Compassion

Selena smiled. She would ace this! The Annual Bike Race was today, and she was clearly better than everyone else who was participating. That had been obvious in the practice round, when she beat the second fastest racer by much. So, standing on the startling line, there was not a flutter of nervousness in Selena’s stomach.

She already knew what she would do with the prize money. Selena was planning to purchase a new game for her console. As the director began the count off, she studied the other players. There was Lin, an Asian girl who looked determined; Ben, a boy who looked so nervous that Selena wondered if he would make it before the race even, began; and Lauren, a pretty blonde-haired girl who may have looked defiant, but was trembling like a feather in the wind.

Then it was time for the race to begin. Selena grinned as she sped ahead of all the other racers, shouting back to the remaining contestants (Ben had already fainted), “Die, losers!” Then Selena raced off. 

Sure enough, when she reached the finish line, nobody else had reached it before Selena. She smiled, imagining acing her new game faster than she had had the bike race. 

Soon, the two other players began entering, and Selena watched them, smiling proudly. When Lin entered, she noticed that Selena had won, shrugged, and sat down, downing some water. Selena was impressed by her composure. 

When Lauren entered, though, it was different. Observing that she was in last place, her moderate face melted into a heartbroken one, and she turned around, so nobody would see her sobbing. Selena was about to laugh when she noticed that Lauren was wearing clothes that didn’t fit her, and when Selena walked closer to the girl, she was muttering under her breath about a sick mom, and not enough money for medicine, and then failing her last chance. 

Selena was suddenly overwhelmed with compassion. Without thinking, she handed her prize money to Lauren, then walked away. There were no words in the exchange, but the look on Lauren’s face was enough.