It was just a broken record. One boy had surpassed Willy’s previous record of the 50 and 100 meter dash. To Willy, that was a big deal. A huge deal. He had been beat, he had lost. He couldn’t accept losing, losing meant failure. Where there was failure, there was room for improvement. Yes, Willy was a crazed, nearly obsessed perfectionist. It was his life, it was what he did.
He felt stomped on, trampled to the ground. He couldn’t let that go on, he wouldn’t feel right until he at least tried to retain the record. If Sidian did it so easily, he had no reason to believe he couldn’t either, he knew he could. Unlike some people, when they were beaten, they may get discouraged, that was motivation for Willy.
Willy took the initiative to train. At his current pace, he knew he couldn’t beat Sid. He ran around the block, the entire 30 block the rest of that day, nearly overtaxing himself, to the point Willy’s older sister lectured him about his well being, demanding he take at least two days for rest and rejuvenation.
Three hours later, Willy was sprawled across the concrete sidewalk, scrapping his knee while tripping over a fracture in the cement. His right knee, scrapped pretty badly, was treated by his sister. Willy, once again, claimed he was fine, and continued to move on, continuing his training to ultimately beat Sid and claim back his record.
---
Willy arrived at school later than usual, walking slowly among the sidewalk, his leg nearly giving out along the way from beneath him. He attempted not to falter or show signs of weakness that was the last thing he wanted to do, show or demonstrate to anyone he was weak. Upholding the strongest title in the school for the century, he had way too much at stake. It was probably him over thinking things, but he couldn’t take any chances, and would leave nothing to falter. Above all else, he refused to give Sid the satisfaction of seeing him ‘lose.’ He felt he was watching him, he knew he was watching him.
Willy walked down the hallway after 2nd period. The bells rang in a resonance over the school that echoed in Willy’s head. In 3rd period, next period, would be U.S. History I, which he wasn’t looking forward to. He wasn’t as angry with Dew, but he really didn’t feel like talking to him. Knowing Dew, he would only make Willy feel worse by rubbing it in his face that his records were beat. Dew was that type of guy, he never could keep quiet about anything. Willy knew that if he knew, he would never let him forget; constantly reminding him and laying out a list of all of the reasons he sucks. It wasn’t entirely like that in actuality, but it may as well have been.
Willy arrived in History class, continuing on to the American Revolution. Willy didn’t particularly care too much, in fact he intended on taking yet another nap in class. As he laid his head down to rest, a rather obnoxious presence loomed over him, slapping his desk. Willy wasn’t startled, only annoyed. He glared up at Dew with a hefty scowl.
“’Sup my man?” Dew said, speaking casually as if nothing had happened yesterday. Dew was like that.
“You know, thinking,” Willy said, resting his cheek against his hand, staring out of the window.
“I looked on the wall of fame earlier,” Dew remarked. Willy sighed. Here it comes. “Looks like you’ve been bested… by the new kid!”
Willy grunted. “Right.”
“You’re not gonna take that, are you?” Dew leaned over Willy’s desk, practically getting in his face. Willy stared at him apathetically. “He beat your record, you set yourself up so hard to beat. Don’t let him get away with this, take it right from under his feet! Go for it, with both feet!”
“Thanks Dew,” Willy said indifferently. “Appreciate the pep talk.” Dew perked an eyebrow and stood up straight.
“Alright, I’ll bite. What’s wrong?” Dew inquired, folding his arms. Willy merely sighed.
“Forget it, Dew,” Willy replied harshly in a slight snap. Dew simply backed up and sat at his desk beside Willy.
The middle-aged teacher walked in the classroom, five minutes before class started, as usual. As he sat down and assorted through his boos and notes, he stood up, cleared his throat, and faced the class.
“Good morning, class,” the teacher spoke up firmly. The class dropped all of their conversations like a barbell, instantly giving their undivided attention. “We have a special guest in the class today. Our student council president, Lara Willman, would like to speak to the class as a whole.”
