Built For Almost

The campus track had never felt so alive.

The weeks blurred into a whirlwind of drills, stretching sessions, recovery routines, and strict nutritional schedules. With the looming qualifier hanging over the team like a weight none of them could ignore, it was impossible to stay in the rhythm of "normal." This wasn't just about a race anymore. It was about proving themselves-about making it count.

Coach Langley had become sharper, more focused than usual. His usual strictness had taken on a kind of precision that made even the most laid-back teammates snap to attention. Every second on the track mattered. Every push off the blocks. Every single breath.

Neil was doing better. Or at least that's what he told himself.

He could run now without his knee buckling. He could power through a full session and still stand upright. He still iced every night. Still wore his brace like it was part of him. But the ache-constant, gnawing-never really left. Not when he sat. Not when he laid down next to Zay. Not even when he dreamed.

And worst of all-he still wasn't sure Coach would let him run. It is true, the coach told him straight out, in front of the whole team, that he wanted him to start. But Neil still didn't believe it.

...

Coach Langley had pulled him aside that morning. Quietly. Away from the team.

They were in the corner of the indoor gym, where the walls echoed every breath. Neil could feel the weight of the coach's stare even before he turned around.

"You're holding together," The coach said after a moment. "But I need to know what's under the surface, Alister. Are you going to break again?"

Neil swallowed. "No."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't a whole truth either.

Langley didn't respond at first, just watched him with narrowed eyes. "You've come a long way. Your form is better. Times are improving. But recovery isn't just physical. You and I both know that."

Neil looked down at his hands, clenched and trembling slightly.

Coach let the silence stretch before saying quietly, "If I let you run, it's not just because you're fast. It'll be because I believe you're ready. Mind and body. You hear me?"

Neil met his eyes, steady this time. "I hear you."

...

The team was feeling it too. The pressure. The adrenaline. The creeping anxiety.

Callum was showing off more than usual, cracking jokes to mask nerves that buzzed under his skin. Chase was hyper-focused, calculating everyone's split times and breathing patterns like they were puzzle pieces. Even Devon, normally the loudest, had gone quiet lately. Like everyone was waiting-
for the moment the lineup was announced. For the names that would be called.

For the final stretch.

Zay hadn't left Neil's side much.

Not at training, not during meals, not in the quiet moments that followed each exhausting practice. Neil had practically taken over his dorm again, crashing half-draped in one of Zay's hoodies, bruised legs tangled in Zay's blanket.

But something was changing.

Zay was protective-always had been-but now there was a new edge to it. Like he was watching everyone just a little too closely when they got too near Neil. Like the fire behind his eyes wasn't just about running anymore.

Especially when Callum showed up.

...

That afternoon, the team gathered in the locker room after a draining tempo set. Everyone was beat. Callum had been extra loud again, cracking jokes about the lineup announcement like he wasn't waiting on the edge of his seat.

Neil sat on the bench, rubbing the ache in his knee, while Zay stood against the wall next to him, arms crossed, eyes cold when Callum leaned too close during his usual jabs.

"You think Coach'll really let you race, Alister?" Callum asked, smile crooked. "Wouldn't blame him if he didn't. It's a big gamble."

Neil didn't respond. He didn't need to. Zay stepped forward before Neil could even breathe in.

"Don't," Zay said, voice sharp, low. "You don't get to second guess him, Callum."

"Relax," Callum muttered, hands up in mock surrender. "Just talking."

"Talk somewhere else."

There was a shift in the room-everyone going quiet. Tension rising like heat off the track. Everyone knew that these two are a bad combination and there are always problems.

But Neil just stood, brushing his hand against Zay's arm-soft, a silent anchor.

"Let's go," he said quietly, and Zay followed, jaw tight.

...

Later that night, Coach Langley posted the lineup outside his office.

Neil didn't look right away. He stood a few steps back, eyes scanning names he wasn't ready to see.

Zay was already there.

He turned, mouth tight, and without a word stepped aside so Neil could see for himself.

And there it was. His name.

Neil Alister - 200m

His heart thudded so loudly it felt like it shook the walls.

"You're in," Zay said, voice low. "The coach believes in you."

Neil blinked, still staring.

And then-something in him broke open.
Relief, joy, fear. All at once.

"I don't know if I can do it," Neil whispered.

Zay stepped closer, close enough that Neil could feel the heat of him. "Then we'll do it together. Every step. I'm not letting you fall."

Neil looked up, chest tight.

And for the first time that day, he nodded.