A/N: I'm not in track, I have no idea how tryouts go. Sorry.

This has been bothering me for a while now: Am I suckish writer? Can anyone please tell me the truth?

Danny felt like banging his head on the gym lockers. Why had he agreed to do this?

Oh, right. Because he was failing gym. How do you even fail gym, he thought?

Well, he answered himself. Missing gym almost half of the time… and having no skill whatsoever.

Actually, Danny had skill. Lots of it. Ghost fighting had built him up, honing his speed, strength and stamina. Unfortunately, if loser Fenton mysteriously showed any skill in gym, people would get suspicious.

The downside of making absolutely no effort in gym had caught up with him this time.

Danny subconsciously flinched as he remembered earlier today.

"FENTON!" Mrs. Tesslaff's gruff voice rang out through the gym. "Get back here!"

Gym had just ended, and Danny was trying to leave like everyone else, but he knew Tesslaff was scary when people disobeyed her.

"I'll meet up with you later," he muttered to Sam and Tucker.

Sam was smiling, like she always did in gym, because she was athletic, and Tucker was breathing hard, having run one whole lap. That was just way to him for him to bear.

Danny, sighing, jogged back to his gym teacher. "Yeah, Mrs. T?"

"Don't give me that nonsense! Fenton, you've been doing terrible in gym! 40 absences, and when you're here, you don't even try?"

Danny tried to apologize. "I'm-"

Mrs. Tesslaff cut him off. "You're failing, boy! MAN UP!" She suddenly yelled at him, and Danny jumped.

She started ranting, "Of all the years I've taught this school, never have I had such a hopeless case as you! Your grade isn't going to improve! So I've come up with a solution."

Danny waiting, tense, expecting more detentions- or worse- exercise.

"You, Fenton, are the newest addition to our track team."

"What?" Danny stared at his teacher. "But I can't-"

"No 'can't's! You can and you will, or your parents will hear of this."

Danny couldn't believe this.

Mrs. Tesslaff gathered her clipboard and whistle. "Boy's tryouts are this afternoon, 3:30. Be there- or else." And with that, she stomped out of the gym, leaving Danny still openmouthed in shock.

Now, Danny trudged down to the track field, alone.

He'd explained the whole thing to Sam and Tucker. Both had sympathized, but didn't really know how he could get out of it.

So here he was, standing in front of Casper High's track field. Danny hated jogging the torturous oval path.

As he approached the beginning of the path, he spotted many people he hoped wouldn't be there; Kwan, staring at the clouds, Dash, flexing his muscles, and a bunch of other athletic looking kids.

Danny tried to inconspicuously edge near the group and stay hidden, but there was no hope.

Dash spotted him over his massive muscles and grinned. "Hey, Fenturd, what're you doing here?"

Danny grinned weakly. "Trying out?"

Dash burst into laughter. "You? You're gonna try out? Good luck with that, Fenturd. You're gonna die out there."

Danny just stood silently as he waited for Mrs. Tesslaff.

Finally, she arrived. "Welcome, kids, to track tryouts. Everyone, 4 laps warm-up! GO!"

Everyone dashed off, leaving Danny to start late.

He trailed at the end, trying not to stand out. Around the second lap, he slowed down- which was hard seeing how slow he already was- and acted like he was out of breath. He walked the rest, and arrived almost 5 minutes after everyone else, who hadn't even broken a sweat.

Well, neither had Danny, but he pretended to be.

"FENTON! Pick up the pace!" Tesslaff boomed at him and Dash smirked evilly. "Tryouts will now start. Everyone will run the 400 m, or one lap, and I'll time them. Then comes 2 laps, then 3, and finally, one mile. UNDERSTAND?"

Danny nodded nervously along with the other confident kids. He lined up next to them and took a running position, copying Kwan, who was next to him.

Mrs. Tesslaff blew her whistle, and everyone took off.

Danny accidently misjudged his pace and ended up first, but he slowed down and jogged the rest of the lap.

"Last place again, Fentonia?" Dash thwacked the back of Danny's head as they all ran back to Mrs. Tesslaff.

Mrs. Tesslaff gave Danny an evil eye as they started the two laps.

Danny finished last for the two laps, and even the three laps. Unfortunately for him, Dash had taken to falling behind to tease and push Danny while he ran, and then running up to the front again. Danny gritted his teeth and took it silently.

It was finally time for the mile, and then Danny would be free. However, Mrs. Tesslaff had a different idea.

"FENTON!" she screamed again. "You can run faster than this! If you don't get at least 3rd place for the mile, you're failing for sure."

"What? That's not fair!" Danny protested.

"Life's not fair! Everyone, take a water break, and then we'll do the mile."

The group jogged to the water cooler and took turns hydrating.

When it was finally Danny's turn, Dash shoved him aside and drank the rest of the water. "Whoops, looks like it's all out."

Danny got up and clenched his fists, but said nothing.

"How 'bout we make a bet, Fenturd? If you beat me in the race, I'll leave you and your loser friends alone for the rest of the year."

The rest of the year? That was a long time... Danny couldn't help it. He could beat Dash easily. And then he and his friends would be safe for the year!

"Fine, Dash. It's not like I could ever beat you," Danny looked down, acting dismayed.

"And when I win, you have to do all my homework for the rest of the year. Deal?" Dash held out his hand.

Danny took it firmly. "Deal."

Dash grinned viciously as they all rushed back to the track.

"Ready! Set! GO!" Mrs. Tesslaff's shrill whistle rang through the air as Danny took off.

He played it slow for the first two laps, trailing behind Dash.

By the third lap, Dash was getting tired, and Danny picked up speed.

He was well ahead of Dash, and closed his eyes for a little bit, enjoying the air rush past his face. It felt just like he was flying, but with less of a rush.

Danny opened his eyes, and found himself all alone, all the other runners behind him. He slowed down to a halt, but not before he passed Mrs. Tesslaff.

"Fenton, that was the best running I've ever seen anyone do! It's like you were flying across the ground!"

The rest of the runners finally finished, Dash in the lead. Dash stared, astonished, at Danny. "You... you were behind me, and then you were in front of me..."

Kwan patted Dash on the back. "Looks like you can't bully him anymore."

Dash hung his head, defeated, and Danny smiled in victory. But his happiness didn't last long.

Mrs. Tesslaff slapped him on the back, almost making him choke on his own tongue. "You made the team, Fenton! Congratulations! Practices are three times a week, 3:30 on Mondays and Fridays, and then 8 am on Saturdays."

Danny felt like banging his head on the water cooler.

Maybe I should tryout for track.. I'm a really fast sprinter, but I have absolutely no stamina :P