Surrounding
the arena were their supporters who screamed encouragement as Carly and Dawn
charged clumsily at each other. There was
a crack as the baseball bats clashed.
The two women struggled in grim silence, their pale faces furious.
“They used
to be such good friends,” Jodie sighed.“Yes,” Claire responded, “until the competition. They hate each other now.”
“It’s always that way, if you like someone first and something like this comes between you, friendship turns to hatred and well ...” Jodie broke off as Carly dropped her baseball bat.
With a yell
of triumph Dawn swung her baseball bat into her rival’s stomach, Carly sank to
the ground with a groan. Dawn pushed her
advantage, but Carly had had enough, she raised her hands in the surrender
gesture. Dawn had won. Claire and Jodie groaned in unison, they had
been supporting Carly.
“She’s going
to be devastated. All that effort, all
that fight, she really wanted that prize,” Claire murmured, “I don’t know what
to say to her.”Jodie said nothing. She watched Dawn’s supporters surround their friend and lift her on their shoulders, carrying her to the winner’s podium. Carly’s friends melted away, disappearing from the side of the arena, distancing themselves from the loser. Jodie went to where Carly knelt in the arena sobbing uncontrollably. “I really wanted it, I really wanted to win it, the prize,” she moaned.
“I know, I know,” Jodie whispered soothingly, stroking her friend’s matted hair and kissing her.
“And if I couldn’t have it, I really didn’t want her to, but she’s got it hasn’t she? She’s won. I hope she’s happy,” Carly’s face was twisted with bitterness. She and Jodie looked up to the winner’s podium where Dawn held her prize aloft.
The ugly tupperware
cup filled with plastic beads was in Dawn’s hands now, out of Carly’s reach
forever. The coloured glass beads stuck
on its sides with glue shone in the weak sunshine.
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