"Run Angie, run!" I hear Lydia's voice through the roaring crowd. She's my best friend, maybe my only real friend. I'm sure her voice will be gone by tomorrow. To her, it doesn't matter. She believes she is my number one fan and supporter. But the things that are about to come, happen, might change that. I just hope our friendship is strong enough to withstand the troubling times ahead of us.
I'm on the last lap of the race now. In front of me, is the second fastest, Edgar and third fastest, Jenny. They were both faster than me six months ago. But then I started training more and almost every day. The race track became a second best friend. I started winning against Jenny after three months of working my butt off. And then finally only weeks ago, Edgar came second to me.
When I see that I'm about halfway through the lap, I start picking up my phase. I force my legs and arms to go faster. The world around me starts to fade. The noise of the crowd starts disappearing. It's only the finish line and the two people in front me that stays in my vision. Jenny is the one in front. Edgar and I are seconds away from her. But then we both pass her and then the competition really starts. He has been training his butt of too. For a moment I think I won't be able to get past him. I force my body to go even faster. My breathing is picking up and my legs are getting heavier. And then I was passed him. I passed the finish line only moments later. Only when I was passed the finish line did my other senses come back to me. Like always when I win a race, the sound of the crowd almost makes my eardrums burst.
I come to a stop and I feel the other runners passing me, still in full speed after racing for second and third place.
This isn't all for nothing. We're runners. The top three in every athletic team will form one great team. The great team will represent the Second Section in the Annual athletics. There are three official sections in the governance. First, Second and Third. Each section will have a great team of nine after they had their own school games. And those teams will compete against each other in the Annual athletics.
I've been running ever since I got here. Ever since that day my parents died. I have learned to push my body past its limits. And after learning what I learned about our governance I have also come to love combat fighting. At first Uncle Sam made me learn it. But then I started enjoying it. Being able to defend myself, when the time comes, is what made me love it.
After taking a breather, I start looking for Lydia in the crowd. Everybody has come on the track and field. Some congratulating me and others just talking amongst each other. I finally spot Lydia in a group. Talking animatedly. The people don't seem to like what she's saying. But I don't think she cares. She doesn't care what people think of her. Most of the time. Her parents though, she cares a lot about what they think. Its something that makes me crazy, because I know they control her that way. Lucky for her, and me the governance made a rule that all children from the age of seven till eighteen should live in hostels at the schools.
When I get closer to Lydia, I start making out what she's saying and I get why the people in the group doesn't seem to be happy with her. She is bragging about me. To the fans of Edgar.
I try not to laugh when I hear her trash talking to the biggest boy in the group. She's about one point five seven meters. And the guy she is facing up to is a giant compared to her. But that's not stopping her or scaring her. That's what I like about her. Her inability to be afraid of anyone. I have known her to be like that since I met her in Little school. Little school starts at the age of seven until the age of twelve. Then we move on to the so-called real school. Where they teach us mostly about how to be obedient to the rules of the governance. And then train us to be soldiers. And then there's a little math, stuff that doesn't matter and the history of the failed world and how the governance saved us all.
When I get close to Lydia I take her arm and then start pulling her away from the ever-angry growing group. "Why are you messing with people?" I ask her.
She ignores my question and instead pulls me into a hug. "Congrats. I knew you'd win." She says with a grin on her face. "Now you need to beat those arrogant asses in First and then I will love you forever." Her facial expression now serious.
I put a frown on my face. "So does that mean you will stop loving me when I lose?" I question her.
She puts her hands on hips. "Of course, not." She takes a moment before she says the word not and I give her a dirty look. She just laughs at her stupid joke. "You won't survive this place without me, my dear Angie." She says with a smile.
"True." I shrug. It is true that I won't survive without her here. I'm not a people person, and she is. She might not be scared of everyone or shut up for anyone, but everyone does like her. So they accept me because of her. We're rarely seen without each other here at school. "Let's go," I say to Lydia.
