The Shuttle Run

Gym class always made Alicia vaguely uneasy. She didn't like the sickeningly bright glow of the lights in the new gym, nor did she enjoy the way the smell of floor polish and rubber assaulted her nostrils.

She did like changing, though. Moving from the academic uniform of a plaid navy jumper with a white blouse to the physical educaiton uniform consisting of black shorts and a grey shirt with the school's logo always gave the third grader a comforting sense of putting, and keeping, things in their place. If only they could just change and go outside and be by themselves!

She sat nervously with one ankle tucked beneath her, hugging the other knee to her chest while checking again and again that she was at the correct place in line. Mr. Cummings, the gym teacher, strode in and blew his whistle.

Alicia didn't like Mr. Cummings, either. He was a huge bear of a man, at least six feet tall, barrel chested with a big nose and dark hair. His big black moustache dominated his squareish, average face and perfectly matched his eyebrows.

"Okay!" He said. Mr. Cummings wasn't really a bad man, he just expected a lot, and Alicia wasn't a good athlete like some of the kids in the class. "Today we're practicing the shuttle run. Count off in threes, and then line up with the first person on the white line."

Alicia mentally counted ahead of the students queuing up, and realized to her satisfaction that she was going to be with two boys, Mike and Eric. They were two of the fastest runners in the class, so even if she slowed the team down, they definitely wouldn't come in last. With the last of the groups sidling over to the white line, Mr. Cummings measured off the correct number of yards and put a masking tape line across from the students.

"Okay, just the way we've always done. Run out, tag the line - make sure you TOUCH the tape - run back, and tag the next person. Wait for my whistle! First runners, take your mark!"

Alicia was in line behind both of the boys. She would have preferred to be the middle runner, but the boys seemed to have forgotten that she was there at all. No matter; Mike and Eric were good runners. She shifted her weight anxiously, and flinched a bit as the whistle sounded. Before she knew it, Mike had gone "out and back" and Eric was off running.

Alicia readied herself at the line, and felt her heart surge with anticipation and excitement when she realized that Eric was at least half a length ahead of all the other kids. They could win, even with her average pacing! The kid stumbled across the line, smacking her hand in a breathless fury and Alicia was off. She could hardly breathe as she bent down, slapping the tape in a carefully careless gesture, and turned to sprint back. As she neared the white line, she hazarded a glance to the right - left - her team was going to win!

The other teams finished soon after, and Alicia looked at Mr. Cummings with a practiced indifferent look, expecting to smile with relief when he acknowledged her team's victory. To her surprise, he addressed the second place group. "Good going! Nicely run."

He looked over at Alicia's team. Did he make eye contact with her? "Didn't tag up at the tape. Gotta be better about touching the ground." Alicia opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. What was he talking about? "Sucks," whined Mike.

After class, Alicia climbed back into her navy-plaid jumper with some relief.