Read Online Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman - Free Book Online Page A

as you touch it, I’ll stop the clock.” Sabrina held up the stopwatch in her hand.
    “Why such a short distance? I’m supposed to be training for cross-country, right? Don’t you want me to go around the block or something?”
    Sabrina looked at her. “Are you going to do what I ask, or would you rather coach yourself?”
    I’d rather go back to bed. “I was just asking a question.” What was it with authority figures that they all got so completely whacked out on power? “Where do you want me to start?”
    Sabrina pointed at a crack on the sidewalk illuminated by the streetlight just overhead. “Right there.”
    Brandy set up and waited until Sabrina said go, then ran for the stop sign with all that was inside her. No one could top her when she was running at her fastest—she loved the feel of this kind of speed. She reached up and slapped the sign as she passed by, then turned to see Sabrina’s response. It was obvious from the look on her face that she was surprised by the time. Ha. Brandy had showed her.
    “Okay, now jog back to the start and do it again.”
    This was pointless. Running distance had nothing to do with short-distance sprints. This girl was obviously just trying to push her buttons though, and Brandy wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten to her. She jogged back to the starting line.
    “I want you to do that again, but it’s important that you don’t get a slower time than your first sprint.”
    “Not a problem.” Brandy managed to say the words with more confidence than she felt. If she’d known this was how it was going to work, she would have given herself a bit of slack to work with.
    “Go.”
    Brandy ran with all she had inside her and leapt forward and smacked the sign. She knew she’d gone plenty fast.
    “You lost one tenth of a second. Do it again.”
    Brandy did but her legs hurt more now, her breathing was less controlled.
    “Another tenth. Again.”
    An hour later, Brandy was dripping with sweat and could hardly breathe. Sabrina finally said, “Alrighty, I think that’s enough sprinting for the day. On Wednesday we’ll concentrate on some distance work.”
    “Great. Sounds great.” Brandy picked up her water bottle, downed about half of it, then stumbled toward home. “If I survive that long,” she mumbled under her breath.
    “That’s my goal,” Sabrina called out. “Either bring you to your full potential or kill you in the process.”
    Brandy hadn’t intended for that to be overheard. She stopped and turned. “Sounds to me like you don’t much care which way it goes.”
    “Well, if you keel over, I can go back to sleeping in on Saturday, so I guess both sides have their advantages.” Sabrina cocked one eyebrow in that “I’m better than you” kind of way that prissy girls liked to do. Brandy’s hands balled into fists out of instinct, but before she made a move, Sabrina burst out laughing. “Oh, Brandy, you should see your face. Relax, will you. If we’re going to have to do this thing three times a week, you’re going to have to lighten up a little.”
    Brandy stared at her, trying to decide whether she still wanted to hit her. But little by little, as she watched Sabrina laugh, her anger faded until she sort of grinned, too. “Uh . . . thanks for the support?”
    “You are more than welcome. Now get home and start plowing through your backlogged schoolwork. I don’t want any calls from Coach Thompson complaining that you’re not doing your part.”
    “Is cross-country a sport, or is it house arrest?”
    “The way I see it, if you’re really serious about it, there’s not a lot of difference. Now get moving.”
    Brandy pivoted on her left foot, and just to show Sabrina that she hadn’t beaten her, she began to run toward home. It took everything she had left to make it around the corner before she slowed to a walk, but she’d never been one to admit defeat. No reason to start now.

10
    S abrina looked into the