The Last Lap

On Friday, Dylan and Chloe were practising for the school fun run. Dylan had trained for weeks, but Chloe had only joined the running group that morning. When Chloe stumbled on the oval, Dylan slowed down and asked if he was all right. “I’m fine,” he said, rubbing his ankle, “but I’ll never catch up now.” Dylan wanted to beat her personal best. She glanced at the finish line, then turned back. “We can jog together,” she said. Chloe looked surprised. “But you might miss your time.” “I’d rather finish with a friend than leave you behind,” Dylan replied. She stayed beside him, counting their steps and encouraging him up the gentle hill. Near the end, Chloe spotted a younger runner looking worried beside a dropped water bottle. Dylan and Chloe stopped to help pick it up. The runner thanked them and hurried on. They crossed the finish line together, well after Dylan’s best time. Chloe apologised for slowing her down, but Dylan shook her head. “A time is just a number. You kept going, and we helped someone else.” Chloe smiled. On Monday, he brought Dylan a small card. It said, “Thanks for sticking by me when winning seemed more important.”