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A gasp left my lips again, this one louder than any of the others. Were they running leggings to match the running shoes? Darting across the store, I pulled a pair off the rack and saw the same strip down the side in the same color as the sneakers. They matched! I had to have a pair. Or two. Or maybe three. Wait. I should get four—one for each practice, and then one for the track meet. Yes. I sho
uld get a special pair for the track meet. Maybe something bright and—
“Did you want to try the running shoes on?” the guy asked me, and I spun around to face him.
“Yes.” I folded the leggings over my arm before I moved back to where all the running shoes were. As I sat on the edge of the box and undid my wedges, I realized I didn’t have socks on. I couldn’t try them on without any socks. I glanced around, trying to see if they had any and then spotted some. “Could you get me those socks so I can try them on? I’ll buy them with the running shoes and my leggings.”
The guy nodded, and just as I was getting the laces undone on the running shoes, my cell vibrated in my purse. I ignored it, too busy staring at all the things. My gaze bounced from one thing to another, and I willed the guy to move faster. Finally, he passed me the package of socks, and I pulled out a pair. I slipped them onto my feet and then pulled the running shoes on and stood.
“Oh wow.” I blinked down at my feet and walked three steps one way and then three back. “They feel so different.”
“It may take some getting used to, but you’ll feel a difference for sure. And they’ll help improve your times.”
“Really?” I grinned. “I need my times to be the best they can be, especially as I have a meet next weekend.”
“You do?” The guy stepped forward. “My cousin is going to a meet too. Says she’s gonna get herself a scholarship.”
I nodded and pulled the running shoes off my feet then handed them to him. “She can totally do that. My coach told me there’s going to be loads of colleges there.”
“Cool.” He took the running shoes off me. “So you’ll have these?”
“Yep.” I grabbed my leggings. “Both pairs.”
“I’ll put them behind the counter for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, already drifting back to the clothes section. I needed a T-shirt or tank to go with the leggings. The sports bras were too revealing, but maybe I needed those so I could wear them as an extra layer.
I picked several up off the rack, reading the labels and deciding which one was best for me. The tank tops I got to match the leggings, and by the time I was at the counter, my arms were so full I could only just see over the top of them.
The grin on my face couldn’t be wiped off as the guy rang me up, and I didn’t even look at the total, I simply fished my brand-new credit card out and handed it to him. He swiped it, the computer pinged, and then he handed it back to me and passed me my bag full of goodies.
I wasn’t sure how long it took me to find the next sports shop, but my wedges were hanging from my fingers, my feet too sore to be able to walk around in them all night. My cell buzzed again, but I ignored it and headed into the fourth sports shop. I’d already bought a special bag to put all of my supplies in, another pair of leggings and some more socks, and now I was heading toward the water bottles and jackets.
I didn’t have a jacket yet, and the first one I spotted said it was night-proof. What did night-proof mean? I frowned at the label and read the little card, realizing it had material stitched onto the fabric that reflected back when headlights hit in. It was a genius idea, so I plucked one up from the rack and then found the same one in the men’s section.
Cade was a runner, and I remembered him telling me once that he mainly ran early in a morning or late at night, which meant he needed one of these too. Grabbing him one to match mine, I then headed to the checkout when I spotted a men’s dark-blue T-shirt that would be perfect for him too. I was thankful I’d worn one of his T-shirts before; otherwise, I’d have had no idea what size to get him.
The cashier of this store rang me up and added another collection to the bags I was already struggling to hold on to.
“This is a customer announcement. The building will be closing in ten minutes. Please complete your last purchases of the day and make your way to the exits.”
I looked left and right, panic building up and causing my heart to race. I hadn’t finished shopping yet. I still needed a water bottle to add to my collection. Darting toward the exit, I was hopeful I’d spot a store with one in the window, and just as I could see the doors, I spotted a school supply store.
Racing inside, I headed right for the water bottles and plucked a black one off the shelf, but on the way to the checkout, I got distracted by all the notebooks and pens. I could use one of those to keep track of my times. I plucked three notepads and a packet of pens off the shelf and ran to the checkout. The announcement said we only had a couple of minutes left to exit the mall, and I bounced on the spot as the girl rang me up.
I threw the items into one of my bags and ran toward the exit, not stopping until I was outside in the pitch black. There were no cars in the lot, only streetlights leading the way, but it didn’t matter because I’d had the best few hours of my life and I felt freaking great. My feet carried me down the sidewalk, and I started to mumble to myself.
“I’m going to get the best times now. There’s no way I can be anything but in the top three. And then I can get a scholarship and—”
I stumbled to the side, the bags weighing me down, and a branch hit me in the face. I wasn’t sure how far I’d walked, but the soles of my feet were hurting, and my face stung from where the branch had scratched me. Spinning around, I tried to take stock of where I was, but I had no idea. I pulled my cell out, ignoring all the missed calls and messages, and clicked on the app to request a cab then sat on the edge of the curb while I waited for it.
The light from my cell allowed me to peek into the bags, and I did a little jig where I was sitting. I was so freaking excited to try all of this stuff on and see what difference it made. I wanted to go and try it out on the track now, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get onto the school grounds on a Saturday night.
Headlights flashed my way, and my app pinged to let me know my driver was here. I hauled myself up into a standing position and grabbed my bags and wedges then opened the back door. “Hey!” I greeted him, pushing my bags in first and then getting in myself.
“Evening,” the driver grunted, and as soon as I shut the door, he pulled out onto the road.
I watched out of the window for a couple of minutes and started to realize how close to home I had already been, but when we passed Cade’s street, I held my hand up and shouted, “You can drop me here!”
