Live Heroically

Chapter 2: Sick

There are many instances when a person can feel sick without having any type of virus or bacteria ailing them. Bad smells oftentimes make people's stomach turn as well as disturbing images. Extreme heat and extreme cold can affect a person's body just as much as a cold or flu can. More often than not the thing that makes people sick out of the blue is thought.

Someone hears bad news and they begin to stress and feel sick. Someone like Hal whose day had been so splendid can have an uncomfortable run in with a new and intimidating teacher and become so ill that rather than rushing to the cafeteria he takes a detour to the locker room. Nausea, heartburn, indigestion are not just things that Pepto treats but are spontaneous ailments that are afflicting Hal.

He pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped into the bright room lined with dozens of grey lockers. Slightly stumbling on his feet, he turned a corner near the showers toward the sinks. He quickly turned on the cold water and splashed it in his face several times. After several deep breaths he looked up in the mirror. He saw his hair, light and ashy, still combed up the way he had styled it that morning but with moist ringlets along the sides of his face from the water. He looked into his eyes, to the gold circle set by a thick brown rim. When he squinted he could see the indistinguishable line made from his contact lenses. He squeezed his eyes tight hoping that he did not get any water in them.

He opened them and blinked heavily as he breathed slowly. Although he would never admit it, he was more nervous about school and fitting in than he had ever been about anything. He really lucked out that Kurt's older brother was a senior on the team and was friends with everybody. Hal had trained so hard all summer just to try and impress everyone. He never considered the actually school part until now and was worried what it would mean for him. Why was he stressing so much? He was great at football and that is what was important. Once he had calmed down he was able to pick himself back up and jog down to the cafeteria for lunch.

He didn't even feel hungry but knew that tonight's practice was going to be tough so he needed to eat. He grabbed his tray of smiley fries and a burger and turned to find his seat. Thankfully Nathan noticed him right away and waved him down before Hal had the awkward experience of finding a lunch table for the first time.

There was an empty seat between Nathan and Kurt. The table was filled with a couple other juniors that Nathan knew and Brett, Kurt's brother. Nathan pulled an extra coke from his bag and opened it before handing it to Hal. "What classes you have this afternoon bro?" Nathan asked as he took a drink of his own soda.

Hal quickly pulled the paper from his pocket and read out, "I got Spanish with Jon Carlos, Typing with Loretta Stevens, then just practice. Have you had them before?" Hal was hoping that his friends could prepare him in case any of these teachers were like Walsh.

The table laughed and one of the junior girls replied, "Oh everyone has Carlos, he is the only Spanish teacher. Don't worry, that class is basically a study hall and he tells a lot of random stories."

Brett then started to speak in his normal deep voice. "Stevens can be hard. She is sort of crazy and makes you type the whole period and if you copy and paste she goes nuts."

"She can't be worse than that new guy, Walsh." Kurt replied. Hal was grateful that he was not the only one that though this guy was bad. "He sounds like he is super strict and we are always gonna have homework."

"Oh that guy with the stupid mustache from this morning?" Nathan said and the whole table laughed loudly. "Don't worry guys. We are on the football team so we got it easy."

"He specifically said he doesn't give shortcuts to sports kids and stuff." Hal said quickly, still blinking oddly while putting a couple fries in his burger.