The Athlete & The Mathlete

6

"Dad?"

The guy turned around......it wasn't dad though....it was someone else that looked like dad.

"Uncle Abe?"

He looked confused. "Are you Carly and Anthony?" He asked. "I don't know, who's asking?" I was frightened but I didn't show it. "The guy in front of you.","No one likes a smartass.." I got silent. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything Anthony spoke. "What are you doing here?" He questioned. Looking straight at the guy. "I have to talk to you." He stated. He sat down and we copied his actions. Trying not to show that I was scared I wasn't doing a good job at it. "I'm here to tell you that your father contacted me and told me that he was going into the battle zone when he gets home he'll talk about it. But he wanted me to tell you that he wants you to know that he loves you and to inform your mom and tell her that he loves her too." He was fidgeting because I was bluffing. "Dad wouldn't say that....and why would he go into the battle zone when he's not a solider?","Well that's what he said." He watched me. "I don't believe you." I looked into his eyes, he looked like he was going to break. "She's right, dad wouldn't say that and he would've contacted us. So really, who are you?" Anthony studied his body language. "He doesn't belong here. You know what to do." He whispered in my ear. I put my hand between the couch cushion. "Answer the question." I eyed him closely. "I don't have to." He looked at me. "You're quite the beauty, got a boyfriend?","That is none of youd business, and that is gross." I motioned to all of him. "Watch it little girl." He warned me. My phone went off. I walked into the kitchen to take the phone call. "Hey Carla, what's up?" "What do you mean?!" "Are you serious?!" "I'm so done with him, so so so done!" I hung up the phone. I walked into the living room. The guy had Anthony by his throat and I had my helmet next to me. He didn't hear me. I hit his ass with my helmet to grab his attention from Anthony. He let Anthony go and came after me. I dropped my helmet and ran. He followed me out the front door, around the house, back into the front door, up the stairs i hid in my room and i saw him on the other side so i bolted for the stairs. I ran down the srairs and while the guy followed me I ran past Anthony in the kitchen. He timed it right because 5 seconds later the stranger came running and when I slid into the kitchen Anthony held my helmet like a baseball bat and swung. As he was swinging the stranger came bolting, the contact knocked him out. "Omg are you ok Anny? Let me see your throat.","Carly I'm fine don't worry about me." I couldn't believe what he just said to me. "Anthony Michael Thompson don't you dare tell me not to worry about you. You're all I have when mom and dad aren't here, so I'm gonna worry about you like you're my everything. Anny you ARE my everything. I love you and if I want to worry I WILL WORRY!" He pissed me off. "Carly I'm he- omg who the hell is that and why is he on the floor knocked out?" Carla panicked. I was on my phone, "Hi Yea I have an intruder knocked out on my living room floor." I told the police my address and they came to my house....after that we left with Carla. She drove us to the park where everything was happening. "JACKSON WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" He had just punched Jason. He turned around and as he did Carla rushed over to Jason. I shoved Jackson. "What the hell Jackson! What's your problem with Jason?! He did nothing to you!!!" I shoved him again. "HE LIKES YOU!!" He screamed at me. "WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU JACKSON!!?","BECAUSE I STILL LOVE YOU!!","AND YOU HURT ME AND I DONT LOVE YOU ANYMORE JACKSON I HAVENT LOVED YOU SINCE THAT NIGHT!! YOU DID WHAT YOU DID AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING FOR ME!!! EVERYTHING JACKSON!! EVERYTHING!! IF YOU EVER ACTUALLY LOVED ME YOU WOULDNT HAVE DONE WHAT YOU DID!!!" I had tears running down my cheeks. "I GAVE YOU MY HEART AND YOU THREW IT ON THE GROUND STOMPED ON IT PUT IT THROUGH A PAPER SHREDDER AND THEN YOU BLENDED IT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME IN A CUP!! JACKSON YOU DONT DESERVE ANYTHING AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME!!!" I walked over to Jason and engulfed him in a hug. "I'm so sorry Jason. You didn't deserve that, he's just jealous because I talk to you and not him. I'm so so so so so so sorry." I cried on his shoulder. "Carly its ok, I'm ok. I'm fine, see" He stepped back to show me. I pulled him back to me and then I kissed the side of his head. "If he EVER touches you again, tell me. I'll take care of it." He grabbed my shoulders, "Carly, I'm a big boy. I can defend myself." He gave me a small smile. "Take a walk with me." I smiled at Jason. We started walking around. "Jason why did he say that you liked me?" He looked scared. "I don't know but I do know that I DONT like you." Ow. That hurt a lot. I thought to myself. "Oh ok. So then who do you like?","I'm not saying." He got tense. "Oh ok, I respect that. It was none of my business anyway." It hurt a lot. But I guess I'll survive. Carla honked the horn of her car and we got inside. I got in the back next to Anthony. "Soo what did you get?" He asked me in my ear. "That he doesn't like me." I whispered back in his ear, he looked at me and I had tears in my eyes. We got to my house, me and Anthony got out and thanked them. We got home and it was just the way we left it. "What were his exact words Carly?" I was crying. "He said exactly 'I don't know but I do know that I DON'T like you' and just it hurt. I need to stop....I'm not weak. OMG MOMS CALLING!!" I ran upstairs and grabbed my laptop. I went back downstairs and opened my laptop to find mom on the other side. "HI MOM!!" We both yelled at the same time. "Hey guys how are you?","Pretty good, we've gone through a lot but its getting better." I smiled. "How are you mom?","Oh I'm fine I'll be coming home soon." She smiled at us. "Soooo how's the teams going?" Me and Anthony looked at each other. "Well I have a game on Friday soooo, I think we're gonna do good." I had a smile on my face. "Yeah and the mathletes are good we have a compititon coming up soon, oh and Carly made a new friend, I did too." He smiled at her. An hour passed by. "Well kidos, I've gotta go to bed I have to get up early tomorrow. I love you Carly. I love you Anthony. Goodnight you two. Love you.","I LOVE YOU TOO MOM!" We screamed. We said bye and I closed my laptop. "I can't believe we talked for nearly an hour." I turned to Anthony. We started watching a movie and then we passed out. I woke up at 6:40 am on Friday morning. "Anny wake up." I shook his shoulder. "Ahhh.","Anthony you're not a zombie, now get up we need to get ready for school." I got up and walked to the bathroom. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and did my morning routine. I walked out of my room and Anthony was waiting for me. I grabbed my bags and Anthony grabbed his bag and we started walking to school. "I have football practice after school today so do you thi-","We have a Mathletes meeting after school today and since football takes longer I'll just hang out at the football field and Carla is going to a movie with some other friends so Jason is going to be with me." He told me after he interrupted me.

