café. They won an award last year for "Best Almond Rolls in the State", you know" Sona suggests. Man, do I love almond rolls. Count me in!
Chapter 156: The Truth over Almond Rolls
We finish up at the wax shop and head off to a café, also in HerbAlley. We enter, and a nice, warm, inviting smell of fresh bread, icing, and flour greets us.
"I kind of understand what you said about me smelling like a bakery" I jokingly tell Jeddi. We each get something to snack on, and sit down at a table, where I decide to ask them a big question.
"So... what do you guys think of my friends?" I ask them. Please be honest.
"I like 'em" Kero says, without even looking up from his sandwich. The others take a bit more time to gather their thoughts.
"I think they're really nice, but... I wouldn't hang out with them all the time if they went to school with us." Sona says. Hmm... fair point. If there were more herbivores in Whigata, I'd probably spend more time with them
"The bear guy seems kind of... scary" Paddo tells me. "He's big, tall, strong... did you guys see the size of his hands?"
"I know. He could crush watermelons with them. What sport does he do?" Sona asks me.
"He's doing Shot Put for the Athletics Carnival. But he also does wrestling at school." I reply. The others look at each other in surprise.
"I like the tiger. He seems really cool." Jeddi says after a while.
"Sam is a great guy. He's really nice, and he's always there to look out for me. If you guys ever get carnivore friends, get someone like him." I tell them.
"He sounds like your best friend." Kero says. I go to say yes, but then I recall that Riley is my best friend... sort of.
I haven't seen him since he fought Sam and was dragged away by his parents. I'm now blanketed by a feeling of guilt. I want to check up on him and see how he's doing, but does he want to talk to me?
We left on bad terms, and he didn't seem interested in talking to me at all. So... maybe Sam is my best friend now.
"Yeah... he is." I say, unsure. I have to know if Riley and I are still friends.
"When we go off to university, we're told that our relationships with carnivores will get way better. Maybe because of the campus, but I don't believe it." Jeddi says. That reminds me that I'll need to see if I could check out Tanami sometime this week. I wonder if anyone else is going along
"Oh, half an hour is almost up. We better go back to meet them" Paddo says. Out of all of the dorm mates, he seems to be the most comfortable around my friends. Which is good, because he'll need to be comfortable if he wants to join a basketball team, like he mentioned. We begin walking back down HerbAlley, and keep talking about universities, while I admire more shops tucked along the sides.
"I might stay in Lavalla for university. They have herbivore universities in Durranga, but I wanna stay close to you guys" Jeddi explains.
"I wanna stay in Lavalla and go to Tanami University" Paddo tells me.
"Me too. I couldn't imagine moving away from home again" Sona tells me.
"There aren't many places to go around Cape Reda" Kero tells me "Maybe I could also go to Tanami"
I've never given much thought about where I'll go to after I'm finished in Whigata. Maybe Tanami is the place for me as well. We leave the alleyway, and see the others waiting for us. I wonder what they think of my dorm mates...
Chapter 157: Morning of Roundale
We walk over to them, and they look happy to see us. Tye's tail wagged in a mesmerising pattern, and Sam's ears perked up in interest. They begin to slowly move over, except... they're going over to Sona. Why would they go over to him instead of me?
"Oh Jamel. This place is great." Nalu says to Sona. Hang on a minute. That's not Jamel, I'm Jamel.
"Yeah, these places are really neat." Abe says, towering over him.
"Uhh... guys..." Sona says nervously.
"I'm over here." I say to them. They turn to me in surprise.
"B-but... you smell..." they say, trying to understand what's happened.
"I got my horns waxed. I guess it doesn't really help since Sona and I look alike." I say. I need to keep in mind that there are two blackbucks out today. Sam, Abe and the others quickly move away from Sona, apologising profusely.
They then move back, and we awkwardly stand around for a few seconds...
"So... what did you guys find in the CarnArcade?" I ask them to break the silence.
"Oh, it was so cool Jamel. We found a whole bunch of cool shops in there." Nalu told me. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. "There was a bug shop, and a jaw strength shop. Oh, also there was a sports shop there." I guess I have to remember that athletics are designed for carnivores, so no doubt there'd be a shop for them.
"Right." Abe said. "Where should we go next?" he asks.
~~
After HerbAlley, we all walked through a few more streets, looking at shops and old buildings. We then stopped for a small break in the park. The large trees covered out the sunlight, creating a beautiful, shady light. We can see young families playing in the park, as well as couples strolling through gently. This really seems like such a great place.
