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Post by CHARLOTTE A. HARRINGTON on Jul 1, 2010 14:40:00 GMT -5
It was the middle of the afternoon and the bad weather had snuck up on everyone. In a matter of few hours, the clear blue skies were taken over by dark clouds and now it looked like it was about to start raining. Most of the students had already cleared the school grounds and there wasn’t anybody in the field, except for her. Just the way Charlie liked. The fact that she had a day off from practice didn’t stop her from going to the track. The girl was still in good shape, of course, since she had been running and working out during the summer. Still, it was very easy to get sloppy during those months and she needed to catch up quickly. Charlotte had been careful enough, but she wanted to have a great season and she wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that.
Charlie put down her workout bag by the bleachers, after fishing a sweatband out of it. She put her blonde hair up in a high ponytail and put on the headband, already aware that the drizzly weather and the sweat were going to make her look like a mess in a few minutes, but she didn’t care. Charlotte stepped on the track and started her stretches and warm-ups. She looked around and a little smile formed on her lips. It was just her and the track. And she definitely needed that. Running was Charlie’s favorite way to blow off steam and she could use that right now. She had gotten into a serious fight with her mother just the other day and things had been awful at home. She didn’t even remember how the argument started, but it was probably about the way she dressed, about her how she should quit the soccer team and try cheerleading or about how she couldn’t find a nice boyfriend from a good family. It was always something like that. By the end of it, it had turned into a session of her mother passing judgment on her lifestyle, as all their arguments usually did.
Her smile faded as she thought about it. Nothing she ever did seemed to be good enough. Charlie would never be as good as her perfect older sister, who did everything to please their parents. Sometimes she really got sick of it. Charlotte wasn’t one to be jealous or envious, but she just wished her parents could recognize her for her efforts. She always got the best grades and was an amazing athlete, but apparently that wasn’t enough if she didn’t let them control her every move. Sometimes the pressure just got to her. Charlie shook her head, trying to forget about that and focus on what she was doing. There were no problems when she was on the track. That’s what she liked most about running, honestly.
Charlie decided to try running the 100m a few times just to check her time. After the girl finished warming up, she got into “set” position, using the starting blocks and putting her hands down on the floor, supporting herself. She took a deep breath, getting comfortable in the position, and looked ahead, getting ready. Then, she started her watch and waited the five usual seconds she always waited when timing herself. When they were over, she started sprinting. In a few seconds, it was over and she was slowing down, trying to catch her breath. She checked her watch and frowned. At least four seconds off her usual time. Charlotte shook her head; she was obviously off her game. She sighed, wishing she could just clear her head and focus properly, as she walked back and got ready to give it another try, before it started raining. “Come on, Charlie, you can do better than that.” She thought out loud, a habit of hers. Always pushing herself. Sometimes Charlie found it hard to take a break.
Charlie's outfit
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