No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

The rest of my first day had gone by just as slow and painful as I had anticipated. My history teacher is a short,stubby man who is so monotone I can’t tell when he’s joking, he is awkwardly bald, like he shaves his head and looks like he should have hair, the man has no eyebrows and his eyes are so dark you can’t separate the iris from the pupil. On top of that he has a full body sunburn and reminds me a lot like what Satan would look like if he taught US History. It’s freaky. My science teacher I can do without, she has a thick Indian accent and can’t seem to pronounce my name, but she’s harmless. My French teacher is this crazy old lady with frizzy short red hair but it’s fine by me, I never liked French anyway. My Art teacher is by far my new favorite human being, he’s this tall lanky man who’s only large in the gut, he’s respectably balled and it doesn’t look odd like on my history teacher. He has an obsession with the band U2 and has Bono posters all over the class room, he’s into Shakespeare, and every day he draws a plus sign on his hand to remind himself to stay positive and that the positive always will outweigh the negatives! He’s like the coolest teacher ever in my book! I have him long period today, and then after school I have tryouts. I had decided that I wasn’t going to let my birth mother ruin the one sport I was ever good at and try out, and it was all I could think about today in the shower, while getting ready and eating breakfast. I was so excited for tryouts. I was just in a good mood; I even wore an outfit Cass had picked out for me last night. I looked down at my outfit as I walked; I had on a white t-shirt with rolled sleeves that was slightly baggy and cropped and these black and white striped high-waited sailors like shorts that made me feel silly. Even though I wore what she wanted I ditched those strappy sandals she leant to me for my comfy all black high-top converse.

“What are you all smiley about, Dawson?” Marc laughed punching me lightly on the arm.

“Nothing I'm just in a good mood!” I laughed re-adjusting my soccer duffle that draped from one shoulder.

I was. I was in the best mood id been in since I got here. Not even the night my dad made cheesy noodles after having Chinese food for lunch had made me this happy, and I was pretty happy that night if I do say so myself. Nothing, not even me crossing the senior parking lot to the brick building of doom and despair could dapper how I felt right now, maybe having to sit through Mr. Wagner (aka the devil man’s) lecture on the industrial revolution first period could bring my head back down to size but this smile was staying on my face.

I scampered through the double doors and down main hall cutting across the courtyard to get to the junior connector, Marc Jogging hastily behind me to keep up to my rapidly increasing pace. I lightly pushed through the sea of early morning zombies to where I heard my name being called. There at my locker stood Cass, and Vinny. I gave them each a hug, even Vinny; we shared a table together in science class because when I entered he was the only familiar face I spotted. The short boy was actually quite funny and made some quick remarks about the rambling teacher that he didn’t mean to come off as funny as they had, only making them funnier and in an hour span I grew a slight liking to the boy.

“Jasey are you ready for tryouts!” Cass asked, well screeched.

“OH MY GOD yes!” I hollered back mocking her tone, as the group around us laughed.

“Have you had gym yet?” she asked.

“Nah,” I told her.

“Well you would get to meet the Coach but you haven’t had gym yet anyway so I guess it’s irrelevant, you’ll meet him later anyway!” she said.

Not before long did Jack and Rian showed up, Jack jumping on my back yelling about wishing me luck even though I was 99% sure I had last period with the kid anyway. We all circled and chatted for a while till Rian and the other boys said they were going to meet Matt and I gave a tug on Cass’s arm telling her to stay with me. She leaned against the bank of lockers talking to me as I fiddled with my lock. Breaking it open and shoving my soccer bag inside along with rotating my binders and notebooks for the classes I had. I was about to close my locker when Cass grabbed the door and I shot her a look.

“Okay pretend to be talking to me and doing something!” she muttered quickly.

“But I was talking to you, and I was doing something, you know closing my locker!” I told her.

“No like act busy Colton’s walking our way and he was looking right at you!” she squealed again.

“Who the hell is Colton?” I asked turning my head but she grabbed my arm to stop me.

“He’s Riley Mackay’s best friend,” she started in a tone that told me I was supposed to know who the hell either of those boys were, she let out a sigh when she came to the realization I thought she was mumbling like an idiot, “Captain of the lacrosse team, second hottest guy in the school!”

“And that’s supposed to mean something of importance to me?” I laughed closing my locker door.

“Well it’s about to be, cause he’s coming our way!” she said quietly nodding her head behind me.

I turned to see a tall tan boy with thick brown hair walking in our direction as Cass grasped my arm and gave it a squeeze. I turned my head to laugh at her awing over a boy who probably spent more time on his hair then she did, and that’s saying a lot. It was weird seeing her drool over someone other than my brother and I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or upset by her sudden change in pace, her grip just tightened as he came closer and stood before us.

“Hey Pope!” the boy said as I glanced at his red and white letterman jacket and read below the lion head that this boy was indeed this-

“Colton!” she chimed as if completing my internal thought. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I was wondering, have you seen Riley around, he didn’t show up to captains.”

“No sorry I haven’t, Jasey have you?” Cass turned to me, and I shot her a look with wide eyes, really you already know I have no idea who this Colton is, and he’s standing in front of us!

“Um… Nope!” I mumbled rolling my eyes to look away from the boy.

“Hey, I've never seen you before, you new here girly?” the boy said smirking stepping almost uncomfortably close to me.

“Um you could say that.” I said stepping back only for my spine to be met by the lockers.

“Hey Jasey” a voice called down the hall and I called in return, “Hey what?”

“Can you come here and check to see if I did this math problem right?” the voice called.

“Yep sure thing!” I hollered looking into Colton’s eyes as he placed his hand on the locker next to my head. “Sorry gotta run,” I said shooting him a fake half smile and slipping under his arm, “Cass, I’ll call you when I get home from tryouts!” I hollered running in the direction of the voice.

I walked a short ways only to have my smile wiped from my face to see Alex perched against his locker with a smug look of victory on his face. I approached and he held out his hands to the side, “Well, well? Your welcome!” he laughed.

“Yeah don’t look too sure of yourself Gaskarth, this doesn’t mean anything.” I said placing my hands on my hips.

“Oh it doesn’t?” he said mocking my movements and placing his hands on his hips, “I think it means I just saved your ass from probably getting a STD and now you owe me.”

“I don’t owe you anything!” I countered.

“Oh but you do!” he laughed and I opened my mouth to retort as the bell rang and I let out a slight laugh.

“If you don’t mind, I have a lecture on the industrial revolution I have to get to.” I said turning and walking away, I was about to turn the corner out of the connector when I spun around to see him still standing there, hands on hips, now in the nearly vacant hallway, “And I don’t owe you anything!” I yelled laughing. Alex laughed picking his book bag up off the ground and running in the other direction waving me off as I turned on my toes to head to history.

Notes