Soon, the afternoon came along, and my dorm mates had to get back to the train station to catch the bus back to school. We said our goodbyes, and then looked around the city to get some lunch.
We eventually find a small bakery, which sells savoury pies, sandwiches, rolls and all that. While we order, I ask Erica a burning question that I've been meaning to ask her for hours.
"Hey Erica..." I whisper to her while the others order. "When you were in the CarnArcade, did you see any... illegal... y'know." I nervously add. She leans over to respond.
"No Jamel. I didn't find any you know what in the CarnArcade... though Tye and Abe bought a few insects to snack on later." She told me. Uhh... I see
The debate on insects as a source of food has been discussed a lot over the past few decades. Currently, in the state of Werrina, you have to be at least 16 to buy and consume insects. They're used mainly for protein, and I've heard that it's "close to meat, without making you crazy for it". I personally don't have any problems with the consumption of insects, instead of herbivores... but... I sometimes wonder if enough of it can make you want more than just worms or crickets.
I remember being told that a few years ago, Year 11 and 12 students would go out and buy insects for younger students at Whigata. When the teachers found out, they were not happy. Since then, they don't sell insects on school grounds. I believe insects are mostly eaten dead, though I've heard of a few older students at school who enjoy them alive and whole.
"Yeah, we need to get our protein up for our events." Tye tells me. Well, that's unfair. I can't exactly start eating insects, my body will reject it.
"But Jamel, you can get protein from stuff like... quinoa and beans, right?" Nalu says.
"Yeah, but not a lot of it. I just hope that I don't finish dead last because of something out of control." I say.
"Jamel, trust me. You are not gonna finish last. Every year, I almost overlap someone in the race, and I'm sure you'll do fine." Sam reassures me. It's now my turn to order. I spent so much time talking about bugs that I didn't even look at the menu. Let's see...
Chapter 158: Afternoon towards the Bus
After a very nice spinach quiche, we see a few more shops and also check out an art gallery before heading back to the train station. On our walk through the streets, I decide to ask my question to the group.
"So guys... what do you think of my dorm mates?" I ask them.
"They're pretty quiet, I think." Nalu says.
"I think they're nice, Jamel. We just need to remember that herbivores here are different to home" Erica says.
"The other day at Berriwan, I was walking past a smaller herbivore on campus." Tye explained. "When I walked past her, my tail accidentally hit her. I kind of panicked a little bit, because I wanted to help her up, and when I went to pick up her books, she stood a few metres away from me, looking nervous and a bit scared." He added.
"What happened then?" I asked him.
"I did what I thought was right. I left her books on the ground for her to pick up and I got out of there quickly. I said sorry a few times to make her feel a bit more comfortable, but I didn't know how else to help her without making her feel more frightened." He finishes. Things really are challenging here.
"I thought the brown one without horns was cool. Was he that hybrid you were telling us about?" Sam asks me.
"Paddo? Oh, he's a... hybrid..." I mutter.
"Oh yeah, I remember him." Nalu calls out.
"Yeah... but it's not something that he's very open about. He told me that he wants to also try out for a sport, which I think is a good idea... but I'm kind of worried. Coach Harris told me that hybrids aren't treated very well in society." I tell them. I'm telling them a bit too much. Stop it!
"Why not? He seems like a great guy." Sam says.
"Not sure... something about being impure or immoral. It's not right though, but when I first heard about it, I was a little confused by it." I admit. We then reach the train station, and wait for the bus to come. We check the time, 2:56PM. Shouldn't be too much longer.
"So, who's going along to the training tonight?" Abe asked us all.
"Count me out." Erica says. "They won't set up the hurdles, so I can't do much."
"I'll be going." Nalu and Tye both say. "We need to train under the lights, because we'll be competing at nighttime" Tye adds. Sounds smart.
"Jamel, do you wanna try night running? Our race is in the late morning, but we can still go along. Plus, it's a whole different feeling; research shows that we actually train better at night." Sam says invitingly. I wasn't gonna go along, but after hearing all about the insects, I might as well try my hardest to catch up to the others.
"Yeah, sure. It'll be cool." I reply eagerly. Abe and Tye then get a paper bag from out of their backpacks. "What's that?"
