Endreama's Story
This story was written as a raffle prize for Endreama on Furry Amino. Enjoy!
Riiiiiiinggggg! The final bell sounded overhead as Endreama looked up from her books and collected her things. The weekend was almost upon her. Just have to get through Friday. Suddenly, someone nudged her from behind. She turned, coming face to face with one of her best friends who sat behind her. Her large ruby red eyes lit up as they met his.
"Oh hey, Gray! Only one day to go, am I right?" Endreama slung her backpack over her shoulder, brushing her large tail over her body as it got in the way.
"Tell me about it. You know I've never liked math."
"Well, I..." She tapped his nose with a finger. "...happen to like it."
"Yeah, yeah. That's why you can do my homework tonight." He returned the gesture by messing up the fur between her ears. "Hey, so there's one spot left on the track team and I was thinking about trying out this afternoon. Wanna watch?"
She fixed her hair and swished her tail. "Well it sure beats going home to an empty house. Of course I'll watch!" Endreama smiled showing sharp canines beneath her bright pink fur.
Gray clasped his paws around her in a happy embrace, catching her off guard. The deep blue fur that covered his mouth like a bandana formed into a wide grin. "See you at the track in five then? I have to go throw on some clothes."
"Absolutely! Just gotta grab some things from my locker." After Gray ran out of the classroom, she walked down the hall and began dialing the combination to her locker. Her ears perked as she overheard a conversation from a few alpha-wolves across the hall.
"Looks like I'll be getting that track team spot after all. Gray. That's my competition."
The wolves snickered to themselves. The one speaking stood in the center wearing Under Armor shorts and a Nike shirt. He held track shoes in his paws. The wolf beside him howled in laughter. "You got him, Kovak."
Endreama's emotions turned her pink face red. Like hell he will. She slammed her locker door and walked off toward the gym. Gray met her at the door to the track outside. He greeted her by resting an arm on her shoulder as he stretched his legs, one by one.
"I'm so ready for this! That spot's mine."
"It's gonna be. Kovak thinks he's got the upper hand on you. Show him who's better."
"Pssh. That wolf's got nothing on me." He grinned, slicking back his ears. "And he doesn't have a friend like you cheering him on."
She punched him in the shoulder, barely moving him. "Got that right!"
Taking her place in the stadium, Endreama sat front row among a few other students who came out to watch or had already made team. Gray stood on the line next to Kovak, waiting for the coach to approach them. A sturdy lion stepped onto the field holding a clipboard and looked to the boys before him.
"Gray and Kovak I presume? Alright. You should know, tryouts will take place over the next two days. There will be two races total. One today, one tomorrow. Today's race will be 400 meters, or one lap. Tomorrow's race will be 800 meters, or two laps. Are you both ready to begin?
Gray jumped up from tying his shoes and looked confidently at the coach. "Hell yeah!"
"Then take your marks."
The two got on the line and waited for the gun. Boom.
Taking off, Gray and Kovak sprinted around the track as fast as they could manage. Gray pulled ahead, turning to watch as he passed Kovak who grunted and pushed himself harder. Suddenly, Gray began to fall behind.
"Gahhh, there's something wrong with my shoes!" He felt a burning in his paws, like fire. Suddenly his shoe came loose, and Gray came crashing down onto the track. He rolled into the grass and tried to regain his footing, but Kovak had already won.
"Gray!" Endreama ran down from the bleachers and helped him to his feet.
"The winner of today's race is Kovak." The coach then left without a word.
Endreama walked Gray over to the gym and sat him down. "What happened out there?"
"I-I don't understand. It feels like something's in my..." Gray slipped off his track shoes and noticed that the spikes were missing from the bottom. He then tipped his shoe upside down, and a dozen sharp spikes fell out of the inside.
"Yeesh." Gray scratched his ears. "Was I really that brainless today?"
Endreama frowned. "Go wash off, I'll wait for you out here, alright?"
"Sure."
In that moment, Kovak and his group of wolves walked by. "Great job out there Kovak! What an idea to put the kid's spikes in his shoes. He never saw it coming."
"I know, right? Even the coach through it was a good plan."
Endreama could barely contain her rage. It took all of her strength from going over to the pack and tearing them to shreds. After they left, Gray reemerged from the locker room.
"What's wrong, Endreama?"
"It's nothing!" She faked a smile. "I'm sure you got this tomorrow. I'll be right there watching! Go home and get some rest okay?"
