“Happy Birthday, Donna!” Colorful streamers floated down from the air amid the enthusiastic wishes of everyone. Donna was ecstatic; today was her 16th birthday. She had dressed up beautifully, radiating the essence of a youthful girl like a refreshing spring breeze. Family and friends, all those she considered important in her life, gathered together to celebrate this vibrant and precious phase of her life. She felt enveloped by a deep sense of love, as if floating on cloud nine.
Olivia hugged Donna tightly, whispering her blessings in her ear. Filled with anticipation, Donna opened the gift from Olivia—a FAXAZE sports tank top that she loved in both style and color. Surprised, she kissed Olivia on the cheek.
During the party, Donna noticed that Olivia wasn’t interacting much with others, and guessed that the disappointment from the last competition was weighing on her. Turning around, she spotted her classmate Karl, who was holding a half-eaten piece of cake in one hand while wildly waving his other hand in the air, bits of cake flying out as he laughed maniacally. A group nearby burst into laughter, whether at his words or his exaggerated antics.
Suddenly, Donna had an idea. She pulled Karl over to Olivia and said, “Olivia, this is my classmate Karl. I want you to meet him; he’s a really funny guy.” Karl quickly extended his hand, “Nice to meet you, Olivia! But I’ve known you before...” Donna found it strange and asked, “Where have we met?” Olivia, polite as always, shook his hand, assuming he would mention the competition and felt a bit embarrassed and sad. But Karl suddenly said seriously, “You look familiar; I just forgot where we met, so we must have seen each other.” Donna and Olivia exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to respond.
Donna spotted someone walking by and pulled him over to introduce to Olivia. “This is another classmate of mine, Jackson!” Jackson didn’t react much, just smiled. Olivia examined him—he had short brown hair, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, appearing somewhat unfashionable. However, he was neat, with distinct features that gave off a friendly and comfortable vibe. Olivia extended her hand, and Jackson mechanically responded. She offered him a seat, “Sure!” he replied, sitting down without striking up a conversation. Olivia handed him a drink, “Good!” he said again, taking a sip and sitting there, a bit dazed and blushing.
Donna intended to find someone for Olivia to talk to, hoping to lighten her mood, but now the atmosphere felt awkward. Karl broke the silence, “Olivia, I heard about your 400-meter race; it’s a pity, but there’s a lot of room for improvement...” Olivia felt even more annoyed and shot him a glance. Karl, looking a bit chubby with loose flesh, hardy resembled someone who exercised regularly, making Olivia dismiss his comments even more.
Noticing her disdain, Karl said, “Don’t underestimate me; I’ve trained professionally in running since I was young. Although I stopped in middle school, you might not necessarily outrun me. Jackson knows me.” Jackson didn’t say anything, just smiled again. Olivia didn’t respond directly.
“I’ll let you have a head start; do you dare to race me?” Olivia’s anger was ignited, and she replied resolutely, “See you on the track tomorrow.”