"Oh, I got wasp and bee larvae, and caterpillars" Tye tells me. Oh... their bugs. I just hope they don't offer me one.
"What did you get again, Abe?" Sam asks Abe. He grins in delight.
"You guys are gonna love this" He says, trying to contain his excitement.
Chapter 159: Playing with his food.
Abe then reaches into his bag and pulls out a small container. It's clear, but I can't tell what's in there. He opens the container, and you can hear some sort of noise coming out of it. Wait, they're alive?! We all peer down below into the container.
"The shop owner told me about these. They're all the rage in America, apparently" Abe says while holding one in his hand. "You just place them in your mouth and hold them down for a few minutes while they make their call. Apparently, it tickles your whole mouth, pretty cool, huh?" Abe says excitedly. We hear the cicada from Abe's hand call out, making his fingers shake a bit.
"A-and then you spit it back out, right?" Nalu says. I guess we both know little about insects as food.
"Nah, you swallow 'em afterwards. Turns out they're high in protein, which is good. I'll need it for Wednesday." Abe says before putting the cicada in his mouth. The cicada calls out louder and is then silenced by Abe's mouth.
From the outside, you can hear the cicada's muffled calls, and you can see Abe's jaw and lips twitch. His ears also wiggle a bit in time to the cicada. The five of us look on in astonishment. Even I'm a little interested in this. I can't imagine how it would feel. To think that about 24 hours ago, one of my horns accidentally found its way into the very same, powerful jaws.
The bus then pulled up into the bay, prompting other students around us to get on.
"Come on, let's go" Erica says, moving us away from Abe. Abe then puts the rest of the cicadas back in his bag and then gets on the bus. On the bus ride back, we see a bit more of the city. I didn't realise that it would look different in the afternoon.
"So Jamel, like I was saying before, the track has these new, state of the art lights, which can light up the whole track easily. Imagine how hard it would be running blind" Sam tells me. I guess the lights make it all better, as long as I can see the whole way around.
We eventually get back to the school, and head back to our dorms to prepare for tonight. As we get off the bus, Tye asks Abe something.
"Hey Abe, how's that cicada holding up?" he jokingly says.
"The cicada? I swallowed that little guy ages ago." Abe replies happily, while patting his large stomach. "If you want, you can try and listen to it inside of me."
"I'm good, thanks." Tye says, while chuckling to himself. This whole talk about insects' kind of leaves me feeling a bit bothered, so I decide to head back to my dorm.
"I'll see you guys later." I say, trying to ignore Abe's talk about insect meat.
"Jamel, wait. Before you go, we have a little gift for you." Sam tells me. A gift? I walk back to them, while Sam gets something out of his bag. "We're all inspired by you to keep pushing on and do our best, so we got you this." He says while revealing the gift.
He passes it on to me, and I open the bag to see, a pair of running shorts and a singlet.
"Win or lose, you're gonna keep on running and training until next year, right Jamel?" Tye asks me.
"Definitely" I say as I admire the shorts and singlet. They're both a nice charcoal colour, and they'll do great to replace my faded school P.E uniform for training. But I'll still need to wear my P.E gear for the race on Wednesday.
"Thank you so much, for this, for sticking by me, and also for coming along today and hanging out with me and my dorm mates. I'm sure they loved having you guys around." I say to them.
"We'll see you tonight, Jamel. Remember, 7:00 is when we leave to go to the track."
"I'll be ready by then!" I reply.
Chapter 160: Crazy Cougar
The rest of the afternoon slowly rolled around, and eventually evening hit. Kero made dinner for everyone, which was a really nice bean stew. Once I finished that, I headed out to meet up with everyone else, ready to go to the running track. I'm a little nervous, but very excited to do some night running.
When I arrived here in Lavalla, I was cautioned by a few of the older students to always go with a trusted friend at night time. Most students don't usually go out late; besides there's a curfew in place for the students anyway.
I get changed into my new running gear, and head out to meet Sam outside of my dorm building.
"All ready to go, Jamel?" he asks me enthusiastically.
"You bet. I'm really excited, plus I think I definitely could use the extra training." I tell him. It's almost dark outside, as the sun has almost set. There are lampposts which are illuminating the way for us. It looks like there aren't many others around, except for a few small groups making their way back to their buildings. A gust of wind blows across the yard, spreading leaves along.
