Twenty Four

Alana was sat on one side of the detention room with Jamie next to her. There were several others in the room. Mr Week was keeping a close eye on her and Jamie. "So how have you managed to get me out of it?" she whispered, pretending to work. Jamie slipped her a piece of paper. Alana read it quickly and her eyes widened in surprise. "you did not just sign me up to take part in cross-country. Did you?" she asked not quite believing the note. Almost unnoticed by Alana, Jamie nodded to answer her question. Alana let her head almost hit her table. Miss Ralph entered the classroom.

"Sorry to disturb Mr Week but can I take Alana and Jamie they are supposed to be doing a cross-country race? The pair will do the detention tomorrow," Miss Ralph asked. Mr week looked at Alana and Jamie who tried to look like they really needed to go do it, even though Alana thought that detention would be better than cross-country. He nodded and the pair stood up and left with their things. Once outside Miss Ralph turned to Alana. "I didn't know you could do cross-country. I thought you were a sprinter."

"So did I," Alana muttered as they went to PE to get changed into their PE kit. Once Miss Ralph had left the pair to get changed and they were both changed Alana turned to Jamie. "you realise I have no stamina right. I will be dead after about a mile. As Miss Ralph said, I'm a sprinter not a cross-country runner like you. And now I have to do my detention tomorrow when I should be visiting Oscar." Jamie held his hands up in mock surrender.

"no you won't. Phase two of my plan has initiated. Mike is explaining about the fact Oscar is in hospital this evening. He is also explaining that you are emotionally upset. All you have to do is burst out into tears some point tomorrow and you will have your detention removed as you are 'emotionally distressed'. Remember Evie. Her mum was in hospital, she had a detention, she burst into tears, she was let off her detention. Same will happen to you," Jamie explained to her. Alana looked at him with a newly found admiration for his plan.

"yeah but then I will still have to do it the next day," Alana told him.

"yeah but Oscar will end up having his detention then because he can't turn up to it tomorrow. So the pair of you will be able to be together and you can keep an eye on him," Jamie finished. "now come on or we are going to be late." He ran off. Alana groaned and followed at a much slower pace to the school mini-bus.

Jamie and Alana were stood on the starting line. Tracy was there to watch and pick them up and take them home, although she hadn't expected Alana to be there. When Tracy spotted the pair she walked over to them.

"I thought you had detention Alana, that's what Tee told us," Tracy said. Alana nodded.

"he got me out by signing me up to do the cross-country race. I'm going to come last, he is going to come first so wait for me before you leave," she stated. Tracy smiled.

"I will."

Alana stretched out her muscles ready to run. Jamie smiled at her. 'You'll be fine' he mouthed. She raised an eyebrow as the whistle blew. She started jogging and even managed to keep pace with Jamie who was leading. Slowly though she started slowing down and everyone else started over-taking. She maintained a steady pace hoping that the people in front of her had started off at a too fast a pace and would have to slow down so she could overtake them. She passed the three mile mark and realised she didn't feel too tired. She kept her pace and even overtook three people when they stopped to have a drink. Alana carried on and drank as she ran, not slowing down. She was two miles from finishing and knew she could do it... up until the point when she saw the hill in front of her. She glanced up the hill and saw Jamie still at the front almost at the top of the hill. Alana took a deep breath and carried on jogging up the hill. She noticed that the people around her were slowing and falling back. She realised her own pace was slowing but not as much as the others. She kept pushing herself up the hill. She could feel her legs screaming out in agony at the amount of work she was putting on them. She got to the top of the hill and could see the finish line. She judged it was all downhill and was roughly 800m in front of her. She ran down the hill, knowing she would pick up speed as she went down the hill. She saw a sign saying 200m left. Alana smiled, this is where she came into her own. She put on a burst of speed and sprinted down the final 200m. She went through the finish line to see Jamie waving at her. She ran over to him and sat down on the ground to get her breath back and to stretch out her legs and remove the lactic acid she had built up.

"Alana," he said shocked. She nodded as she tried to draw oxygen into her lungs. "you came seventh." Alana looked up at him in shock.

"really?" she asked out of breath. He nodded. She lay down on the floor. "wow! What about you? Where did you come?"

"1st. I finished about four minutes ago, if that," Jamie told her. Alana smiled as Miss Ralph came over to them with Tracy.

"Well done you two. You are the school's best performers today. I expect to see you at more cross-country matches Alana as well as keeping your sprinting up," Miss Ralph told them. Tracy smiled at them as Alana rolled over in despair.

"Come on let's get you two home. I called Mike and told him you were here and that I would bring you home," Tracy told Alana. Alana pushed herself up off the floor, stretched her arms upwards and then stretched her neck.

"I ache so much," Alana moaned as she followed Jamie and Tracy to the car. Jamie laughed.

"That's good." He said.