Moon Runner Read Online Free PDF Page A

said suddenly. She put her feet side by side so that the toes of her sneakers lined up exactly. She hadn’t planned to talk about the painful stuff.
    “About the team?”
    Mina squeezed her feet tightly together. “I didn’t get chosen for the relay team. Ruth’s on it, but not me.”
    “Well, at least you made a team. That’s a big deal.”
    Mina sighed. Could Mom understand? “But I’m running against Ruth in the fifty meter. She’s on the individual, like me. If I win, our Fellow Friends group will fall apart for sure.” Her voice grew high and thin. “If I let Ruth win, I’ll feel icky about myself.”
    “I’m beginning to see.” Mom straightened up and stretched her arms across the back of the bench.
    “Something important happened the other day: Ruth has always been the fastest girl, but I tied her.”
    “That’s quite something, Mina. Maybe Coach put you and Ruth both on the individual to break the tie.”
    “Maybe.” Mina considered Mom’s idea. “And there’s something else.” She told Mom about the running times Alana had seen on Coach’s clipboard.
    Mom whistled. After a moment, she stood up and took Mina’s hand, lifting her from the bench.
    The two set off across the grass. Mina jogged as slowly as Mom did. Her feet touched the grass with soft, even thuds. Gradually, she forgot about Coach and his choice, Ruth and the team, and winning and losing.
    Her breathing took on a rhythm —
easy, easy, slow, slow, slow.
She became aware of all the different parts of her feet — the little bones, the padded area of the sole, the round heels. Her footsteps landed,
now and now and now.
The earth turned up to meet her steps.

At lunchtime the next day, Mina found Coach at the last table on the end. “Could I talk to you?” she asked.
    He nodded and gestured to the spot in front of him.
    Mina sat down and set her paper lunch bag in her lap. She began to roll and unroll the top fold.
    Coach laid his sandwich on its plastic baggie while he unscrewed the top of his thermos. He poured purple juice into a cup.
    Mina thought about taking out her sandwich and munching away while she chatted with Coach. But she wanted to focus completely on what she had to ask. She plunged ahead: “I’m in the individual fifty meter and I’ve never run in a track meet before.”
    Coach took a bite of his cheese on whole wheat.
    “I’m kind of nervous. I was wondering if I could trade with someone and run with my friend Ruth Largness on the relay team instead.” The top fold of her lunch bag was becoming as soft as an old baby blanket.
    Coach swallowed and swigged his juice. “Is that the real reason, Mina?”
    Mina looked around. Ruth and Sammy sat at a far table. She didn’t see Alana, who was probably looking for her. A quick glance toward the basketball court took in Cassie from the relay team, walking with friends.
    Did she dare tell the truth out loud?
    Coach squinted at her in the bright sunlight, as though to see her better, as though urging her to trust him.
    “I’m afraid of beating Ruth. She might not be friends with me if I do.”
    Coach laughed. “That’s not how most athletes would look at it. But go on.”
    “I’d feel better running
with
Ruth, on the relay team, instead of against her in the individual.”
    “If you beat Ruth, she can take it. She may get miffed, but she won’t fall apart.”
    “But I don’t want to hurt my friend.”
    “Mina,” Coach said gently, swirling the juice around and around in the cup, “there’s a lot of responsibility in running on a team. I kept you off the relay team because of your inexperience. A lot’s at stake for your teammates. Worse than running against Ruth and beating her in the individual would be to run the relay and lose the race for Ruth and the other girls. Are you prepared to take that risk?”
    So Mom had been wrong. Coach hadn’t meant to set her up against Ruth. He was only protecting the team. Mina sat up straighter. “I know I’m