The Summer Before he Left

Chapter 14: Blair

     He pulled up to the back door of the house at 8 o'clock straight in an old beat up Chevy. I've always liked old trucks, when you see a hick truck you know they gotta be country, I don't know about you, but I like country. He got out of his truck looking ready for running with his basketball shorts, Hoosiers t-shirt on, and lime green running shoes on. He walked over to me who was wearing Nike athletic shorts, my school volleyball shirt, and my teal Nike running shoes.

        "Shall we stretch?" he asked.

        "Of course! Wouldn't want to pull a muscle on our first day would we?" I answered and began to stretch. I started with my arms and then to my legs and back. Soon we were both ready to go, I turned my playlist on my phone so it would play out loud. I sat it on some Eric Church and we began on the route I had ran the other day. 

        As we began to run I warned him about my slowness and I could tell he slowed down for me. As we ran we were pretty quiet, we just listened to the music and ran. We ran about 2 miles before getting back to my house. I didn't know about him but I was tired as shit, I literally could have passed out. I mean it was already feeling like 90 degrees at 8:30 in the morning.

       "I like the route you picked out. It was scenic." he said to me when we got back, panting a little bit.

        "I made it myself." I said with sarcasm, trying to catch my breathe. "Let's go get some water." I said starting to already walk in.

      He followed me and I got out two cups and filled them with ice and water. "What shall we do next?" he asked.

       "Well since we are already in our workout clothes we should do weights at your house and get you all swoll for the army." I responded. "I'm going to call my mom and tell her we are going over there." He nodded. I picked up my phone and called my mom. It rang several times before she picked up. "Uh hey mom, is it okay if I go over to Drew's to lift some weights and become a body builder?"

         "Oh yeah that's fine" she said kind of laughing. "How long do you think you will be over there?"

         "Probably an hour or so, but then I'm coming home and taking a shower and we are going to spend the day doing other things, I don't know what they are yet, but I will let you know what they are when I know."

        "Okay, be careful."

        "Okay mom, bye." I said and hung up. "Okay! Let's go!" I said to him and we took our water and went outside and I got in the passenger seat of his truck. We drove around the drive about 1/4 mile or so and got to his house. We walked in to the house I hadn't been in since our movie night, it was nice to be back. He led me down stairs where his weights were.

        "Let's start with bench." he said smiling. He put 65 on each side to warm up... 65 pounds to warm up. 

        "Someone is a show off."

        "Not even close." he said. Then he got on the bench and did 5 reps right there, easily.

        He kept adding weight until he started doing one rep each, each one getting a bit harder. Then he asked when he got somewhere past 225lbs if I could help him if he cant get it. I laughed at him. 

       "Yeah no, I don't think so." I said laughing.

        "Alright I will do it another day. Now it's your turn." He said.

       Now me being the strong person I am began to warm up 65lbs. Don't judge me. That was pretty easy. I began to build up to eventually 90lbs and he was above me spotting. Meep, watching him above me was nice, it really was. Then we but 100lbs on and I was getting all exited because my max is 110 and I haven't lifting since school. So he gave me some words of encouragement and I took a breath and slowly went down and then I pushed and tried so hard to get it up. But sadly I couldn't make it and he had to save me. It was embarrassing, but oh well. I tried.