From around the corner, we then see another student rush past hastily. He stops in the middle of the crossroads and looks both ways. Sam and I then stop to see what he's doing. He turns to face us, and we see that it's Monty, the cougar from the gym on Thursday. He looks a bit shaken and disturbed.
"Hey... Monty, was it? Are you doing, okay?" Sam asks him. The cougar seizes up in surprise.
"W-what? Get away from me, I don't know nothing" he says quickly. He then runs off back to his dorm in a hurry. Sam turns back to me, a little confused.
"Strange guy." I say to him. "Don't worry, he's probably rushing to get back to his dorm or something."
"Hmm... maybe. Let's keep moving" Sam says.
We turn down onto the gravel driveway and see a few others ready to go. It looks like there are about 20 others here, which is a good number.
"Is everyone here? All good?" Coach Harris calls out to us. "Ah Jamel, Sam, good to see you both here. We're just about to go, are you two ready?" he asks us.
We both look at each other in determination and nod. We're both super ready and super excited. We meet up with Tye, Nalu and Abe, who also look ready to go.
"Sam, Jamel. Are you sure you don't want to try a cicada? I've got loads of them, enough for all of us!" Abe says while holding a bag out.
"No, I don't like insects" Sam says, disinterested.
"Um... you can have them." I say, looking at them from inside the bag. "I'm sure you'll enjoy them more than me" We begin to walk to the running track in the streetlight. We can see the large, stadium lights glowing in the distance.
"Good thing we decided to go tonight. The track will be closed tomorrow, so we might be able to use the gym in the afternoon." Tye says to us while walking.
"How late do you think we'd be able to train? I feel like I could go nonstop for hours." Abe says. He definitely seems full of energy tonight.
"Might do a few laps, then I'll head back." Sam says. "If you want, you can stay later, Jamel."
"I'll probably do the same; I don't feel like running for too long." I reply. But I definitely want to run.
Chapter 161: The Race gets Bigger
We enter the track and place our bags and gear on the few seats near the door. By surprise, we see Mr. Selman standing there. He looks really happy to see us.
"Good evening, young athletes." He begins. "Just do a few short warm-ups, and I'll go around to see how everyone's doing. First though, I just want to see Jamel about something." He tells us. Oh boy, what could he want me for?
Everyone moves off onto the well-lit track, dispersing to the equipment set up across the field. Nalu walks along the front fence to the long jump, while Tye and Abe move towards the back, where the javelin and shot put are set up.
"Jamel, it's great to see you so dedicated to your training" Mr. Selman tells me. "I was just wondering if you knew about the race guidelines for Wednesday." Race guidelines? I thought it was the exact same as he Regional Finals; just run three times around a circle and be quick.
"Uh... no, I don't think so. Is it different to last time?" I reply. What else could be different about a track race?
"Well, it works a bit differently to the Whigata Race. There will be a total of 12 racers, split into 2 races. Whichever race you're in is determined by your height, measured on the day. The top 3 times from both races will qualify to the State Finals." He explains.
"So, out of the twelve racers, there can only be three qualifiers?" I reply.
"That's right. And judging by your height and Sam's, there's a big chance you two will be in different races." He tells me. It doesn't seem like a big leap, but going from eight competitors to twelve seems like a massive step. I guess Sam has made it to the state finals before, so he'll be fine to qualify. All of a sudden, I feel like I can't do it anymore. And only three of us? I would only have a one-in-four chance to qualify anyway.
Suddenly, Coach Harris comes from behind me. "But don't worry Jamel. You'll have all the support you can get on the day. I heard that even your dorm mates want to come along and cheer you on." He tells me. Wow, the guys want to see me too? If Paddo saw me competing, I'm sure he'd be encouraged even more to sign up for a sport.
Well, win or lose, I gotta give it a shot. So many are looking up to me, and I have to give it my all!
._./|\._. Dreamtime Story 18: Horns are For? Part 2 ._./|\._.
Tye, Nalu and Jamel are sitting down at the running track, having a break
Tye: Hey Jamel, do you ever get to use those horns for anything?
Jamel: What do you mean?
Nalu: Like fighting over girls, stuff like that?
Jamel: ...I mean, when I'm old enough, that's what I'll do
Nalu: Wait a minute, antelopes ACTUALLY fight for females? I thought that was just a stereotype!
Jamel: In a way, everyone does it. Except there's all sorts of different things involved with it. When I'm older, I can go along to something called a "rut", where different antelopes fight for dominance... I'll explain it all a bit later...