I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU

4. Training

ZACHARY P.O.V

Holy Crap! I cannot believe that just happened. Candy is still trying to get up off the floor and the bleeding hasn't stopped after five minutes.

"What did she mean by 'my son'?" I asked my table. Amber dropped her fork and her eyes widened.

"You don't know?" I shook my head.

"One and a half years ago Eliza
Mackenzie was the most popular girl in school. She was so sweet and innocent. One day we were called into a year 10 assembly where we were told that Eliza had to leave the school due to health complications and we were not to text, pry or intrude on her personal life. That night I got a text saying 'can I trust you still?', to which I immediately replied yes. She told me she was going to be a mother and that she couldn't come to school anymore. We texted or called nearly every single day. Then one day I got a text saying it was a beautiful baby boy named Jaxon. Then we lost contact until she texted me two weeks ago saying that she was coming back to finish her last year." I looked at the door she exited through in awe. "I think I'll go check in her." Amber got up and left the room.
Holy cow! I let out a long breath and stared at me food. She was a mother?!

School was finally finished for the day and I had one hour until I had to be at practice. I jogged to Ric's car.
"Come on dude we gotta go. We have fifty minutes to get the girls, come back, get changed and onto the field."

"Gee really?" His sarcasm as thick as he fired the engine.
We gunned it to the primary school, before we parked and headed on our seperate missions. I headed straight for the prep centre at the back of the school. I searched for Gracie's crazy, curly Afro, to find her stuffing her 'homework' into a bright purple folder. I slung her Spider-Man back pack over my shoulder and grabbed her tiny hand.

"Come on cutie I gotta get to practice."

"I'm going as fast as my little legs can carry me." She whined.
Reaching the car Ric already had Macy and Bec strapped in the backseat. I buckled Gracie between the two before Ric gunned it back to school.

We entered the locker room with our shirts halfway over our heads. Sucking down every item of clothing, except my skins, I pulled on my white shorts and black training shirt with the school logo on the side.
"Did we make it?" I asked wrestling to tie up both shoes.

"Five minutes." We tumbled out the door and sprinted towards the rest of the team on the centre of the field. Gracie, Macy and Bec had made it halfway before we scooped them and carried them the rest of the way.
"Nice of you to join us captain." Coach Wilson was a fifty something year old man who went from playing AFL for North Melbourne to coaching a few college teams and finally coach a boys high school team. Why? I have no idea. "Sorry Coach." I set the girls down next to the ball bag before leading the team in a warm up.
We had just finished one hour of training when Randy, a year 11, finally showed up.

"And why are you late?"

"Because I am Sir." Oh that was a bad response, a very bad response.

"There is one hour and 30 minutes left of this training session Randy. You will spend those precious 90 minutes doing suicides. You will not stop running until those 90 minutes are over or you throw up, which ever one comes first. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir. Crystal clear." Randy jogged to the end of the field and started his suicides. I knew that coach was testing him, but I also knew coach was testing the rest of us. Peeling off my sweat soaked shirt I fell in time with Randy. Soon the whole team was up and running the set. After an hour of non-stop running coach blew the whistle.

"Fall in lads. Training from Monday through to Wednesday will be an hour of fitness and an hour and a half of game plan and strategy. Understood? Good. Now the game on Friday night maybe the first of the year but it is just as important as any other game. I need you on that field at 4 pm no later. Dismissed." I stayed back until only Randy and I were on the field.

"Care to explain your lateness?"

"I had to complete my homework or dad would not have let me come. He says if my grades keep dropping I'll have to quit the team."

"You will meet me at school every morning at 6:30. If we don't complete all the homework then we will stay one hour after school. Got it?" He nodded. "Whenever there is a party and one of your teammates are there you are their designated driver. And drive every single one of their asses home. We clear?"

"Yes crystal. Thanks captain." He went to enter the change room but I stopped him.

"Do you know any other player struggling with their marks?"

"A few. Why?"

"Invite them too."