Sidetracked by Deb Loughead

runners, crouch at the starting line. Everyone is intense and focused. The winner of this race will represent the school in the 100-meter sprint. The four runners with the best times will make up the relay team. The fifth will be the sub. Ahead of us, the finish line is a blur of color. A crowd has gathered to watch. Everyone is anxious to find out how this will end.
    My toes press into the starting block, and my heart hammers. My eyes are focused straight ahead. The other girls crouched along the starting line don’t matter right now. This is between me and Kat. No more giving up races on purpose. This time, I want a real competition. I want to find out if I really can beat her.
    â€œSet!” Coach yells.
    My whole body tenses. Every muscle is waiting to snap.
    Bang! The pistol goes off, and we churn up the track, sprinting for the finish line. I blast forward as fast as I can, powered by adrenaline and hours of training. I push harder than I ever have. I imagine my legs as a couple of pumping pistons. The steady beat of running shoes pounding against crushed gravel and my heart thumping in my ears are the only things I hear.
    I am determined to beat Kat, my best friend.
    I sprint across the finish line with my arms in the air. Kat has hers in the air too. Our eyes meet.
    Coach yells, “We have a winner!”
    Now, at last, we’ll know.
    â€œCongratulations, Shauna. You won. Zenia, you’re third. And you two…”
    Kat looks as shocked as I feel.
    Coach smiles. “You two tied for second place.”

    Deb Loughead is the author of more than twenty-five books for children and young adults. Deb conducts workshops and readings at schools, festivals and conferences across the country. She has written and directed children’s plays and taught creative writing classes. Back in her youth, she was a sprinter, as well as the anchor, for her school relay team. Nowadays she prefers walking her dog. Deb lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.