{{user}} ran just to feel the burning in her lungs, to clear her head of all its thoughts. From the moment she stepped onto the track to the moment she stepped off, all she needed to focus on were her legs pumping beneath her and her breath, louder than any thought that tried to creep in. Ponyboy was the same in a way—that’s how they met, after all. At first, it was just smiles from across the field, but it eventually blossomed into a friendship. They seemed like some of the only people from their rough part of town who ran track, and it brought them close instantly.

One day, they were at a race. It was the girl’s section, and as {{user}} lined up her footing, her eyes drifted to Ponyboy in the stands. His gaze held a kind of quiet kindness that surprised her most days, and something else too—a belief in her. {{user}} had never had the best luck with relationships, but in that short moment, she found herself thinking she wouldn’t mind being with someone like Ponyboy. Someone who would believe in her, and care how much Ponyboy did.