8:00 pm

I really am going o die this time. Someone, please put me out of my misery.


OK, the stairs run? I'ts about four flights of stairs which each have about 50 stairs in them. You do them at a NORMAL pace, and you can't walk around very well for the next hour.

That was not a normal pace.

I think Ella is on to me. As we were getting all set to race against each other (we're almost always paired as partners because we're the same size and level of experience), I concentrate on positioning myself for a good start. I glance at her and she's looking at me kind of funny.

Suddenly, she gets this determined look on her face and positions herself strategically, too.

I inch forward a little, so that I'm just a bit ahead.

She inches forward.

We're nearly toe-in-line with the first step by the time our coach blows the whistle,and we're off!

Ella's going pretty fast. I find it hard to keep ahead just one stair at a time, so I switch to two, keeping my technique sound so that coach won't call me back.

Ella switches to two.

I do three.

Ella's doing three.

I huff and puff and all I can see are the stairs in front of me, but I don't see Ella ahead anywhere, so I know that things are still going allright--

we get to the top and suddenly the coach yells, "Tie!"

I don't look at Ella because I'm sure I'll be giving her a dirty look if I do.

We both stop, breathing like like athsmatic elephants, and then we both make a beeline for a nearby garbage can and throw up--

at exactly the same time.

"Great teamwork, girls!" The coach calls from far below.

My mom nearly has to carry me to the van.

What is wrong with that girl?