Chapter 68 Ch. 40. 1
Noah’s eyes widened as he scanned the email, his grin stretching ear to ear. “Holy shit, Zara. This is insane. You’re back in the season! I’m so happy for you.”
Her lips curved into a soft smile. “Thanks.”
“You deserve this. I mean—wildcard? That’s big.” He handed her phone back, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you gonna go see your coach now?”
“Yeah,” she said, sliding the phone into her pocket.
“Well, I’ve got basketball practice,” he said, adjusting the strap of his bag. “But I’ll walk you there.”
They fell into step together, weaving through the crowd of students. By the time they reached the track, the cross-country team was already warming up, stretching and chatting in clusters.
The first pair of eyes Zara locked onto belonged to Raina. Of course. She stood at the edge of the group, ponytail swinging as she turned, her gaze fixing squarely on Zara like she’d been waiting.
“Oh, Zara,” Raina said, her voice just loud enough for a few teammates to hear. “Did you just come to see your teammates? I mean… you’re off the season and everything. It’s really sad to see you go. I was wondering if you’d ever stop by to say hi during practice.”
Zara’s smile didn’t waver, but her eyes sharpened. “Sad to see me go, huh?” she said smoothly. “Well, you must be happy to know that they granted me a wildcard.”
The smugness in Raina’s face faltered, her brows pulling together. “What? Why? They don’t grant those.”
“Guess they made an exception,” Zara replied, tilting her head. “Though it seems like you’re not exactly thrilled I’m here.”
Raina’s posture stiffened, her voice climbing just a little higher than before. “I didn’t say that. I’m just… surprised, that’s all. Wildcards are rare.”
“Right,” Zara said, her smirk edging wider. “Surprised.”
A few teammates glanced between them, the tension was very evident. Raina opened her mouth, clearly ready to defend herself further, but Zara just adjusted her bag strap and took a step toward the coach, cutting her off without another word.
Raina ran forward to block her path, then folded her arms and gave a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So, you just came to show off the good news?”
Zara tilted her head. “Why would I need to show off? I'm here to train.” she said, shifting her bag higher on her shoulder. “I thought teammates were supposed to be happy for each other.”
“Of course,” Raina said, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. “It’s just surprising. Wildcards don’t happen every day. I mean, most runners have to actually wait until the next season.”
“Guess I’m not most runners,” Zara said, lifting her chin a little and smiling.
Raina’s mouth twitched. “Sure. Must be nice to have that kind of luck.”
“It’s not luck,” Zara said, stepping a little closer. “It’s training. You should try it sometime.”
A couple of the girls nearby glanced over, whispering to each other. Raina noticed and let out a short laugh that sounded too bright. “Well, I’ll have to work twice as hard then. Wouldn’t want to fall behind now that you’re back.”
“Wouldn’t want that,” Zara said, her voice even as she adjusted her strap again.
Coach Ayers walked up then, a clipboard tucked under her arm. “Zara,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I got the email from the NCAA and I’m glad they granted the wildcard I applied for you. I’m happy to see my star athlete back on track. You exceeded expectations and I hope you keep that up.” She reached out and gave Zara a quick pat on the shoulder.
“You applied for her?” Raina asked, her eyebrows lifting as she turned to the coach.
“Yes,” Coach Ayers said, glancing at her. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Raina shook her head quickly. “No. No problem at all. I just didn’t know.” She looked at Zara and tried a small smile. “That’s great for the team.”
“Good. At least now you have competition within the team, and maybe you'll sit tighter,” Coach Ayers said, giving a small nod before turning back to her clipboard. “Zara, warm up and join the next set when you’re ready. We have a timed run today.”
“Okay,” Zara said, pulling her hair into a tighter ponytail. She moved past Raina without another word and set her bag down by the benches.