The Running Dream

Before the girls can enter the school, they are greeted by Shandall Norwood, a track teammate who runs varsity but is erratic at times when throwing the discus. Shandall cries when she sees Jessica and gives her a big hug, but when the embrace ends, Jessica realizes there is nothing else to say. She can no longer run track, so she and Shandall don’t have that commonality to converse about anymore.

Fiona wheels Jessica into the school building, and as they round the first corner, Jessica sees the large decorative banner that says, “WELCOME BACK JESSICA!!!” (93). Fiona tells Jessica that Gavin helped her hang the sign up. Jessica thanks her, calling her the best friend ever.

The Liberty High campus is laid out like a wagon wheel, with each spoke or wing of the school assigned a number. The long, twisting ramp located in the 200 Wing, a path that adds to the clogged halls between classes, is now Jessica’s only means of accessing the wings of the school. She recalls swinging over and under the rails on the ramp when she was younger, something that will never happen again. Suddenly angry, she tries to push the wheelchair herself up the ramp only to find it more difficult than she expected.