Hi - ummm...yeah...been bad about these things, I guess, and it looks like I'll have to do some double duty to get back on track, and it will likely take some weekend work. But let's not waste time with idle prattle, yes?
Janet sat by herself amidst the random assortment of people. She hated being here. Every week, all summer long, this was where she was expected to be. Sitting among a bunch of lunatics cheering for others just as messed up as they are. She sighed as she opened her novel and tried to sink herself in another world. Any world would do, really, as long as she could escape even in part from this hell. She sighed and put down her book, unable to get the conversation from earlier out of her mind.
"You're coming down to the track tonight?"
"I wasn't planning on it."
"Why not? You know I like it when you're there to see me race."
She sighed. Here it was. Years of putting up with this were finally about to come to a head. "I really don;t like going down there. I don;t know anyone, and I don't like any of them."
"You don't really know any of them."
"And I like it that way! Just go. Have fun, race well, and I'll be here when you get back."
"You hate it, don't you?"
"Hate what?"
"You hate that I race and I'm actually successful at it, don't you?"
"I hate the fact that it takes so much time and that it's the only thing you seem to think about."
"You know that's not true," he said. "I spend a lot of time with you! What about last weekend? We had a great time!"
"Oh great! We go and have a great weekend, only to come home and have the same problems waiting here for us!"
"Like what? What problems are you talking about??"
"Oh, never mind! You wouldn't understand."
"You're right, I don't understand. I don't understand why it is that you can't be supportive of something that's good for me."
"I sit there every week, being ignored by everyone, and you say I don;t support you?"
"You sit there with your nose in a book every chance you get. You don't try to meet people, you don't try to have fun. How is it supportive when you don't even talk to anyone?"
"I'm there for you, not them."
He had let the conversation go there, but she knew it wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Looking around her, the small crowd was broken up into several groups of threes and fours, all talking away about something or other. She didn't know any of these people, and she felt like an outsider. She WAS an outsider. She knew nothing about this sport, and didn't understand it. The last time she was even on a bike was so long ago she could barely remember.
She looked back down at the book, and thought about escaping back into it again, but knew it was hopeless. She would never be able to concentrate, not with what she was feeling now. She still didn't know why she was here.
"Please?"
That was it. He asked her to come with just that word. And she found herself here, wishing she was somewhere else. This mattered to him. That was enough for today.
She got up from her seat on the bleachers and went to the car, where he was putting his bike away. The race was over, and as always, he did nothing special in it. He won no money or honors of any sort. She went to walk past him and get in the car.
"Thank you," he said, "for being here tonight."
Janet sighed. "You're welcome," she said, "and I'm sorry about earlier."
"Me too. Want to hit a bar for a drink or two? Just us?"
"No," she said. "You're all stinky and disgusting."
He laughed. "I'll shower up as soon as we get home." Then he smiled at her.
She loved that smile. It melted her, most days, and he knew it. "Well, if you don't, you're sleeping in the car."
This long-awaited snippet was thought of while watching a woman at the track last night at the "Tuesday Night World Championships." What are those?? Local bike races - cool stuff.
Thanks for reading.
The Fat Kid
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