Willy’s eyes perked up slightly. He had heard his sister mention something about campaigning some cause or fundraiser or whatever across the school, but he didn’t care enough to ask for the details. He didn’t expect to see her here.
Sure enough, the white haired older girl walked in the classroom, accompanied by two students alongside her on the council, two boys, much taller than her, as if serving as representative guards. The students rose up and clapped as a sign of respect, as if this was actually a very serious and political matter.
The girl had vivid apricot eyes, her skin and overall complexion were breathtaking. As the light from the window shone an intense light over her body, her white hair dazzled brilliantly within the light. Most of the boys in the room instantly had a crush on her. Willy just felt the need to crush something else.
“Good day, my fellow peers,” Lara spoke with a smooth tenor and with a very authoritive edge. Those who knew her knew she was a natural born leader, and always demanded to be in control, yet was also one of the nicest people you would ever meet. Just like Willy, however, she was immensely competitive. This often led to a lot of brawls, figuratively, between the two. Lara was also one of the only people in the school, and probably the world, who could compete with Willy athletically. She never had a chance to due to her busy schedule at school and filling up a part-time job at a cheese factory. Willy even began to think she was slipping up. Yet her personality was always the same to her.
The others were seated instantly, paying their absolute attention to the class president. One of the representatives beside Lara handed her a small briefcase. She took it, opened it, revealing a large compilation of fliers. At the top, in bold print, probably 48 point size, read ‘SCHOOL FUNDRASIER.’ The tall boys took a stack respectively of the fliers and began passing them out among the class. Lara placed aside the case and smiled, folding her arms.
“It’s time for the annual school fundraiser. In an effort to raise awareness and inspiration, we are hosting a horde of events and competitions, ranging from races, hurdles, obstacle courses, and more. Entry is one dollar per person. This will be a public wide event, so guests will be welcome. If you wish to enter, please fill out the forms attached to the fliers and send your form to room 204B.” Lara ended her short speech with a polite wave to the class, which had them literally out of their seats, hunched over with heart throbbing proposals. Lara and her representatives left the room. Lara peeked her head back in, looking inside of the classroom, she waved back once more, this time, not looking quite as professional.
“Hi Willy! I’ll pick you up at 4:30 p.m. I’ll pick up your liniment beforehand,” Lara grinned with a nod, then left the room. Willy simple stared, facepalmed once, and flushed slightly, and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, refusing to look in the back of the classroom where anyone could see his face.
---
“A school fundraiser, huh?” Jesse said in between bites of his burrito. Willy and Jesse typically only talked at lunch this semester, since they shared no other class together. Willy nodded. Right now, Jesse was much more tolerable to be around than Dew. He still wasn’t completely satisfied with Jesse, but Jesse at least knew when to drop a ball. “Yeah, I think some of the student council visited my Algebra class today, but I wasn’t interested. They probably didn’t have the answer I wanted to achieve the Seven Spellings of Catastrophe, so I didn’t care.”
“I’m gonna enter,” Willy said calmly with an incredibly durable resolve. Jesse looked up, opening his mouth to speak with a mouthful of burrito meat.
“Well, okay,” Jesse said with a shrug. “Sounds intense.” Clearly, Jesse didn’t see the big deal. This sort of diminished Willy’s will to continue talking to Jesse. Alas though, he continued.
“I need to make sure he’s there,” Willy said, a rock solid stance in his glare. Jesse could even sense what he meant. He was really wanting to go to war with Sid. The bastard showed him up, he wasn’t getting away with that.
“Man,” Jesse swallowed. “What are you up to now?”
Willy looked at Jesse, as if he were at a federal case. Jesse looked on impassively, finishing up the rest of his lunch.
“I’m going to reign as the king,” Willy replied with a snaring glare. “I’m going to be the best. I was only one record away from having the most amount of records within the school. Two of those were taken so easily. I want my title back. If I’m going for the top, I can’t leave a single hole open in my trail.”
