The seventh lap. The idea was simple. Survive till the seventh lap and then allow yourself to get caught.
After that, you can do push-ups while the coach does the remaining three laps. It was a way to survive the coach's brutal cat and dog game.
A method devised by Ken specifically.
One that he and the others would use not only to compensate for their lack of endurance should they suffer for it, but also to mask their identities as it would be quite odd if someone, say of Tiffany's size and build was to manage all ten laps at the same time as Luke and Vince.
It was a calculated manuevre. One Ken was quite proud of.
As Max and Ken continued their sprint, more students were caught, mostly nerds.
Two and a half laps. And the pain and agony of running really fast was starting to get to Max, who was now panting.
The students who were caught remained in the middle of the pitch, struggling to do push-ups.
All of a sudden, Lenny fell to the ground in defeat. He could go no further. The coach somehow immediately noticed this.
Gilbert: Lenny! Strike two. Out!
Lenny morosely lifted himself up and walked to the stairs and sat in the place in which the audience would sit during a game.
Max: What is he...?
Ken: Focus, Max!
Max took his advice and continued to run irregardless of what had happened.
Max and Ken passed by the girls' group, dodging through all the girls who seemed to be running at an intentionally slower pace. He saw Tiffany and Rose.
Tiffany: C'mon Rose. Keep up.
Rose nodded her head as she continued to run.
The majority of the guys passed the girls as they finished their third lap, and the coach was not too far behind. Rushing through the girls again in a similar manner as before.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
The girls had just about finished their second lap, and after the coach had finished his second run through them, they all immediately began to sprint as well. If the coach overtook them once more, they'd be on the ground doing push ups.
The screams from the girls as they ran faster sounded audibly around the field.
More and more students were caught. Maxs fourth lap. At this point, 10 students were caught, and four of them were on the audience seats.
Luke and Vince passed Max.
Vince: Keep up, loser.
Luke: You got this, Max!
The pair continued irregardless as other jocks passed by Max, some of them intentionally bumping into him.
Max: Hey!
Ken: Never mind that and move.
Moments later, a loud scream was heard. The first girl had been caught. She sobbingly walked to the middle of the pitch and began to do girl push-ups.
Max: (thinking: Girls get easier push-ups, too?)
Fifth lap.
At this point, Max could barely hold on. His feet were killing him. He continually wondered as to how Ken had not fallen apart yet. So far, 14 students had been caught. 10 guys and 4 girls.
He just kept his eyes on the prize. There were two more laps to go.
Sixth lap.
He and Ken passed by Tiffany and Rose again. They were on their fourth lap.
Tiffany: Come on, Rose, just a little longer.
Rose was sweaty and exhausted.
She was also on her last legs.
Max: Rose?
Rose: Max?
Tiffany: Rose, focus!
Rose turned to Tiffany and nodded her head. Tiffany looked at Max almost as if to tell him to move.
Ken as well signalled to him to follow. After all, the mere fatc that they had just passed the girls again meant that the coach was about to catch them all.
The calculations Ken made worked differently for the girls. This was because the workout would stop once the coach had finished running nine laps. As a result, there was no need for the girls to keep up with the guys, as they could simply wait till their fifth lap and then do easier push ups for around the same amount of time Ken had calculated the guys would be doing push ups. It was yet another part of Kens' strategy.
The coach promptly started shooting at the girls one by one, as they were all in around the same area. As the coach brushed through them, Tiffany and Rose were also caught. Max watched as the pair walked to the centre and started doing girl push-ups.
Seventh lap.
At this point, only a few students were left on the track. The majority had either been caught or were in the audience seats.
Ken signalled to Max to slow down.
Ken: Phew. Great job.
Max: Yeah.
Max almost collapsed. He felt like he'd just won a marathon. That running was absolutely brutal.
The coach was gaining on them even faster, but that didn't matter. After all, it was their arm muscles that they now had to worry about. On top of that, since there were fewer students on the track and so they would have to do push ups for a shorter time.
It was then that the coach finally caught up with them.
He shot Ken but did not shoot Max.