If I Love You Was A Promise

The Beginning (Hester's POV)

I yawn, it's about 6:45 in the morning.. I have to hurry because I have football practice in the morning, "Oh, wait! There's no way..." I say checking my calendar, why today of all days? Today is this "Pen pal" thing.. And my grades are 70s to 80s! This isn't good.. I've been falling behind because practice has been rough lately.. The coaches have us do more in a week than we've done all year. I've been trying keep up and maintain my grades, but I just haven't had the time lately. Then I quickly realize that football starts in about 21 minutes.. I wash my hair and grab my dial soap and quickly scrub it around and let the water rinse it off, I hop out of the shower, changing into my football uniform, my coach was what you call strict here in Indiana.. I finish pulling my socks up and grabbing my backpack, racing out the door, I hop in the car with my dad and brother, "My, Hester your growing up so fast my boy.." My father says patting my back.
I realize that Micheal is looking all pouty in the back seat, "Hey, what's wrong bud?" I say staring at him through the mirror. He doesn't respond, "Micheal?" I say again. "Leave me alone! Would ya?.." He says looking out the window. He didn't really have it easy so I decided I was going to leave him alone. He has schizophrenia, so I do what he asks me to most of the time. My high school is closer to our house then Michaels middle school is, so I hop out as we arrive. "Bye Hessty!" My dad says pausing, "Love you!" He says. "Love you too, bye Micheal." Micheal stills looks out of it, and extremely grumpy.. hopefully he's alright.

I run to the gym just in time to see everyone grabbing gear. "Hey what's going on..? Why are you putting the football back?" I say really confused. "Remember? They're choosing people today, practice has been dismissed today." One of the coaches say.
Of course.. I completely forgot about that. I hurry to class seeing everyone looking miserable.. That's a complete understatement. "Sir, you need to register." Says Ms. Bolton, she's such a grump. "Alright" I said, verifying my finger print and writing in my ethnicity. "You may go take a seat now." Ms. Bolton says. I go sit over there, seeing that all the students are giving me a frightened face, I swear everyone in there looked pale.. especially me. We all wait as my chest tightens second by second, until about 12 minutes later, the selectors walk in they begin to call of the people that will not be involved in it. Susie Tate, Ollie Ron.... I don't hear my name I'm starting to freak out.. Wait.. they stopped calling the names of the people that won't be participating in it.. does that mean? Just in that very moment I hear my name... "Hester Monroe.." I'm the one who's being chosen this year... "Is this accurate?" I ask "Yes, Hester our system is not broken." Says one of the selectors.

My face suddenly gets sweaty, I hear every little thing, the other students whispering, about how I've been cursed. Maybe they were right because out of 30 students, 30 students! It was me.. Hester Monroe, In a life or death situation. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.. I mean I'm more then likely to be matched with a girl, that's a change I suppose, but I guess I'll never really know, it's basically just PenPals but completely anonymous maybe that's why they call it that.. I wonder how my parents will react.. I guess I'll find out later.. We continue the school day as normal, as I hear the students whispering about me. The day goes by pretty fast, and as soon as I get home the first thing I do is start raiding the kitchen. "Oh honey, what's wrong?" Says my mother. "It's complicated.. like really complicated." I said grabbing a Fritos bag along with a few other chips. "Please, just tell me, maybe I can help." My mother insisted. "I was chosen!" I say wondering if what the kids were saying was true. "C-chosen? As in P-pen pals?" She says with all the emotion draining from her face. I ran upstairs with my chips and turned on a movie and began to eat my chips.

Now the only question is what will happen next...