Read Online My Senior Year of Awesome by Jennifer DiGiovanni - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer DiGiovanni
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of his body as he jogs in place. Although his cheeks are pink from exertion, his breathing appears normal. Meaning he isn’t gulping in air like yours truly.
“What do you run? Short or long?” he asks.
A pathetic whimper rises in my burning throat. “Prior to this week, I only ran when I was late for class. Or if my neighbor asked me to walk his dog and I accidentally dropped the leash.”
“For real?” Ben rolls his spine forward and touches his toes, all the while staring at me in a disconcerting fashion. He’s like an optical illusion, contorting his body in every direction, yet his head never moves. “You decided to try competitive running four months before graduation?”
“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” I admit. “I guess you’ve been running for a while?”
“Since third grade.” Ben cops a tight smile and glances further down the hall. “What about your friend?”
“Jana? She hasn’t run before either.”
“Is she seeing anyone?”
Now where did that come from? “Not that I’m aware of.”
Ben takes a second to digest my answer. He’s known around school as a man of few words. “Keep running,” he eventually says. “When you hit a runner’s high for the first time – there’s nothing like the feeling of all those endorphins kicking through your system.”
After imparting this piece of friendly advice, he changes course and sets off in the direction of Jana’s locker, leaving me alone to dream about the elusive drug-like effect of running.
***
And guess who actually enjoys running? Jana and both of her left feet. The girl who cannot travel from her locker to homeroom without tripping over some unseen speck of debris in the hallway.
But now, on any given day, Jana beats me to practice by ten minutes and runs warm-up laps with Dominic and Ben while I take my time lacing up my old sneakers.
During the few times the guys separate during practice, like when Dom decides to focus on sprint starts in the gym because the sophomore girls are practicing in there too, I notice Ben hovering near Jana, in an unobtrusive, non-stalkerly way. A casual onlooker might not notice the brief exchange of words passing between the two of them. But, as the most trusted member of Jana’s inner circle, I usually hear about these mini-conversations on the way home from practice.
“Wanna run the next circuit with us, Sadie?” Jana asks. She turns her head, scanning the hallway for me, and almost veers into a row of metal lockers. Without breaking his pace, Ben reaches out his arm and redirects her. Jana’s face lights up in a wide smile and she giggles at her misdirection.
Hmmm. Maybe the falling in love achievement she’s hoping for isn’t as unachievable as I anticipate.
“No more circuits,” I plead, sliding bonelessly to the floor. “I need a break.” But she’s already out of earshot. Every muscle in my body hurts. Gawd. What was I thinking joining the track team?
Fill It In – Your Awesome Achievements
To Be Completed By Sadie Matthews and Jana Rodriguez Prior to June 1 st
1. Break a School Rule – Sadie & Jana Cut Homeroom!
2. Serve My First Detention — Sadie
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Chapter Nine
After a two grueling weeks of track practice, I crawl four blocks back to my apartment and scale two flights of stairs, feeling my quads pinch with each and every step. I want to crash on the sofa and surf my way through mindless television until I collapse into sleep.
But today is an extra busy day in Sadieland. First, I need to shower because heaven help me I stink worse than the moldy trash bin outside of our building.
Then I need to shovel down some form of sustenance before racing back to school for the spring musical auditions. Combining my less-than-superior culinary capabilities with three cans of black beans, stale bread, and the half jar of peanut butter in our pantry leaves me only limited meal options.
But, as it turns
“What do you run? Short or long?” he asks.
A pathetic whimper rises in my burning throat. “Prior to this week, I only ran when I was late for class. Or if my neighbor asked me to walk his dog and I accidentally dropped the leash.”
“For real?” Ben rolls his spine forward and touches his toes, all the while staring at me in a disconcerting fashion. He’s like an optical illusion, contorting his body in every direction, yet his head never moves. “You decided to try competitive running four months before graduation?”
“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” I admit. “I guess you’ve been running for a while?”
“Since third grade.” Ben cops a tight smile and glances further down the hall. “What about your friend?”
“Jana? She hasn’t run before either.”
“Is she seeing anyone?”
Now where did that come from? “Not that I’m aware of.”
Ben takes a second to digest my answer. He’s known around school as a man of few words. “Keep running,” he eventually says. “When you hit a runner’s high for the first time – there’s nothing like the feeling of all those endorphins kicking through your system.”
After imparting this piece of friendly advice, he changes course and sets off in the direction of Jana’s locker, leaving me alone to dream about the elusive drug-like effect of running.
***
And guess who actually enjoys running? Jana and both of her left feet. The girl who cannot travel from her locker to homeroom without tripping over some unseen speck of debris in the hallway.
But now, on any given day, Jana beats me to practice by ten minutes and runs warm-up laps with Dominic and Ben while I take my time lacing up my old sneakers.
During the few times the guys separate during practice, like when Dom decides to focus on sprint starts in the gym because the sophomore girls are practicing in there too, I notice Ben hovering near Jana, in an unobtrusive, non-stalkerly way. A casual onlooker might not notice the brief exchange of words passing between the two of them. But, as the most trusted member of Jana’s inner circle, I usually hear about these mini-conversations on the way home from practice.
“Wanna run the next circuit with us, Sadie?” Jana asks. She turns her head, scanning the hallway for me, and almost veers into a row of metal lockers. Without breaking his pace, Ben reaches out his arm and redirects her. Jana’s face lights up in a wide smile and she giggles at her misdirection.
Hmmm. Maybe the falling in love achievement she’s hoping for isn’t as unachievable as I anticipate.
“No more circuits,” I plead, sliding bonelessly to the floor. “I need a break.” But she’s already out of earshot. Every muscle in my body hurts. Gawd. What was I thinking joining the track team?
Fill It In – Your Awesome Achievements
To Be Completed By Sadie Matthews and Jana Rodriguez Prior to June 1 st
1. Break a School Rule – Sadie & Jana Cut Homeroom!
2. Serve My First Detention — Sadie
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Chapter Nine
After a two grueling weeks of track practice, I crawl four blocks back to my apartment and scale two flights of stairs, feeling my quads pinch with each and every step. I want to crash on the sofa and surf my way through mindless television until I collapse into sleep.
But today is an extra busy day in Sadieland. First, I need to shower because heaven help me I stink worse than the moldy trash bin outside of our building.
Then I need to shovel down some form of sustenance before racing back to school for the spring musical auditions. Combining my less-than-superior culinary capabilities with three cans of black beans, stale bread, and the half jar of peanut butter in our pantry leaves me only limited meal options.
But, as it turns
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