The Haunting of Norville Rogers

A/N: My thanks to PiperSpoon13 for her input in this chapter.

Chapter Four: Shaggy

Norville

"Pro 18! Boot! Z Pass! Cross Button!" Fred calls out the play. I'm Z so I take my position. Great! This is the play where Little "Mack Truck" John sent me to dreamland before. Only this time Fred and I have a little surprise for Little John!

At the snap I shoot down the field, Little John back peddling like he's supposed too. With me in the line up, he knows the play is for me and when I juke like I'm going outside, he takes the bait and I cut back inside. I know he's adjusted and I curl back just as the ball hits my midsection with a satisfying "thunk!"

I spin to head down field. This is where Little John hit me before. This time I come up on my toes, stutter step and watch him go flying past. I plant my foot and speed down the field untouched toward the goal line.

"TOUCHDOWN!" Screams Fred. It's not a real touchdown of course. We're just a bunch of guys in regular clothes playing a pick up game but Fred makes a big deal out of everything, including a fake touchdown. I trot back, flipping the ball to Fred and get the wind knocked out of me when Little John slaps me on the back.

"Hey, Speedy Gonzales! Show me that move! If I could do that on the dance floor my girlfriend would love it!" Little John slaps my back again and I try to picture him in a tutu. The guy is big enough to be a bouncer, if he was old enough to work at one of those places.

"Maybe another time, Little John. I gotta go." I wave to the other guys and trot off the field. That felt so good. Football and ballet...who knew?

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Two days later

Norville

I read the announcement on the school bulletin board. "All comers track meet! Every one welcome to compete!" 'Welcome as long as you've got the $10.00 entry fee' I thought as I filled out the registration form and handed over my $10.00.

With the $10.00 you could enter as many events as you wanted; I picked only three events; two sprints, (400 and 800 meter), and the 5K cross country run . I figure that will give me a good idea of where to concentrate my efforts. I also know the track and field coaches will be watching for fresh blood for the track and field teams. It will be a two day event for me with the sprints one day with the 5K cross country run the second day.

These "All Comers Track Meets" are a little tricky. You got guys like me, who have never ran track to regular team members who use these events for practice or a warm up for the coming season. I know I have my work cut out for me, but I so want to impress Velma.

The day of the meet dawned breezy, cool but not cold, a great day to run. The men will run in the morning while the girls have their turn in the afternoon. The breeze has died and every one is walking around, stretching, warming up, waiting for their events to be called. I hear the call for my first event, the 400 meter. I feel the adrenaline (or is it just nerves) surging through my body.

I think Velma, Daphne and Fred are in the stands but I don't dare look. All the work Fred and I have put in and the other preparation comes down to this moment. I'm focused on this run and nothing else.

I take my place in the assigned starting blocks...

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The next day

Norville Continued

Every one wanted to meet at the malt shoppe and I would have loved to have gone if only to be with Velma for awhile but the previous day had not gone well. I had wanted to give a better showing. A third in the 400 and a disappointing sixth in the 8oo wasn't going to impress anyone, not the coaches, and certainly not Velma.

My legs felt like lead by the time I finished the 8oo. Maybe I should have done one or the other, not both. And I still have the 5K today.

The 5K is slated for a 9.00 start. I get to the track an hour early to sign in and see the blue and gold uniforms of the Coolsville track team huddled around one of the coaches already; a last minute pep talk or maybe a last minute strategy meeting. I walk around doing my warm up exercises until I hear my name.

"Rogers!" I turn to see a guy walking toward me; he's in the blue and gold, "thought that was you." I'd seen him around the high school and knew who he was; "Sam" Samuelson, the captain of the Coolsville track team. I wondered what he wanted with me.

"You going out for track this year?" he began.

"Thought I'd try, yeah." I replied guardedly.

"Let's see what you got. Try to stay up, most of this mob will be gone within the first two miles. just don't get in my way. I'd hate to have to run you over." He was smiling when he said it but I had no doubt he would do just as he said if it came down to it. I didn't think it would.

The run would begin on the track then out into the city, through the city park, round and round and the last 400 meters back on the track and end where we began.

We indeed looked like a mob when we were called to the line. I wasn't going to get in Sam's way but I slipped in behind him and when the gun went off I followed him, letting him lead our way through the mob to the inside lane. I stayed in his wake, drafting until the first mile marker. 2.1 miles left. I don't know if he knew it was me behind him but he slowly began to leave me behind.

Sam had been right. As close as I could guess by the second mile marker only Sam, some of the other regular track team members, and a few die hards were left. And me. I could see Sam up ahead; there were two other runners between us.

At the third mile marker, I've passed one of those between myself and Sam. But I've "hit the wall" as they say. I've got nothing left; just putting one foot in front of the other but I refuse to quit.

I see the entrance to the track ahead, there and 400 meters and the finish line. I enter the track area and see a flash of orange coming out of the stands. I know where she's headed; she's running for the finish line to meet me! I don't know where the extra energy came from; but suddenly it was there! Maybe it was seeing her coming out of the stands. I'll never know for sure but I wasn't going to ask questions. I picked up my pace.

I wasn't going to beat Sam, he would be my team captain next year if I made the team, but I had a chance to pass the guy in front of me...

Velma

"I can't stand this any longer!" I cried at Daphne and Fred. I was jumping up and down on the steps of the stands, I think the whole place was shaking! "I'm going down to the finish line and meet Shaggy!"

"Shaggy?" Daphne asks.

"Yes! His hair is so...shaggy!" I don't wait for a reply but start making my way down to the ground, then begin to run.

Daphne

"Looks like Norv has a girlfriend." Fred said beside me and starts to rise. I stop him, pulling him back.

"Not Norv, Fred. But I think Shaggy does. Let's give them a moment alone."

"Alone? Daphne, there must be 500 people here!"

"Not to them, Fred," I say. "Not to them." I whisper to myself.

Velma

Shaggy crossed the line in second place and I have to wait until he catches his breath, get his time and then I'm in his arms. "You did it, Shaggy!"

We've waited for so long for this. We kiss for the first time---hard!

I was right, his kiss was sweet, sending a heat throughout my insides! Hot chocolate kisses.

Shaggy

"Shaggy? I think I like that!" I hear my name called for the second time today.

"Rogers!" I turn to see coach Redmann walking toward us. Fred and Daphne also joins us and I let Velma slide down to stand on the ground.

"Looks like you brought your own pep squad." Coach Redmann addresses me but his eyes run over all four of us.

"No sir, this is 'the gang'" I correct him.

TBC