This is my first story, so I'd be incredibly grateful for any feedback. Please be gentle though, it's my first time remember.
This is a little something from my memory banks. A story that's been rattling around my head for a long time, but an old favourite I revisit every so often when I need something guaranteed to put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. It's how I met my first love, my first real girlfriend and without doubt the dirtiest girl I've ever known. Her name was Claire.
We'd known of each other since we started high school, but never actually spoke to one another until one afternoon, purely by chance, we were both selected to run the 200 metre event at the city championships. This was my event and I'd love to say I'd trained all year, given my blood, sweat and tears for it, but that would be lying. I was fortunate enough to be naturally athletic and fast. Don't get me wrong, I attended training, but I put in the least amount of effort I could get away with. Partly because I didn't want to train, partly because I didn't need to.
So, as usual before the event started I was sitting on the grass at the side of the track watching everyone else warming up and stretching to prepare when I heard someone approach behind me and in a soft, almost timid voice ask if this was the 200 metre start line.
"It most certainly is." I replied without turning to see who spoke.
"Thanks." Came the quiet voice.
Normally, I just sit in my own world, laughing internally at everyone else preparing hard for the race and knowing that I'd beat them anyway. This day however, something about that voice piqued my interest. Looking back now, I think it was because I knew everyone who ran my event and I didn't know this voice. So, intrigued, I turned to see her standing a few paces from me looking absolutely terrified and not at all sure what was happening. I knew she was Claire from my school, I knew she was a distance runner and I knew she was one of the quiet ones in my year. One thing I didn't know however, was what she was doing here.
"How come you're still here, I thought the 1500 metres was finished about an hour ago?" I enquired.
"It did. Laura was meant to be doing the 200 but she's rolled her ankle." Came the soft reply
"Okay, so why are you here? I thought you only did distance running?"
"I don't really know." Claire replied, shifting her weight from one leg to the other and wrapping her arms around herself. "I guess I was the first person that Mrs. Robson saw when she heard Laura couldn't compete. Lucky me."
I noticed she started the blush a little and look down at her trainers at this last comment.
"Any tips?" she asked sheepishly
"Yeah, just go all out for the whole race. Don't hold anything in reserve, just give it everything all the way round." I replied, somewhat cockily
"Thanks. Are you not warming up?" she asked looking puzzled.
"Nope." I said with a grin. "I can't be bothered. But, feel free if you want to."
Claire looked at me like she couldn't work out if I was being serious or not, then, probably regretting talking to me in the first instance, started doing some stretching before her race, which was up next.
As she lined up for her race, I couldn't help but compare her to the other girls she was competing with. Where they had muscular, powerful legs, Claire had long, skinny legs. Where they had nice round, muscular arses, she didn't really have any curves to speak of. Slim body, small, flat boobs. Just your general distance runners body. Her hair caught my attention though. Flame red, shoulder length hair. If it had been a sunny day it would have shone, but even overcast as it was, it had a glow to it.
As they crouched for the start I shook my head and turned away, imagining her trailing dead last after the first corner. I heard the starting gun go off and couldn't bring myself to look up, dreading to see her at the back. I heard the cheering in the stands as the girls got to the finish, but blocked it out as I took my lane ready for the start. I thought about nothing else around me other than crossing that finishing line first. The gun sounded and 25.7 seconds later I was crossing the line in first and setting a new City record in the process.
Sprint races are a total blur. At least for me anyway. The only things I ever remember about them is the start and the finish. The main part of the race doesn't register at all. Even after I finish, it takes a good 5 or so minutes to come down off the adrenaline rush. I tend to focus on something and this time it was Claire. I saw her packing up her bag and making her way out of the stand and I couldn't help but stare at her from a distance, like tunnel vision. As she turned she caught my gaze and gave me a small wave, then dropping her head and making her way out of the stadium before she could see me wave back.
After that, I'd see her around school and we'd say hi and that was about it. A few months later we left school and I never gave her a second thought as I started my working life as an apprentice welder and fabricator. I stayed in touch with a few of my close friends, but as we got jobs or went to uni most of us kind of drifted apart, doing our own thing.
A few years later, I was out in town having a few drinks, getting over a bad breakup, trying to drown out the argument that was still going on in my head. It was always going to end badly, she'd left someone to be with me and now history was repeating itself. Toward the end of the night, when I was good and fucked up, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and couldn't help but be drawn to it. A bright, glowing red shock of hair in among the sea of blonde and brunette on the dance floor.
I propped myself against the wall and watched this hypnotic sight in front of me, totally transfixed in my drunken state. As I started she turned and I got a good look at her face, she was strikingly beautiful. Defined, high cheekbones, deep green eyes, petite nose and that hair. Long, wavy red hair. In my alcohol fuelled mind I couldn't process it all, but she looked familiar. Then again, everyone looked familiar tonight and I knew none of them. When she saw me looking her way she looked away at first, probably thinking I was weighing up how to make my move. Then she looked again, this time looking more intently my way until the penny dropped.
She charged across the floor and pretty much threw her arms around me, screaming in my ear.
"Dan! I can't believe it's you!"
I had no idea what was happening, so started to peel this random woman off me. She must have cottoned on to what I was doing, so released her grip.
