Gosh, I hate running.
Well, let me rephrase that, I love running it's just that I hate running on a ninety degree day. Ottawa, Ohio can get pretty hot in the summertime. Even though it is August thirteen, the first day of school, it's still hot!
"Come on! Pick up your feet and run!" Coach Harran yells. His raspy voice ringing in our ears as spit flys out of his mouth giving us a warm sensation on our sweaty, hot bodies.
Sweat burns my eyes, making it hard to see through the rays of sun beating down on us. "Gosh... I hate sweat." I whisper in between breaths.
I place one foot after the other. Almost... There... Just a few... More steps, I think to myself. I lie. I still have three more laps around.
Track sometimes stinks but I love it. You can be free and you can feel like you can run away from anything, fear, life, and just all the things you hate. At least that's how I think of it. Other people just think it's a heart attack waiting to happen. Anyways I also love it because I love Ottowa. I love the ground. It's my ground. My home.
Five. More. Steps.
One. Two. Three. I count. Four. Five. Done! "Ahhh," I let out a sigh. My breathing is heavy.
Page 2
I walked off of the black tarted track towards the bleachers. I sat down and grabbed my blue water bottle, flipped the top up, and drank. The cool refreshing water hit my tongue like a breath of fresh air. I closed the lid, zipped up my gray duffle bag and stepped off of the bleachers.
"Hey! Are you gonna come with us to get smoothies?" My best friend Brainy Damascus yelled to me as I walked towards my car.
"I think I'll pass today." I called back grasping my hand on the black handle of my car.
"Oh, okay. Do you have to meet up with your girlfriend?" Brainy said teasing me. I could hear distant chuckles from friends close by. He was talking about this girl at school. Heaven on earth, literally gorgeous, her name was Brogan Will. The whole track team knows that I like her. A lot! I mean we were what you call "the perfect couple!" I'm the most popular guy in our school because of the track team- track is the most popular sport in our school and I am the fastest runner- and she is the most popular girl because of her looks. See what I mean? Perfect couple. I just wish she thought so too.
"No, I have homework and I have to send out invitations for my birthday on Saturday." I said.
"Okay, well, see you tomorrow." Brainy said, his hand in the air waving goodbye to me. I opened up the door to my car and drove.
I drove up the smoothly paved driveway and parked in the garage. I stepped into the house and plopped my book bag on the distressed floor of my kitchen. I walked upstairs to my bedroom, sat at my white desk, flipped open my laptop, and I began typing invitations for my party.
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"Done." I say as I typed the last few letters in on my laptop. I am turning eighteen. I am almost and adult! Just two more days! Today is Thursday- I hate Thursdays because I get to anxious for Friday therefore my day takes forever!
I check over my invitations making sure I didn't forget anything and making sure there were no spelling errors.
"Looks like everything is perfect." I say to myself, my eyes checking over it again.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! You are all invited to my 18th birthday party Saturday night 7-11. Yup! Me! Asher Dotage. It's going to be big! You all know I throw a pretty awesome party, so be there! It will also be a pool party so bring pool stuff! We will have pop, food, music, and... Well... Me!!! Hope you all can make it!
Time: 7pm to 11pm
Place: 4128 Sarlington Drive."
I click "send" and then called Brainy.
"Hey man! What's up?" He says through the phone.
"I just send the invitations for my party to everyone, did you get it?" I ask him.
"Yes, I got it!" He tell me.
"Cool. This is gonna be and awesome party! My parents are letting me have the house to myself that night, so we don't have them bugging us." I say.
"Sweet!" He shouts.
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"Okay," I say closing my laptop. "Well, I gotta go." I say to Brainy through the phone.
"Okay man, bye." Brainy says back to me. I throw my phone on my bed and walk downstairs.
"Hey honey!" My mom says as I bend over to unzip my book bag. My hands suddenly get heavier as I take out my Algebra text-book.
"Hi." I say walking towards my mom to give her a hug. She kisses me on the cheek and I pull away.
"Mom! I'm almost eighteen! I don't need my mommy giving me kisses!" I tell her as I walk towards the staircase.
I head upstairs and start on my homework.
* * * *
Hours passed and I finish my homework. I step into the shower and clean off what seems like gallons of sweat stuck to be from ours before. I slip on a fresh pair of boxers and fold over the comforter on my bed. I lay down and think about the party. I worry what Brogan Will will think about the invitation I sent her. Saturday is my birthday, the best holiday of the year. A day where everybody celebrates me! A day where Brady and I continue our tradition of him driving me wherever I want to go for the entire last hour of my birthday. Everything is that we had Saturday. ME!
A smile appears across my face and I want to think more of that very special day, but I drift off to sleep.
