Hit Straight

Chapter One - Hell Week

《Riven》
August 8th
A week before school starts, coaches start mandatory practices, which means that all the team members who didn't show up for summer open gyms experience a phenomenon known as "Hell week."" Luckily, I was just the team manager, so I am exempt from all the grueling training football indulges. Mostly, the week consists of endurance training and mobility drills. A whistle goes off across the field, and Coach Kent calls out for a huddle.
       "Let's break down to close out practice. Josh, will you lead us, yeah." Josh is the team captain and a popular jock at the school. He keeps his blonde hair styled by wearing a baseball hat from last years state championship tournament.
       "Mavericks on 3!" He shouted, "1,2,3, Mavericks. " Everyone called back to him, dropping their hands from their outreached position. As the team members started clearing out and heading to the locker room, I moved to pick up the gear that was pulled out for practice. I had moved most of the gear back to the storage area beneath the announcers tower. As I bent down to pick up the last of the footballs, a sudden noise broke me out of my cleaning trance. The boys' volleyball team was walking out the gym back door like a heard of elephants. As I started to look away, Sawyer Jones walked out, covered in a sheen of sweat. Nike could hire him to be a model. I became increasingly aware of how long I had been unceremoniously starring at the volleyball star. Even with the distance, I could tell that Sawyer caught me staring. No longer wanting to maintain eye contact, I turned back to the last few footballs, hoping to shake off the lingering effects of getting caught. I put the footballs away and closed the garage door.
 "Did you like the view?"
     "Holy Shit!" I almost pissed my pants, "You scared the shit out of me, man!" Sawyer looked amused. His smirk grew instantaneously. It was unnerving.
      "If I had know how easy it would be to scare you, Lightwoo,d" He drawled, pausing to read my expression, "I would have done it sooner." An inquisitive look passed over his features, gone within a moment.
      "Yo-You know my name?" I studdered suddenly embarrassed by taking so long to process our conversation. A puzzled look crossed his features.
"Your name is in the football programs." He stated matter of factly.
       "Right, yeah, of course." I was mentally smacking my forehead. Could this conversation get any more embarrassing for me. Sawyer looked like he was silently laughing.
       "So..." He started after a second, "You coming to the first home game this season?"
        "Yeah.. I mean, probably?" I couldn't find the answer I was looking for. I couldn't understand why Sawyer was asking me if I would go to his game. The chances of a football game occurring on the same night were high, but for some reason, I didn't want to disappoint Sawyer this early in the conversation.
        "I think there is a football game that night, but I'm not sure." Sawyer was one of the few openly gay people at our school. He got away unscathed from bullying due to his popularity and general social likeness in most of the school's cliques. Not only that, but he wears his confidence on his sleeves and let's everyone know they don't get under his skin.
       "Right.. that makes sense," he sounded disappointed, which is the opposite way I wanted him to feel.
        "I'll see you round then, yeah," He said, perking right back up to my utter dismay. A promise of something laid deep into the structure of his words. He had already begun walking away.
      "Yeah, I'll see you round." I practically whispered, truly alone now that everyone had gone home, leaving me on the open empty field.