Miles squinted against the April sun as he jogged around the outdoor track, feeling the difference immediately. After months in the controlled environment of indoor facilities, the open air brought new variables—wind resistance on the backstretch, uneven warming of the track surface, and the psychological effect of the longer oval stretching before him.
"Carter! Maintaining pace isn't optional!" Coach Dormer's voice carried across the field as Miles realized he'd slowed on the far curve.
He picked up his cadence, pushing through the turn with renewed focus. The 400-meter outdoor track felt massive compared to the tight 200-meter indoor circuit he'd mastered over winter. Different distances meant different race strategies—no more 300-meter races but adding the 200 and 400. The championship distance would be 200 meters now, not his record-setting 300.
Andre fell in beside him as they started another interval. "Outdoor hits different, huh?"
"Everything feels... longer," Miles admitted between controlled breaths.
"That's because it is longer," Andre laughed. "Welcome to the big boy track."
After three more intervals, Coach Dormer gathered the team near the finish line. Miles noticed how the coach's gaze lingered on him momentarily longer than usual.
"Indoor achievements mean nothing now," Coach announced, scanning the assembled runners. "Different surfaces, different distances, different competition. We're resetting expectations." His eyes locked with Miles's. "Some of you have targets on your backs. National champions don't get to hide."
Miles felt the weight of those words. Two weeks had passed since Boston, since the gold medal, since Kayla's unexpected hug and their ice cream celebration. The school assembly, the local newspaper feature, the sudden attention from classmates who'd barely noticed him months ago—it all created a new normal he was still navigating.
"First meet is in three weeks," Coach continued. "Training plans will be adjusted accordingly. Carter, Nichols—stay behind."
After the others dispersed, Coach handed them each a folder. "Your outdoor programs. I've made adjustments based on your indoor performances and projected competition."
Miles opened his folder to find a training schedule far more demanding than anything he'd seen before.
"Carter, you'll be focusing on the 200 and 400, with relay work as needed. Your turnover is good, but we need to build more speed endurance for outdoor distances."
Miles nodded, scanning the detailed workout plans.
"And Carter," Coach added, his voice shifting almost imperceptibly, "being on top means everyone's gunning for you now. Remember that."
Back home, Miles dropped his backpack and immediately headed for a shower. His calves burned from the unfamiliar workout adjustments, a reminder that outdoor season brought its own unique challenges.
Wrapped in a towel, he checked his phone to find three notifications from Instagram and one text from Kayla. He opened her message first.
how was first outdoor practice?
Miles smiled, typing back: coach is trying to actually kill me this time fr
same. coach torres has us doing 300s for "speed endurance" 💀
RIP to your legs
worth it if i beat you at regionals 😏
Miles grinned. Their competitive banter had continued seamlessly alongside the more personal connection that had developed since nationals. They still hadn't defined exactly what they were to each other—neither had actually used the word "dating"—but something had definitely shifted after that ice cream not-quite-date.
He navigated to Instagram, where notifications showed multiple tags. Opening the app, he found a post from the track news account @sprint_circuit that had tagged his handle @milescarter98.
The post showed a split-screen image: on one side was Miles at nationals; on the other, a lean, muscular sprinter in a white and green uniform Miles didn't recognize, crossing a finish line.
@sprint_circuit: Outdoor season heating up! National Freshman Champion @milescarter98 vs Florida transfer @king_davion coming to New York. Who takes the crown? 👑🔥 #trackseason #sprinters #rivalry
Miles frowned, clicking through to the comments.
@king_davion: y'all hyping mid competition. I'm cooking ALL these NY sprinters this season fr... especially the "national champ" 😴
The comment had nearly a hundred likes already. Miles had never heard of this guy, but a quick profile check showed Davion King, a junior who'd apparently transferred from Florida to North Heights—Westridge's biggest rival—just in time for outdoor season.
His most recent post showed impressive times: 21.32 in the 200m and 47.89 in the 400m, both faster than Miles had ever run.
