John Hughes Movie

Chapter 23

Peter

I shook out my body to the music playing over the loud speakers at practice. It had booming trumpets and a solid beat that kept me motivated through today. It was the part of the semester where tests started to stack up. I felt overwhelmed when it was mid-season. Even though school was my top priority, I couldn't let my team down and skip practice for a study session or to write a paper. That meant lots of long nights and feeling sluggish all day. But, I had to push through. I owed it to my team to push through. We didn't have a game this weekend, so Coach was pushing us extra hard, especially when it came to running.

"I think he wants to kill us." John said waiting in line for another wind sprint behind me.

"It burns." Trevor yelled dramatically. "If I knew this was going to happen today, I wouldn't have gone so hard last night. If I don't have full use by this weekend, I'm gonna blow my shit."

"I told you two to come on runs with me." I smirked while still catching my breath from the last sprint.

"Can it, Mr. Perfect." Trevor put his hands on his knees.

I shook my head at him and took another deep breath. Running was one thing. Running with full pads and helmet was another skill entirely. The tension growing in my shoulders had nowhere to go. I couldn't stretch them well in the full get up. I got up to the front of the line and waited for the coach's whistle. It blared out and I took off down the field. The grass was dry and crumply beneath my feet, in desperate need of a watering. I hit the end and raced back, my legs moving faster than my brain could keep up with. "Nice one, Kavinsky." I heard another one of the assistant coach yelling. I nodded and tried to steady my breathing as I got back in line.

"So, you never told me how it went with LJ's family." John said after he finished up his run.

"Oh yeah. It went really good." I smiled. I couldn't keep it in how about how happy I was that it went well. Dr. Covey now texts me whenever he has a sports question and Kitty sent me more memes on Instagram than I ever thought possible. I felt like this new part of me opened up, really embracing what it meant to be in a family.

"Happy for you man." John smiled and for the first time I felt he meant it. I think he had finally gotten over his hostility towards me and Lara Jean.

"Thanks." My face softened to show how much it really means to me. I hated that we weren't on good terms, but knew that we'd eventually get back. Our friendship was too strong to let some dumb drama get between us. Not that Lara Jean was dumb drama, but the tension between us was.

"Did anyone hate you? There's always someone who's a tough nut to crack." Trevor plopped himself on the grass as the coaches whistled for a water break.

I joined him on the ground. "One of her sisters, the older one, was skeptical at first. But I think I won her over by the end. I knew my charades skills would come in clutch one day." I smiled thinking of the team we made. We destroyed the other teams with my acting skills and her guessing skills. Margo and I got along better than I thought. I knew LJ really appreciated the bond we were making.

"Good. I knew how fucking nervous you were." Trev hit my arm playfully. "Got you all the points with LJ."

"It was nice to be around a family. Does that make any sense?"

"I mean I'm a little insulted you don't see me and Johnny as family by now, but yes." He smiled back at me. "I think I'm the cool uncle and Johnny is definitely the cool wine aunt."

We all laughed knowing how true it was. "There's a lot of people out today." John motioned to the groups laid out on blankets having picnics on the surrounding lawn. Our practices weren't exactly open, but they were on the field next to one of the campus's most famous greens. "Those girls look cute." He nodded his head to group of ladies in crop tops and jeans taking pictures holding Starbucks cups.