Michiru kicked harder, propelling herself faster through the water. She looked over at her opponent, they were almost neck and neck. Almost. Michiru pulled ahead and touched the pool wall first. A few seconds later Elsa touched. Both girls breached the surface at the same time. Elsa shook her head, sending little droplets of water everywhere, hitting Michiru.
"I nearly had you that time." Elsa panted.
Michiru smiled. "I'm going to have to start worrying."
"Don't tease. I'll beat you one of these days." Elsa said, she lifted herself out of the water and sat on the side of the pool. "I don't understand why you refuse to join the swim team. You would be amazing!"
"Competitive racing is your thing." replied Michiru dismissively. "Besides, I can't commit to a team. Concerts would get in the way."
Elsa made a face. "It's a waste of talent if you ask me. You would do brilliant. Hey! We could both get really good and go to the Olympics together!"
Michiru laughed this time, pulling herself up to sit next to her friend. "That's not a bad idea. You can't go alone. God only knows what trouble you'd get into alone in a foreign city."
Elsa beamed, "We could get into so much more trouble together."
Michiru rolled her eyes. "Come on, class starts soon. We need to get changed."
Elsa jumped back into the water. "No thanks. You go. I'll do a few more laps."
"Elsa Gray, you are not skipping again." Elsa ignored her and started doing a backstroke. "I'll tell you're coach, he'll pull you from today's race."
"You wouldn't!"
"Try me."
Elsa glared at her and got out of the water. "Traitor." She mumbled. "No wonder I'm you're only friend."
"No wonder you're flunking math."
"I'm not flunking." retorted Elsa. "I'm just not passing yet."
"You're not going to get into high school at this rate." Michiru warned as they headed into the locker room. "And you'll get benched from the track."
Elsa continued to pout and glare.
"Stop looking at me like that. It's not my fault you don't do your homework."
"Can I come over to study tonight?" Elsa asked.
"Sure, but I'm not cooking this time. I have to finish my painting for the Shakai Gallery opening this weekend."
"Does that mean your not going to make it to my race?" asked Elsa.
Michiru looked over. Elsa looked slightly hurt at the prospect. "Don't worry." Michiru assured her. "I'll make it to the race." She went to every one of Elsa's races. She mainly went to support her friend, but she also did really enjoy them. She liked watching the runners. The way their bodies moved was like art in motion. And she always felt a burst of pride on Elsa's behalf when she finished first. And Elsa always finished first. She hadn't once been beaten since they met.
The girls finished dressing and headed up to class. The rest of the day passed slowly. Elsa didn't go to lunch since she had to practice, so Michiru ate in the art room. She made small talk with some of the other art club members but other than that she didn't talk to anyone other than teachers until the last bell rang and she headed down to the track.
A big electronic scoreboard had the name of their school, Seijo Gakuen Junior High School, on one side and the name of the competing school, Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya Junior High School, on the other. The bleachers were already starting to fill up with spectators wearing Hibiya uniforms. Michiru was surprised. There were usually more than a few Seijo students who always made an effort to support the track team. But the visitors rarely brought fans, other than the occasional parent.
Michiru found herself a seat and pulled out her sketchpad to kill time before the races started. She couldn't help from listening into the conversation two Hibiya students were having when she hear her best friend's name.
"...this Elsa Gray is supposed to be really good. She's never been beaten. She's the star of Seijo Gakuen, have you ever seen her run?"
"No, but she can't be as good as Tenoh."
Michiru leaned in a little. Someone who was better than Elsa? That didn't seem possible.
"I don't know, there's a lot of hype..."
"Are they even racing each other?"
"I don't know. What's Tenoh running today?"
"The 800 meter and the relay."
Michiru lost interest and went back to drawing. Elsa was only doing sprints today. She was on probation from the longer races until her grades went up. Shame. It would have been a nice change of pace to see someone who could actually challenge her. When the first events started, Michiru watched with vague attention. It wasn't until the 60 meter that she actually watched. Not surprisingly, Elsa won. As she did four races later with the 200 meter. Michiru considered leaving after that to get to work on her painting. But something stopped her. A strange feeling compelled her to stay. Finally when it was time for the 800 meter, she looked up. The announced read of the names of the runners.