The Velocity System chimed from his dresser. Miles retrieved it, finding a notification on screen:
NEW SYSTEM UPDATE AVAILABLE:
OUTDOOR SEASON CONFIGURATION
Miles tapped accept, watching as the familiar interface transformed with new metrics specific to outdoor events. When the update completed, a new analysis appeared:
POTENTIAL COMPETITION DETECTED: DAVION KING
EVENT ANALYSIS: 200M - COMPETITOR ADVANTAGE
EVENT ANALYSIS: 400M - COMPETITOR ADVANTAGE
MISSION UPDATED: DEFEAT KING AT REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
yo you see this florida guy talking trash on milesplit? check the forum
Miles quickly pulled up the MileSplit website on his laptop. The top post on the New York regional forum featured a video interview with Davion King titled "Florida Transfer Sets Sights on NY State Record."
In the comments, King had responded to someone mentioning Miles: "Carter got lucky at nationals. One good indoor race doesn't make him elite. I've been running 21.3 in the 200m since sophomore year. He's not ready."
Miles felt a familiar fire ignite in his chest—not anger exactly, but competitive drive, sharper than anything he'd felt since before nationals.
His phone buzzed again with a message from Andre: seen king's times?
yeah. legit fast.
you worried?
Miles paused before responding: nah. just motivated
His phone lit up once more, this time with Kayla.
kayla have you seen this florida transfer on milesplit? dude's coming for my neck
just saw it. mans is too pressed. posting your times before even racing here 🙄
you gonna respond?
nah. track answers trash talk
facts. but be ready, north heights is our biggest rival too
Miles sat back against his headboard, thoughts racing. The Velocity System still displayed the competitor analysis, a clear reminder that at least on paper, this Davion King outclassed him in both events. But something else was brewing inside Miles—a strange confidence he hadn't felt before. Months ago, this kind of challenge would have intimidated him, made him question himself. Now it just clarified his focus.
He picked up his phone again, opening his conversation with Kayla.
wanna train together this weekend? somewhere halfway?
Her response came quickly: getting nervous about king already? need my expert advice?
ha. maybe I just want to see you
Miles held his breath after hitting send. They'd been dancing around moments like this—more direct expressions of interest—since nationals.
The ellipsis bubbled for what felt like an eternity before her reply appeared.
regpton park. saturday 10am. don't be late
wouldn't dream of it
The next afternoon, Coach Dormer pulled Miles aside after practice.
"You'll face North Heights at the Henderson Invitational next month," he said without preamble. "Some new transfer talking big on social media doesn't change our approach. Focus on your own progression. Clear?"
"Yes, Coach."
Coach Dormer barely glanced up from his clipboard. "Good. Your times at nationals weren't a fluke. Remember that."
Miles nodded, realizing Coach either didn't know specific details about King or simply didn't care enough to mention him by name.
"Clear," Miles agreed, though the Velocity System's mission update burned in his mind.
As Coach walked away, Trey sidled up. "So King is coming for your crown, national champ."
Miles shrugged. "Lot of talk for someone who hasn't run a race here yet."
"True, but Florida competition is no joke." Trey pulled out his phone, showing Miles a video of King winning a race, his form fluid and powerful. "Dude's got serious speed."
"So do I."
"Facts. Just saying competition got real real quick."
Andre joined them, already changed after his shower. "King's talking big game, but North Heights loves that showboat stuff. Remember Jackson last year?"
"What happened to him?" Miles asked.
"Pulled his hamstring talking trash at the starting line," Andre grinned. "Karma's undefeated."
As they walked toward the locker room, Miles's mind drifted to Saturday—to seeing Kayla, to figuring out what they were to each other, to preparing for this new challenge. The outdoor season was just beginning, but already it felt vastly different from anything that had come before.
Back in the locker room, Miles checked the Velocity System again. A new feature had appeared: Competitor Analysis. Tapping it revealed detailed breakdowns of King's racing style based on public race footage—his explosive start, his tendency to tighten up in the final 50 meters, his preference for lane 4.
RECOMMENDATION:
FOCUS ON LATE RACE SPEED ENDURANCE
Miles changed quickly, mind already mapping out how he'd approach Saturday's training session with Kayla. He'd need to work on his finishing speed if King was as fast as his times suggested. But more than that, he needed to figure out where this new relationship with Kayla fit into his rapidly evolving life.
As he headed out, his phone chimed with another Instagram notification. Another comment from @king_davion on the comparison post:
@milescarter98 your lil national title don't mean nothing. wait till you face real competition 😴 #realitycheck
Miles typed a simple reply before putting his phone away:
talk on the track