Hello people. I know it has been a really really long time, but who ever said school was easy lied. And then you want to throw in sports well even harder, but wait you want friends almost impossible...any way that's what I've been up to...ok here is the next chapter! Enjoy :)
Chapter 9~ Life coming together
Alex POV
"Alright team lets load up the bus." Yelled Coach Ryland. The track team started loading up all of the food, water, and random junk.
Some of the boys, Dylan, Nate, Zach, Liam, and Jonas, were messing around, so I yelled, "Let's lock and load!" This got them and they started to get in the bus. We all sat in the back. School is just about over for the year one more month to go! All of us are in sports like normal. Most of us joined track and field. I am one of the team captains. For the throwers even though I only throw the shot put. I failed at discus. Nothing much has happened, since the reading of the letter.
We found out that they all (my Dad, Tom, and Chris) wrote the same type of letter to each of their families in case they were the ones that did not make it back. Once Tom finished reading the letter we were all crying as hard as we could. They both tried their best to comfort us, but nothing would work. After a while they both got up to leave. Dylan and I got up with tear stained cheeks so we could walk them to the door. "Thank you." I whispered. "Thank you for coming back safely so you could read us the letter." I said looking at Mr. Hamilton. I gave him a hug, and I could see that he was crying too. I then turned to Chris. "Don't tell your family about this." I pleaded "You just came back home so I don't want any of them to be sad again about my Dad." More tears were falling out of my eyes while I was talking. Dyl was talking the Tom. "I know this must hurt too." I could see the tears in Chris's eyes too. "Please don't bother Nate with this." I asked/ stated.
"Alex I will try my best, but no promises. This is too much for you to keep all to yourself. I know that you don't want Nate to be bothered, but you could really need someone to lean on in this time. If you need anything anything at all just let us know." Chris said pulling me into a hug we stayed like that for some time just crying. Then Dylan and I walked inside. They both went to their separate houses. I couldn't stand all of the crying so I went up to my room and laid on my bed crying some here and some of the time I just sat there praying it wasn't true.
It was the next day when Zach and his family came over. They stayed and made meals. They boys played video games. I tried to stay with them and not think about my Dad, but I couldn't. Once they left we all went our separate ways. I went in my room and saw that my phone was lit up. I have received many text messages from the girls and Nate. Nate even tried calling me. Asking me if I would call him back. I had no idea what he was thinking for feeling during those moments.
Once it all was cleared up they all told Dylan and me what they were thinking about during the time that we weren't talking. It's not like we completely stopped talking, but we were never really there until the middle of March when they all confronted us. But I'm not there yet. So Macey, Liz, and Cam all tried to get ahold of me, and Grant and Jonas Dylan. Once school stared we acted like nothing ever happened and that we were fine, but they could tell something was off. Zach was the only one who knew, and he kept that quite. His family came over every week end. The others tried to find out why, but could never place their finger on it. Nate, Kenzie, and Liam all knew that it had something to do with our Dad, but they didn't know what.
Kenzie said that when her Dad came back home that awful day she tried to ask him. He just walked past her and locked himself on his room for a while. Nate said that when his day came back he wanted to know what was up, and when his Dad wouldn't say he was about to come over when he Dad caught him and told him to give us some time. It made no sense to him, but just listened to his Dad.
It was hard for them to go through it, but we haven't told them everything yet. That Dylan and I agreed we would do today on the way up to the track meet. It is out twilight meet, which means my 4x4 is going to start around 9 at night. I hate staying up late and not to mention prom is tomorrow. Nate and I agreed to go as friends. Nothing more nothing less. I'm not sure how I feel about that. However I think he has something planed for tonight. Why would I say that, well he seems nervous. And not like the nervous he gets when he is about to run. Any way time to tell the truth to our friends.
"Alright as you know something happened during thanksgiving break that made it so Dyl and I shut off. Well first off you should know that we are military brats. We were living in Colorado when Dad was shipped off for his last tour. I know he wasn't ready to give up the only life he knew but he was ready to stay home. We were looking at houses that we could move into once Dad got back." I started off.
"In the letters we got Dad told us about two great friends, Kenzie and Liam's Dad and Nate's Dad. He said that they were great people. And when they all got home he hoped that we could meet each other." Dylan said holding Kenzie's hand.
"Well two weeks after he was suppose to come home we got a letter that he was MIA." When I said that all of the girls held a collective breath. "Mom packed us up," I continued, "and moved us out here. We have family close by so we came here."
"Oh yeah your family from Blackthorn school." Liam said.