"...and in lane 8, number 10 from Hibiya Junior High, Haruka Tenoh."
Michiru suddenly felt like the world had fallen away. Her breath had been knocked out of her. Suddenly she couldn't see any of the racers other than Haruka Tenoh. She was tall, slim, built for running. Short, dusty blond hair that was ruffled and messy. Her face was determined as she took her mark. She seemed familiar. Just by looking at her Michiru was hit by a wave of nostalgia that she didn't understand.
Michiru's eyes locked on her as the gun sounded and the runners took off. Haruka Tenoh took the lead right away. She was fluid and graceful. It was beautiful to watch. Michiru didn't even realize she was gaping until the race was over and a Hibiya student tapped her shoulder.
"...are you okay, miss?"
Michiru started. "Huh?"
"You dropped your notebook."
"Oh...thank you."
The Hibiya girl giggled. "Is this the first time you've ever seen Tenoh run?"
Michiru felt embarrassed. "No...I..."
"Don't worry." a second Hibiya student said. "She has that affect on people. Even though she's a girl, I know plenty of girls who wouldn't mind taking a drive with her."
"No, it's not that..." Michiru said, felling flustered. She was painfully aware of the warmth in her face. "I just...I have to go."
She gathered her stuff and dashed from the track. It wasn't until she was half way to her apartment that she slowed down. What was she feeling? Why was her heart beating so fast? She shook her head to clear it. It was nothing. She was a track fan, that was all. She appreciated a good runner. After all, she had been to enough races. The lie was unconvincing, but she repeated it to herself the entire rest of the way home.
She went inside and started painting right away to calm herself down. About an hour later, the door opened, Elsa let herself in without knocking as per usual. "Hey, I tried to find you after the medal ceremony, but I figured you must have went home. I stopped and got meat buns from that one place we both like. I'm starved and didn't want to wait for a delivery guy. I hope that's okay."
"It's fine." Michiru replied.
Elsa sat down in a chair and started eating. "Did you stay for the whole thing or leave right after my races?"
"I stayed up until the 800 meter." admitted Michiru.
"Good, then you saw Haruka Tenoh."
Michiru froze. She felt her face warm up again. "Yes. What about her?"
"She's on my list." Elsa said.
"List?"
"I have a list of people who I have to beat. The top runners from all the schools in our region. The people who have never been beaten. She's one of them. I'm so mad we finally raced against Hibiya and I didn't get to race her!"
Michiru went back to painting. "Better get to work then if you ever want a chance."
Elsa pouted. "You're such a buzz kill."
"That's probably why your my only friend." Michiru said with a teasing smile, repeating Elsa's words from this morning.
"I need to wait until your done painting." Elsa pointed out. "I came over so we could do our homework together, and so you could help me."
"Get started. If you need help I'll help you."
Elsa pouted even more but gave in and pulled out her book. "What are you painting anyways?"
"Come see." Michiru invited. The picture, which was nearly finished, was of a star field, galaxies swirled in the background. In the foreground a giant wave made of stars dust broke across the canvas, the planet Neptune was being tossed about along with it's moons.
"That's amazing." Elsa said in awe. "That's Neptune again, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"This is the third painting you've done of Neptune. What's your obsession with it lately?"
"I don't know." Michiru admitted. "I've been having dreams about it a lot."
"What kind of dreams?"
"You'll laugh."
"You're my best friend. I wouldn't laugh."
Michiru looked at her friend for a long moment, then turned back to her painting and continued her work. "I dream that there's a civilization living there. Great cities constructed in bubbles deep under the sea. Spiral towers and roads made out of blue crystal...And a garden. A huge garden behind an even bigger palace, with thousands of flowers I have never seen on Earth..."
"You should write a fantasy novel." Elsa said.
Michiru cracked a smile, glad that Elsa didn't laugh. "I barely have time for all the things I have on my plate right now. Why do you keep trying to convince me to put even more on it?"
"Good point." Elsa said. "Still, you'd be good at it."
"Get back to your homework."
