Falling
942 Words
Winning should have made everything easier but it didn’t.
If anything, the regional qualifier victory made things worse.
Because now the entire school had something new to talk about.
Blackwater’s relay team.
The fastest pairing.
Jace and Naomi.
The rumors spread faster than ever.
By Monday morning, I’d heard at least five different versions of my own life.
In one story, Jace and I were secretly dating.
In another, Elena had dumped him.
In a particularly creative version, I had apparently joined Blackwater specifically to steal someone’s boyfriend.
People had entirely too much free time.
I was halfway through the first period when my phone buzzed.
The sound instantly ruined my mood.
Unknown Number.
Again.
I opened the message before I could stop myself.
You really think winning changes anything?
My stomach tightened.
A second message followed.
People always leave eventually.
I locked my phone immediately.
Not today. I couldn’t do this today.
Unfortunately, the words stayed with me anyway.
They followed me through classes. Through lunch. Through every conversation.
By the time practice arrived, my head felt crowded, heavy, and tired.
Coach Daniels noticed within five minutes.
“Blake.”
I sighed.
“Yes, Coach?”
“Your last sprint was terrible.”
The team immediately looked at me.
Wonderful.
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
Several athletes laughed.
Traitors. Coach pointed toward lane six.
“Again.”
Of course, always lane six.
Always Jace. The universe clearly had a favorite joke.
I grabbed the relay baton and moved toward my position.
Jace joined me moments later.
One look at my face and he frowned.
“What happened?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Nothing.”
“You’re getting worse at lying.”
That was concerning.
Before I could answer, Coach’s whistle cut through the stadium.
“Run!”
I was saved for now.
The next thirty minutes became a blur of relay drills.
Exchange. Sprint. Repeat.
Again and again.
Normally running helped clear my mind.
Today it wasn’t working.
Every thought returned to the same place.
The messages, the screenshot, the fear that whoever was behind everything was getting closer.
Distracted.
That was the problem and distraction was dangerous on a track.
Especially at full speed.
I learned that the hard way.
Coach called for another relay exchange.
Jace took a position ahead of me.
I gripped the baton, focused on his back, focused on the lane.
Focused on—
My phone buzzed inside my pocket.
The sound lasted less than a second.
But it was enough. Enough to pull my attention away, enough to break my concentration, enough to ruin everything.
I hit the exchange zone wrong.
My foot landed awkwardly.
Pain shot through my ankle instantly. It was sharp, sudden, and brutal.
“Naomi!”
The world tilted, and I stumbled.
The baton flew from my hand.
For one horrible second, I genuinely thought I was going down.
Then strong hands grabbed my arms.
Stopping the fall.
The stadium spun slightly.
Pain pulsed through my ankle.
My breathing quickened.
“Easy.”
Jace. His grip tightened slightly as he steadied me.
The entire team rushed toward us, including the coach.
Exactly what I wanted was an audience.
“Sit down.”
Coach’s voice left no room for argument.
A few minutes later, I sat on the lowest bleacher while Coach examined my ankle.
The swelling had already started.
Not severe but noticeable.
My stomach twisted.
This couldn’t be happening, not now, not with nationals approaching.
Not after everything.
Coach pressed gently against the injury.
I immediately winced.
“Relax.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Coach ignored that.
After another minute, he finally stood.
“Minor strain.”
Relief hit instantly.
Not broken or serious, not season-ending. Thank God.
“You’ll rest for a few days.”
The relief disappeared immediately.
“What?”
Coach looked unimpressed.
“Do you want it to become serious?”
“No.”
“Then rest.”
I hated when people made sense.
The team slowly returned to practice, most of them.
Jace stayed. Of course he did.
Coach noticed and then sighed.
“You too, Donovan.”
“I’m fine.”
“Didn’t ask.”
The answer came instantly.
I nearly laughed.
Coach Daniels really was an equal-opportunity menace.
Eventually, Coach walked away leaving me alone with Jace.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The late afternoon sun stretched across the track.
The stadium felt quieter now.
Almost peaceful.
Then Jace broke the silence.
“You scared me.”
The words caught me off guard completely.
I blinked.
“What?”
His gaze remained fixed on my ankle.
“You almost fell.”
The answer sounded obviously simple.
Yet something about it felt heavier and more personal.
I swallowed carefully.
“I’m okay.”
“I know.”
Silence returned but not the comfortable kind.
This one felt different. It felt charged and important.
Around us, athletes continued training, running, laughing, and living.
Meanwhile, the space between us seemed to shrink.
Dangerously.
Then Mason’s voice echoed across the field.
“OH MY GOD.”
The entire stadium turned.
Mason stood near the water station looking dramatically horrified.
Uh-oh.
“HE CARRIED HER.”
I closed my eyes.
No. Absolutely not.
Several teammates immediately erupted.
Questions. Whistles. Laughter. Pure chaos.
My soul left my body.
Beside me, Jace looked ready to commit a crime.
“Shut up, Mason.”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The rumors had been heard.
The rumors had been seen.
And judging by the excited expressions spreading across the team—
The rumors were about to become much, much worse.
- Writer