“I see,” Jesse said. “Just be careful. That new guy… I’ve seen him a few times around. He’s kinda chilling, you know.” Willy looked up slightly. For even Jesse, not interested in much of anything outside of the Deck Monsters card game and a regular otaku who mainly acknowledged the 2-D world, to call out another man as ‘chilling’, was something Willy didn’t expect to hear. Regardless, his determination didn’t falter, he knew he had to do this.
“He’s not much. Just a poser,” Willy said. “We’ll see who wins the crown.”
---
The annual fundraiser kicked off within a week’s time exactly. It was an after school event that took place in the back field of the school, in the football field which was also covered by the black track surrounding it. The gates were open for all to enter, paying the measly one dollar fee to enter the games and/or watch from the bleachers outside. The competitions were hot, as things ranged from a three-legged race, a jump rope competition, an obstacle course, several actually, and a water-balloon wet-off (whatever that was. Looked fun, though, especially since only girls entered the competition with white see-through T-shirts. Even Willy had these thoughts).
What Willy was particularly interested in, was the Quick Dash, or more specifically the mile long race along the track. Most people were the most excited for this event, and it was the only one Willy had signed up for. What would be more humiliating to Sid, that Willy would break his record he broke for Willy, in public where everyone would witness? The thought nearly made Willy mad with excitement. He jumped up; he was pumped up, the adrenaline flowing long before the match. Willy was more than just obsessed with revenge, he wanted, he needed that record.
A large, harsh pat on Willy’s back. Dew appeared, strangely dressed in black and blue shorts and no shirt, the ladies in the background awing over him. He posed and beamed a cocky smirk, pointing at Willy. Willy attempted to hide his face, wanting everyone around to know he didn’t know this guy. Right now he wished he didn’t.
“My man Willy! Glad to see you’re entering the competition! Here for the Quick Dash?” Dew smirked. Willy looked up slowly and nodded.
“Please don’t touch me…” Willy walked away, staring ahead at the track. Dew shrugged and stood beside Willy.
“So am I. Should be fun,” Dew smiled. Willy nodded his head.
Willy looked through the crowd of entrees, looking for any sign of that man he was expecting, he wanted to see here. He knew he would show up, that guy had a lot of pride as well. He knew his type; he was similar to himself and Lara.
Speaking of the devil, Lara appeared on stage in the center of the football field, a blow horn in hand, a horde of council members standing next to her side. “Now, this is what you all have been waiting for most eagerly! It’s time for the main event, the Quick Dash competition will begin! I request all participants please step onto the track in single file!”
Willy stepped up to the starting line at the track, stretching his legs, arms, back, even extroadinarily weird stretches that probably wouldn’t benefit him in the race at all. Next to him, lined up in a row of seven, were five other contestants. Willy looked on, noticing, strangely, Sid wasn’t in the lineup. Willy glared on. He knew he wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this to show Willy up. Sid should have assumed, as much as Willy assumed, that he would be there, and that they both would give it their all. All with only one goal, to win.
Dew stood next to Willy, stretching his legs outright. Willy heard Dew’s fan girls scream from the bleachers, some even trying to cross the gate in the school. As one girl escaped over the fence, hearts decorating her trail, she was suddenly tripped from underneath her feet. Her arms pinned behind her back, she sprawled in pain, spitting out a small bit of grass.
Lara got up, standing up tall and proud. As she did, security personnel took the girl outside of the field. As Lara casually walked on, everyone else stared in alarm. Willy only grinned, he expected no less anyway.
Lara lifted her horn, holding it over her face. “It’s time to kick off the Dash! Competitors, get ready!” they took their stances over the line. Right at the last second, the dark, ominous boy took the final line. Willy glared over at the boy as he appeared with a resolute scowl. The boy looked over with his dark eyes, leaned down, placing his hand on the track, and grinned mercilessly, baring his sharp fangs.
“Three…”
The intensity was driving up. Willy leaned farther down to assert himself in his position.
“Two…”
Everyone else followed his lead.
“One…”
Sid looked Willy’s way, cocked his head back with a boastful tilt, clearly mocking Willy for all he stood for. Willy was now infuriated.
“Go!”
