Still in the running

The first buzzer sounded after which the sound of one of the teachers could be heard through the speaker system, asking participants to get to the starting line. The first event was about to begin, which was the 100 meter sprint for girls. After that it would be the boys turn at the 200 meter sprint, followed by the relay race. So, Jason would be having two events back to back. He was stretching when Jenny came to wish him luck. Considering the distance they had to run, the first two events were over before they even began, despite consisting out of three rounds of five runners each. A round for each year. Where point could be won by placing first in your year and placing first in the event overall. Luckily the medal ceremony gave them a bit of time to catch their breaths.

Disregarding all the people surrounding them, Jenny ran to Jason when she saw him cross the finish line and threw herself on him like she had done the evening before. Jason wasn't going to be the one to stop her from doing things like that and was pleasantly surprised by her. "Jace you were amazing! If you use this much power at the relay race you will win with no problem." Jason chuckled as he looked at Jenny's eyes that were sparkling from excitement. "I am sweaty. Aren't you afraid of getting your uniform dirty." Jenny shrugged her shoulders before saying "What are washing machines for then. Was I supposed to let a little sweat stop me from congratulating you with your win?" Jason shook his head as he smiled gently at Jenny. "No, you are completely right." He loved how Jenny didn't mind getting a bit dirty. He knew many girls that wouldn't touch their boyfriends or fiances if they had a bit of dirt or sweat on them. Making them shower before they would consider getting their clothes dirty. But not Jenny. Maybe it was due to her growing up with three brothers, but regardless he was happy that she wasn't like those girls. He put his arm around her and walked her to the awards stage. As expected Jason got the gold medal. Though no one really knew how he managed to stay in shape, he always seemed to be at the top of his game.

Now that the last round of the sprints had been run and the medals had been awarded, the time for the relay race had come. This was Jenny's event. She was in charge of manning one of the booths along the way with one of the riddles that the participants had to solve before being allowed to pass the baton over to their teammate. In total there were three riddles that they had to solve.

The riddle Jenny was in charge of was: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?

The other three riddles were:

You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy.

I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

Where the relay race had mental tasks, the three legged race had physical tasks. Such as a ring toss and balloon popping. So, if Jason was selected out of the backups, he could show off all his talents during this sports festival.

As Jenny had predicted Jason flew through the relay without even breaking a sweat or losing a second, but that was the trouble with a relay. You aren't in it by yourself. It's a team effort that allows you to win. One weak member and you can lose just as easily. Though Jason's group didn't manage to get the gold medal by a split second, they did get silver. Since the final prize is determined by the total number of points gathered by a class, Jason's class was still in the running.

Before the long distance runs would start, there was a thirty minute break. The group gathered together underneath one of the trees surrounding the fields and sat in the shade for a moment to rest up and enjoy one of the snacks made by Julia and Sophia, who had managed to get permission to attend today's event. Elizabeth and Jenny had both been too busy for different reasons to prepare anything, but lucky for them the guys in their lives had brought something to contribute on their behalf for lunch time later today. As they sat together in that pick nick setting, Jason noticed that Jenny was quite tired despite what she was saying before. So, when the end of the break was announced Jason grabbed Jenny's hand and took her with him to a place where she could take a nap. He answered none of Jenny's questions and had her follow him into the school and up to the nurse's station.

"What are we doing here?" Jenny asked and finally Jason answered. "You need to catch some sleep. It is clear that you are exhausted." Jenny was about to turn around after she said, "I don't need to sleep. Everyone is exhausted. I can rest when the day is over. Right now I need to be available to assist with the other events and for people who might have questions." But before she was able to leave, Jason blocked her path and said. "They aren't my problem. They have their own friends and loved ones to look out for them. You are my only priority right now. There are plenty of class representatives available for any questions and needed assistance. It doesn't have to be you. So, go on. I will wake you up in an hour or so." Jenny had to admit she was really shaky on her legs and was feeling a bit dizzy from the lack of sleep she was having. Maybe sleeping for just an hour wouldn't be so bad. But sleeping here? In the sickbay? She would be really uncomfortable here. What if someone walked in and saw her sleeping here. They would think she was slacking off.

Seeing the hesitation on Jenny's face instead of pure rejection, Jason grabbed a blanket and pulled Jenny out of the nurse's station and walked back to the stairs. They walked up to the roof and Jason showed her his secret spot. "Come." He said as he went around the top of the stairwell where a small, metal ladder was secured against the wall. The ladder lead to the roof of the stairwell, which was a few feet above the roof of the school and was out of sight. It seemed that Jason had rubber tiles placed on that roof, which provided a soft "mattress" for them to lie on. He grabbed the blanket and put it down. "There you go. Lie down. You are the first person I bring up here with me. So, enjoy your nap. No one will bother you here." "Okay, but for just one hour." She said firmly before finally giving in. Jenny placed herself down on the comfy blanket and fell asleep in no time. The bright sun keeping her warm and the small elevation at the edges shielding her from the little wind there was, she understood why Jason liked this place so much. While Jenny slept like a baby, Jason sat by her side as he watched over her and kept an eye on the field where the festival was taking place. Guarding the princess, like a true prince does.