11 Chapter 9.3: The Tryouts

A week after Sarah sprained her ankle, the school coach was conducting tryouts to represent the boys and girls of Queen Charlotte. There were 150 students for the trials, out of which 110 were eliminated. With all her hard work and dedication, Sarah managed to in the top 40 racers for the final tryouts. And only one boy and girl would be elected. Sarah's ankle finally healed. She believed that the tryouts wouldn't be as exceptional as she hoped considering that she scarcely attended any coaching sessions.

But that didn't hold her even for an instant. She wanted to prove herself, the school, her companions and especially Aiden. The day that everyone was anticipating for had finally arrived. Sarah's companions were the first people to appear in the field for trials. They worked hard all night to design posters to boost her confidence and spirit. Shortly, everyone attained to the ground to witness the event. The audience was desperate with excitement. They couldn't wait to see the elected boy and girl. Of course! Anyone could be excited! Sarah took her position on the tracks feeling the excitement in the air, as well as the nervousness generating from her body. Sarah rose her head and looked ahead with sweat dripping from her head. All her thoughts were racing in mind. 'WHAT IF I DON'T WIN? IF I DON'T WIN MY FRIENDS WILL BE CRUSHED!' The gun pointed up in the air, Sarah didn't seem ready. She said to herself, "Oh my god! I cannot handle this pressure. It's just too much!" But then again she remembered her motive and reassured herself. Soon enough, the bullet fired! Olivia, Mavis, and Pauline held hands and closed their eyes. After they opened them, they were shocked to see who was in the lead. It was none other than Sarah! She ran like the next Usain Bolt, sprinting ahead of the other racers. Her ankle didn't completely heal. The pain deteriorated.

She still tried her best to complete the race at one stretch but failed. She twisted her ankle and fell again. The audience gasped and started murmuring. Suddenly she looked up to see Aiden by the stands. He looked at her, his eyes filled with tears. He shouted, "Come on, Sarah! Get up!" Sarah's friends turned around to see who it was. They exchanged glances, stood up, and screamed together with Aiden, "Get up, Sarah!" Sarah's eyes filled with the fury rage of confidence. Within a few seconds, she started to run again! But because of her fall, she was second in the race. But Sarah remembered what Aiden and her friends said, and increased her speed. In no time, Sarah and the other girl were neck-to-neck. Both of them were equally close to the finish line.

Olivia buried her face with her hands and said, "I cannot see, this anymore!" As both of them were near the finish line, the ground filled with silence. It appeared that they reached the finish line at the same time. The event organizers had cameras located at every corner of the field. After a few minutes, they were going to announce the winner. Sarah closed her eyes and hoped for the best. But she didn't worry about the results. She performed better than she expected. The organizers announced together, "And the winner is...." They wanted suspense, or else the event was no fun. But Olivia lost her patience and yelled, "Cut out the suspense and tell us already!" The organizers exchanged a glance and spoke together, "Sarah Sanchez!" Sarah's eyes welled with tears of happiness. At that moment, Sarah and Aiden looked at each other with tears filled in their eyes. They felt something that day that they never felt before. When she looked over at the stands, she noticed that her companions were missing! Aiden walked up to her and wanted to congratulate her. But nothing came out from his mouth. He grinned and looked at her in the eyes. Sarah was doing the same until she heard the coach barking at some students. It was none other than her companions! They were dancing in the VIP section of the audience seats!

Even though Sarah easily won first place in the provincial tournament, the tryouts were more memorable for her. She spent the next few months on her training, participating in competitions and won nearly all of them. Sarah loved spending time with her friends more than ever. The moment she felt that her life was complete, the year was almost about to end.