"Absolutely!" He gave her a momentary embrace. "Thanks for being here."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
...
Riiiiiiinggggg! "Have a good weekend class!" The older Lynx put down her pointer and raised the whiteboard cover. Endreama closed her math textbook and placed it into her backpack. A familiar nudge made her turn and smile at Gray. "Ready for the last race?"
"You know it! My shoes got pretty messed up from the spikes though. I don't think they'll do much for me today on the track."
Endreama put a paw around his shoulder and flicked her tail. "Can you trust me, Gray?"
"Of course I can! What do you have in mind?"
"I'm gonna need you to forget about the shoes today."
"You want me to run bare-paws?"
"Don't worry. I'll handle the rest."
"You're crazy, Endreama." He thought for a moment, brushing his ears back. "Okay, I'll roll with it. See you out on the field?"
"I'll be right out!" Endreama watched Grey step outside before she went to work. Looking left and right, she made sure no one was in the hallway before making her way into the boy's locker room. She scanned each locker until a single claw stopped at Kovak's name scrawled onto the front. She opened the unlocked door and pulled out a heavy bag, dropping it to the floor. Upon examining its contents, Endreama pulled out a dirty pair of shoes and placed them into the front pocket of her backpack. Suddenly, her ear twitched as footsteps could be heard in the distance. "Don't forget to finish Gray's spikes off for good this time Kovak. You've got these tryouts in the bag..."
Endreama made a quick escape through the side door and out to the stadium. Nearby, the groundskeeper, a gruff looking shepherd in a one piece jumpsuit, mowed the football field. She carefully pulled out the shoes and walked into the path of the lawnmower. The groundskeeper barked over the roaring motor. "Watch out, ma'am!"
"Oh, terribly sorry sir. My mistake!"
Without looking back, Endrema continued on towards the track and took her place in the stadium's bleachers. Out in the field, Grey stood across from Kovak arguing as their coach stood between them.
"COACH! I'm telling you. My spikes were in my bag, and now they're gone!"
The coach turned to Gray. "It looks like it's not a fair race. We'll have to call the rest of the tryouts off. Kovak gets the sp--"
"No!" Gray, Kovak, and the coach each turned to the bleachers. Endreama slowly made her way down to the field as their eyes followed her. No one spoke. "This race seems fair. After yesterday's event, it seems as though Gray doesn't have his spikes either. Unless Kovak can't handle it, I'd say this makes Gray the winner."
"No! I'll take him on! I can beat him anytime, anywhere!"
The coach looked between the two, then back at Endreama. Gray walked to the line and took his mark. "Well, Kovak?"
Kovak took his mark beside him as their tails stood on end, balancing their motionless bodies. Endreama pulled the stopwatch from the coach's paw and held it in the air. "On your mark! Set? Go!"
The two took off like lightning. Rounding the first corner, their claws tak-tak-taking on the ground beneath them beat faster than their hearts could pump. "Let's go Gray!" The two finished the first lap neck and neck. The second lap started just the same, but Gray began to pull ahead. "Looks like..." He panted through his words. "I've got this!"
Kovak struggled to regain the distance. Gray gave one last push to bring home the win. In that moment, Kovak dropped to all fours and caught up to him. He gave an all out lunge toward Gray, but he wasn't fast enough.
The coach looked sheepishly down at his clipboard. "The winner of today's race is Gray."
"But I won yesterday's race! I should get the spot!"
Endreama faced Kovak as her ears flattened against her head. "Due to my calculations, it seems that Gray made up proportionally more time in a longer race than he did yesterday. Even when he fell. If you're looking for a reliable team member this season, I suggest you pick Gray."
"The board will decide, Endreama." With those last words, the coach walked back towards the school. When his back turned, Kovak glared at Gray.
"I'll have that spot, and you wont take it from me!" He lunged at Gray, but Endreama was quicker. The last thing he saw was a bright pink tail smashing him in the face.
She then turned to Gray and smiled as Kovak sat dazed, face first on the ground. "Great run out there."
Gray stood shocked before her, still panting from the race. "You're wild, Endreama. Have I told you that?"
She smirked, her ruby-red eyes lit brighter than ever as she slugged him in the shoulder. "Got that right. No one messes with my friend and gets away with it." Together the two walked back towards the school, excited for the weekend to come and, as if for a moment, indifferent to the long school year ahead of them.
"You took his shoes, didn't you?"
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
END