*last bell of the day rings*

I ran into Jackson on my way to dress out. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me aside. A couple of girls passed by us. "Carly I love you and I want to be with you." Jackson said to me. "After what you did to me and put me through I don't thi-" He kissed me. I knew some of Katrina's friends were passing by and I was trying to push him off. Thankfully her friends saw that I was trying to push him off. I finally got him off of me. "WHAT THE HELL JACKSON!! WHAT DONT YOU UNDERSTAND OUT OF I DONT WANT TO BE WITH YOU!!" THEN SUDDENLY Katrina came into the picture. "What the hell do you think you're doing kissing my boyfri-","Katrina he kissed her she was trying to get him off of her I know I watched most it happen." I heard her friend tell her. I just walked away to go get changed. We were halfway through practice when Anthony and Jason got there. They sat down on the bleachers and watched. Then I remembered what Jason said. "I DONT like you." I looked back at the field and focus.

Anthony's POV

Mathletes ended about 4:20 pm so we started going to the football field to wait for Carly. "Soooo dude what did you and Carly talk about last night?" He looked at me. "Oh nothing, just unimportant stuff that is useless to an everyday weekday." He looked me straight in my eyes and told me. "So she didn't ask you about anythi-","She told you didn't she?" He looked accomplished in figuring it out. "Yes, yes she did. hahaha good job detective, you figured out the mystery." I started laughing and pushed him over. I saw Carly stop and look over at us. She frowned and continued practice. She grabbed her bag and motioned us to come on. Her practice ended at 5, exactly. We started walking. "Sooooooo are you going to eat or are we going home?" She looked excited when I asked that. "I CALL DINER!" She screamed and raised her hand. "And that is why you're single Hahahahahaha" Jason commented. "That's not the reason why I'm single Jason." She had tears in her eyes. "I'm going home, you guys can go eat. I lost my appetite." She started walking faster. Carla pulled up next to Carly and Carly shook her head no and kept walking. We walked up to the car. "Why is Carly crying?" I smacked Jason on the back of the head. "I wasn't trying to make her cry I wasn't even being serious." He looked upset. "CARLY WAIT!" Jason yelled running up to Carly.

Jason's POV

"CARLY WAIT!" I yelled and then ran up to her. "Go away Jason!" She snapped at me. "Carly I'm so sorry I wasn't being serious, I'm really sorry." I tried stopping her. "Jason..yes I eat a lot, yes I yell a lot, yes I don't have many friends, but just because I like eating at a diner and screaming that I want to go there is not why I'm single!" She screamed at me while poking my chest. She was still crying. "Just leave me alone Jason. Go. Just go." She waved me away and I just stood there hurt. I don't understand why she's single, she's such a good person. I walked to the car and just sat there in silence. Carla and Anthony didn't hear us thankfully. "She's mad isn't she?" Carla turned to me in the backseat. "No, just hurt." I looked down at my hands. "Anthony I'm really sorry, I didn't know that was going to happen if I said that.", " Jason its fine. Its not your fault. If you knew the reason why Jason, you'd understand, but its not my reason to say. You'll have to let her tell you. WHEN SHES READY...only a couple of people know, but she has to trust you enough to tell you because its extremely personal. So, just don't comment about her being single again and you'll be good. Don't come over for a little while and I'll let you know when you're good to come back over alright?" He looked back at me. "Alright. No problem." I nodded. Its going to be a looooong time until I'm able to go to their house again. "Good going Jason....good going.." I mumbled to myself.