[15/06/2021, Stanford University, 12:30]
The gap between Jace, Tariq, and the leading group began to close rapidly. The black safety with the runner's goggles glanced back, after hearing loud thuds of footsteps impacting the track. What he saw whipped the smirk off his face and he wished he had more legs so he could move faster.
Tariq donning his you better move, or I might have to kill you face was charging straight at him. 'No, that can't be right he is probably just trying to catch up with u." He tried to tell himself but the light smirk he gleamed drove the fear of God in him.
Suddenly he was gaining speed like a headless chicken surprising the 3 other recruits around him. Before they could get to grips at how he manged to dig up another gear they approached the final bend. At this point they all were struggling, since they had pushed themselves from the get-go, they could feel their muscles start to yearn for more oxygen.
None of this mattered to Tariq though as he took lane two and started accelerating past them as if he was Ross Chastain trying to advance to the Championship. Gravity no longer held him as he leaned to the left as he sped past them. Jace was hot on his heels, but his running posture was much more normal. He simply used his long legs and athleticism to drive himself forward.
Tariq surged ahead like a freight train, his powerful strides eating up the remaining distance with ease. The black safety with the goggles tried to push harder the closer Tariq got, but his legs betrayed him, wobbling under the strain. Just as they completed the bend Tariq blew past him followed by Jace.
What ensued was a hundred-meter foot race between the two as the gap between them and the previous leaders exploded. Like twin comets, the two blazed a trail forward crossing the first 30 meters with ease as they finally got level. Both only looked forward trying to dig up the last of their reserves. The final 70 meters became a war of willpower and determination.
Tariq's legs pumped with an almost mechanical rhythm, his muscles screaming in protest, but his face was set with a fierce focus. Jace, just a step behind, leaned into his stride, his arms slicing through the air as he pushed his body to its absolute limits. However, despite his best tries, Jace found himself falling behind in the final 20 meters as Tariq simply continued running.
The boy did not seem to have a limiter as he raised his legs and pumped with his arms. One step at a time and before he knew it, he crossed the finishing line at 3:00 minutes flat. However, he continued running only slowing down when he started going around the bend again. Jace came in at a time of 3:10 placing second in his batch. The closest guys to their time crossed the finishing line at 3:52 and surprisingly the leading quartet barely managed to crack the bottom of the top 10. They simply didn't have enough gas for the final stretch and lost some valuable seconds in the final stretch.
"That number 11, Is tough you recon he could do half that in pads" An elderly black man in his early fifties commented to a man wearing the same school base cap as him.
"You think you could kick him to shape? We've only got one scholarship left and we gotta make it count." A white man much older than by about 2o years but the charisma he exuded made him seem 30 years younger.
"You know Nick, this will be Robinson's Junior year at running back and he is more than ready to step into that role and dominate. However, this Tariq fellow has the talent to be a crimson tide and with a year as Robinson's back-up or even 3rd or fourth string is more than enough for me to make him ready for us in his sophomore year." He responded with an assured expression as he eyed Tariq who was showing off in front of Jace.
"You make a fair point Mike, and I trust your judgment if you want him well make the offer Just wait until after the Interview section and make your final decision then," Nick stated with a light smile as he moved onto the next station that focused on Offensive and Defensive Linemen.
~~~
[15/06/2021, Stanford stadium, 13:00]
The lunch break gave the recruits a chance to breathe and get some food in their system. Most of them had not eaten breakfast as they wanted to appear in their best physical shape for physical without added weight. For Jace and Tariq, it was more of a snack break as they gouged on some cheap protein bars to keep them going.
They had money for food but decided to save it for the end of the day. Tariq is the middle child of 7 children and is basically his family's only hope. His eldest brother is sitting in jail for a bid of 8 years for grand larceny, robbery with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and creating a disturbance in a public space. However, I think they were just being petty with that last charge because he made the cops chasing him hit the Stanky legs after turning their car chase into a foot race.
His second oldest brother was gunned down in a gang-related shooting. Don't get me wrong KC wasn't a bad kid; matter of fact he was kind of cool. He was basically the template for the smart nerd who could make you feel like the smartest in the room.
The dude is the only nerd I've known who was able to date a cheerleader in high school and convince her to go to ComiCon with him. If having game was a person, then KC would be it and added to the fact, he was a straight-A student doing things like building robots for the STEM club out of the limited budget Crenshaw could offer. Have you ever seen Jocks, Nerds, goths, cool kids, and weirdos all show up to a state robot competition to support one person.
KC was that guy, yet he was also the 17-year-old kid gunned down on 134th Crenshaw Blvd. He had been on his way home after picking up a delivery at the corner store when he had his life taken from him. The guy who shot him had mistaken him for one of his ops and decided to shoot first and ask questions later.
These series of events set in motion Devontee's entire into one of the sets of the Crenshaw bloods, which inevitably landed him in prison counting sheep. So, in the truest sense, Taric is the oldest brother of his siblings and their ticket out of the mud that is the hoods of Crenshaw. For this simple reason, Tariq saved every little amount of money his single mother gave him only using it when it's absolutely necessary.
With this as a motivation it was no wonder, he became best friends with Jace who practically lived on the field. His sister wouldn't let him in the streets and even when his parents were alive it was school, the field, and then home. Oh, you got the energy to run around in these streets then you can do some more press-ups or work on next year's subjects.
Jace didn't spend his money for the sole reason he wanted to buy his little sister a birthday gift. Her birthday had been four months ago in February, but he had been to break to get her anything. He barely managed to get her a cake and took her out to eat. With the 20 dollars Yara had given him, he finally saved up $300, enough to buy her the Switch she had been silently longing for all year.
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To Be Continued...