We will all be gathered here again tonight. The team will be presented and shown to everyone on live television. We have all seen the Thirds team last night already and the First will be shown tomorrow night. And this coming Monday, the annual athletics will happen in the First Section. Which will be televised live for those who won't be there at the venue itself.
Before we could start heading to the exit of the school stadium, a hand is placed on my shoulder. For a moment I freeze, but then my combat training kicks in. I firmly grab the person's hand on my shoulder to start defending myself, but before I can go any further the person says my name.
"Angie." It's Uncle Sam.
"Uncle Sam!" I shouted and then throw myself at him for a hug. I haven't heard from him in three weeks. Usually, he bores me to death every few days. And then the past month there was only silence. I didn't even think he will show up here.
He laughingly hugs me back. We stay like that for a moment. We are the only two that's left of our family. And him disappearing like this scared the hell out of me.
He pushes me away and then pats me on my shoulder before turning to Lydia to greet her. Like usual it's weird between them. The vibe between them is intense and I think I know what it means. And so does Uncle Sam. But I think he will deny it for as long as he can. The only one who is in the dark about what the vibes might mean is Lydia. And I have noticed that it confuses her.
"You scared me, you old man," I say. Uncle Sam is only thirty years old. He looks way younger than that. He Was the same age I am now when our life's changed forever.
"First, I am sorry. I am really sorry." He apologizes. And I can see that he is truly sincere. "And second, I am far from an old man, young lady." He ends, looking offended.
"Yep, he is far from old." Lydia chipped in, sending Uncle Sam a wink. Making us both look at her. I think that's when she realized what she just said. "Er. I have to go meet up with someone." She stumbles, before turning on her heels and hurriedly walking away. My uncle is the only one who can make her awkward like that.
We both just stand there in our own thoughts for a moment. Me thinking about how this will play out. And I bet my uncle is too.
He turns back to be. "Shall we find a place to talk quickly? I can't stay long." He adds apologetically.
"Yeah, sure," I say, feeling disappointed. I lead him to a part of the stadium where there aren't many people left. It's starting to get darker. The lights in the stadium had been turned on already. We find a spot near one of the stadium exits that no one is using.
"Are you still in?" He asks, not one to waste any time.
I don't even hesitate before I answer. "Yes," I say with as much confidence as I can come up with.
"Right, I'm happy. Because we can't do this without you." He says urgently, before proceeding. "We have a meeting tonight."
The meeting's in the tunnels. I hate the tunnels. Just the thought of those long narrow tunnels, that can lead you to your death if you don't know your way. They're run beneath the whole governance. Into the Unknown even. The Unknown is the Section that no one talks about anymore. It is forbidden. You will be classified as a defiant if you do. And your execution will be on the same day as the annual athletics.
I look at my uncle to see if he can see my hatred for the tunnels on my face. "Why, I thought we had a meeting scheduled a week after the athletics?" I ask unhappily.
"For the same reason why I've been gone so long." He says, reminding me of that detail again.
"Why have you been radio silence for that long, Uncle Sam," I question him. Him not calling me every two days, at least, was worrying me. I thought he might have been caught by the Governance.
"You'll find out in the meeting." He smiles. And I feel relieved when I see that smile. Because that means it's something good. "Don't worry, it's something good. It's something, or rather someone that we've been trying to get to for years." He says, smiling again.
I can't help but smile with him. We don't have much to smile about these days. So things must be really good if he keeps on smiling like this. "Fine, I feel a little better about coming to this meeting," I say. "Only a little," I add quickly when I see a relieved smile. He knows I don't want to go to the tunnels unless I really have to.
"I got to go, Kiddo. I'll meet you at our place. Same time as usual." He waits for my response and I just give a nod. He then pulls me into a tight hug. "See you tonight." He greets and started walking away, but turns around again a few steps away. "Say goodbye to Lydia for me, will you." He says.
"I will," I say and give him a half-hearted wave.
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