They all dashed off, running full throttle across the track, except a few people in the back who merely ran at a comfortable pace in no rush. Willy sprinted forward, the blood pumped through his legs, he felt his adrenaline completely kick in, and he stormed off through the track. Even during the turns, his moves didn’t falter. He kicked up his pace during the straight ways, his arms moving in a fluid pace along his body. He looked back for a split second, noticing he was behind literally everyone… even Sid. In fact… Sid was all the way in the back, not far away from the pacers.
Willy grunted and frowned. What the hell is that bastard up to now? Willy knew he was up to something. Until then, he had to keep up his pace. He could do it, he trained himself day and night for days like this. It was time to reclaim his title, he would do it now, in front of a standing ovation, everyone would see Willy, and acknowledge him. He didn’t care so much for popularity really, but if people saw just what he could do, it would only further increase his chance to do anything he wanted with himself, and be proud for what he could do. He wanted no one to even touch him in his records. Standing at the top of the world, was his only goal.
Lara watched from inside of the arena, casually standing among the platform in the center. The vice-president of the council, a freshmen with an extremely calm disposition, blue hair that adorned sort of wildly among his face, cold sapphire eyes that appeared to have little interest in anything… outside of the 2-D world.
“Is this a hereditary trait in your family? Ape-shit status activation?” Jesse, the vice-president, asked somewhat sarcastically. Lara only glanced at Jesse with a short glare. The only reason she didn’t pummel him when they first met, or even allow him to be on the council, was because he and Willy had been friends for so long, she at least respected that. And even so, he was a very productive member in the council, in his own strange ways. He could be series and diplomatic when it mattered.
“Oh Willy…” Lara simply sighed, yet narrowed her eyes and smiled. “There is no beacon that illuminates as lively as you.”
Willy continued his sprint across the track. Completely confident in his victory now, only two more laps to go until the end. He had only broken a little sweat, while he had lapped some people twice, even Dew once. In fact, he was coming up on a lap on Dew again. Willy sprinted behind Dew, only a few meters away. Dew looked back, sweating like a banshee, panting like a fat pig.
“Willy… you’re coming back… say, wanna run the rest of these laps for me?! I think… I’m about to pass out…”
Willy closed in on Dew as he slowed down, smiled. “Of course!”
“My body… is glistening with sweat!”
Suddenly, in a swift move forward, a new figure appeared next to Willy as he ran. Willy’s eyes widened, he looked over, noticing the dark haired boy, his face hanging down, his black hair covering his face. He looked up, dark eyes piercing through Willy, and even Dew was startled, nearly falling out of the track and ultimately out of the face. Dew regained his composure and kept running. Willy and Sid both took off immediately, picking up their pace and passing Dew greatly.
“Go Willy…! Kick his ass…!!” Dew spun around once for virtually no reason, and began running backwards. “My trajectory… totally off course!! I’m gonna… fall… and lose…”
Lara observed from her post in the stadium, watching the two boys clash heads and go at it full throttle. Lara looked on in shock. “Unbelievable… he’s keeping up with Willy? That’s insane…”
Jesse folded his arms and observed next to Lara. “That is quite intense,” Jesse said with a somewhat nod of acknowledgement. “This is getting interesting…”
“Willy has competition, huh?” Lara smiled. “Go for it, Willy. You’re amazing, you know.”
Willy and Sid both came to the turn. Sid skillfully maneuvered past Willy as he nearly lost his footing. Sid literally rolled beneath Willy’s feet as he began to fall. The crowd even gasped as Willy nearly fell face first on the track. Sid looked back apathetically. Willy caught his balance in a handspring, and continued his ultimate pursuit; an intense expression painted on his face, followed by Sid’s narrowing eyes, and his calm yet daunting demeanor. Willy noticed that Sid had literally not broken a sweat. This pissed Willy off slightly, but he would not hesitate. He who hesitates is lost. That was a proverb Willy lived by.
Willy caught up with Sid, directly behind him, approaching the finish line, only one lap to go.
The coach and overseer of the race took their time, raising his arm with his stopwatch, he announced. “Lap Nine! One more lap! Go!”
Willy and Sid immediately picked up their pace. The crowd was practically raving at their showdown. Willy struggled to keep past Sid… but Sid appeared to not be fatigued at all. What the hell, was he even human? Was he in that perfect physical shape that even surpassed Willy’s? No way Willy would stand for this.
Sid once again passed Willy. Willy faltered slightly, tripping off of the track, he rolled throughout the field in an amazing fury, crashing into a barrel of accessories… even being impaled in the arm by a rake. Willy screamed, his arm began bleeding. The crowd gasped, the coach moved forward. Sid merely looked back… yet dropped his pace…and continued running.
Willy forcefully pulled the rake out of his arm. He groaned in pain. Lara and Jesse from afar looked horrified. Lara’s eyes widened and shrunk. “Willy! Stop the race!!”
“DON’T YOU DARE STOP THIS RACE!!” Willy exclaimed, clenching his fists, his resolve completely took over. Lara shook slightly, even Jesse appeared shaken. The coach stepped back, only looking ahead.
“Son… you need to seek medical help immediately! Come with me-“
“Don’t touch me!!” Willy glared ahead, immediately got back on the track. He ripped off his shirt, literally ripped it off by the collar, throwing it aside across the track. Blood began to splatter upon his body from his wound.
Willy had trained himself to defeat his stamina by subjecting his mind to his primal instincts. He still hadn’t perfected the art yet… but it was taking over. Willy’s expression nearly became blank, as he launched himself forward in a blind rage. When Willy was in a dire situation, often impossible odds placed against him, he had an involuntary habit of kicking into ‘overdrive’, or basically allowing his primal instincts to take over. He doesn’t think anymore, he just does. He ignored his injury, it didn’t even matter. All that mattered, was winning this damn race.
Sid looked back, tilted his head back with an arrogant smirk and kept going. It appeared as though, through this scene, Sid was completely manipulating Willy, which Willy was unaware of right now. Sid was controlling the race, he had been the entire time. Sid was losing at the beginning, because he chose to lose. He’s winning now, because he chooses to win.
Willy attempted to defy these laws, and moved forward, going across the last turn, he lapped Dew once again. Dew appeared, running alongside Sid. Willy appeared in between the three, a somewhat blank expression among his face. His eyes appeared lifeless now, only focused on the goal ahead. Yet he was still aware of his surroundings, and acknowledged Sid and Dew.
“You’re good, Willy,” Sid said calmly and coldly, yet with a bitter sarcastic edge. “However, my victory is already certain,” Willy growled.
“That’s not for you to decide!” Willy attempted to pass, yet couldn’t outmaneuver and outrun Sid, blocking his path. Dew looked on from ahead.
“Is it not?”
“Okay guys… I really need to take a breather…--“ Dew faltered, as Sid passed him by in a burst of speed, he literally left him in his dust. Dew tripped… and toppled down. His body collapsed… over Willy’s. Willy, attempting to maneuver out of Dew’s falling reach, was caught by Dew, tripping over him, he flipped himself up, once more, yet he didn’t anticipate just where he was coming down.
Willy’s eyes widened. It was too late, he fell straight into a curve, by attempting to regain his balance and stand upright… his knee completely gave out. SNAP. That dreadful echo throughout the field. Willy fell straight down… his leg wobbled beneath him, tripping over the curve and a large bucket on the side. Drenched in his own blood, his body rolled across the field.
“Call 911! Get the medical unit over here now!” Sirens sounded inside of the arena, already prepared in case of any scene like this.
Lara covered her hands with her mouth, Jesse gritted his teeth. Lara ran for Willy, as Sid crossed the finish line. Sid stopped, began panting slightly, and looked on by himself. Sid looked nonchalantly toward the commotion, a dark glare plagued his face. Lara looked over at Sid… and glared with a death glare. Sid returned with narrowing his eyes, and smirked smugly, waving Lara off… he walked out of the arena, as if nothing had happened at all. Lara knew who that gesture was meant for.
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