"Yes and Well I guess it is time to tell you, but Joe is my Uncle." Every one stared at me with a surprised look.
"I knew it!" Nate yelled making all of us look at him and laugh.
"Ok, so as you know their Dads came home for thanksgiving. Well each of them wrote letters to their families just in case they never came home. Well our Dad was the one who didn't come home, so they delivered the letter to us the next day. So it seems that our Dad is no long MIA, but KIA. The military hasn't confirmed it but we haven't heard anything from them. So that is what the big secrete is that y'all never knew about and know you do and probably hate us for not telling all of you and only Zach. I probably shouldn't have said that part." I just kept on babbling on and on, but you could not hear it over the girls trying to stop the tears that kept falling.
Soon we got to the track meet. "Guys this track meet we will dedicate to Al and Dyl's Dad. Let's run, throw, and jump better than we have ever done before. It is now or never." Nate said or should I say yelled. The rest of the team looked at us like we were crazy people. "Their Dad MIA or KIA don't know yet. Let's move people." He always knows how to make me smile.
We started to unload and set up our tent in the stands. And oh my goodness was it the hottest day in April ever! We were sweating and all we did was walk up the stairs. Sun screen was being passed around. "Kids make sure you drink plenty of water. When you finish half a water bottle fill it up with Gatorade." Coach Ryland commanded us, "And don't be sitting out in the sun there is a tent here with shade so get under it. I don't want you out on the field just sitting around." Yup she really wants us the stay hydrated. "Ok go set up your tape and go get warmed up those who need to." This is how most track meet start up.
I looked at my sheet one more time. Shot put should start around 3:45 but I would start around 4:15, then 800 around 7:35, 200 8, and 4x4 9, but I would say put everything but the throwing back 15 minutes and it would be closer. This one is very confusing because the boys are going to go first in races I'm not sure why. My last three events are always at the end and it kills me. At the beginning of the season Coach had me run the mile instead of the 200, but I am better at the 200.
"Alright I'm going to start checking in for the flight three. Ladies line" The lady for shot put yelled. We all got in a very curvy line; whenever they tell us to line no one ever listens. It's whoever gets there first and pushes their way up to the front who wins. "Name" She said looking at me.
"Alex Solomon."
"Thanks you can start to warm up and then I'll call y'all over to go over the rules." She said before she turned back to the person she was talking to.
We started to warm up. I always do two throws form my power stands, and then two with the shuffle way. Once I finish I stand over by the lady running the show. "Alright ladies are you ready to start?" there was a mummer of yeses. "Ok, the rules are simple once you step in the ring you cannot step out of the ring. You can't step on or over the toe board. And wait for me to call you up before you throw. The second line out there is the minimum mark line; we will only mark the farthest one if you don't throw past it. Ok let's start Crystal King."
Girls came up and threw and then would walk back. "Alex Solomon" She called out. I took a deep breath and walked up to the ring. I steeped in and shuffled across the ring and threw. It came really close to the line. Then we made it through again soon it was my turn again. I did the same thing but tried to elevate it more which my coach told me to do. It landed on the line, 25 ft. And then we all took our last throw. 25 feet was my new PR, personal record, so this time I didn't feel much presser, so when I threw it just flew, and landed past that line! I walked out of the ring cool and collected, but then I started to jump with excitement. "Alex your farthest was 30 feet." The lady said. When my coach heard how far it was she ran out a hugged me. "You might want to stay around you might be put into finals." The lady said. So I did but the other girls were way better so I didn't get in.
I walked back to the tent all cool, but I did have a smile on my face, so my friends could tell I did well. "So how far was it?" Cam came up to me asking she just finished running the 4x2 with Bex, Kelly, and Mandi.
"Only 30 feet." I said.
"What!?" She yelled. "No way that's awesome! Come on let's tell everyone." She said dragging me along and yelling the news to everyone around our tent. I just pushed it off and grabbed two sandwiches and some fruit snacks. I then watched our team run races and pole vault. Soon it was time to get ready for the awful end of the night, and now why would it be awful I have three races back to back. The 800 was first. Oh and in case you cared I have not been able to talk to Nate all day, but that will change because we both run the 800 and the 4x4.
To warm up we run some and then do stretches and check in to get our number and heat. For the 800 it doesn't really matter what lane you are in because after the first curve you get to cut in to lane one.
I started to run when I felt the presence of another runner next to me I looked over and saw it was Nate. He looked over at me and smiled. He must have just finished pole vaulting. "How did you do?" I asked
"Cleared 14 feet." He said with a giant grin. "How did you do in shot?"
"30 feet." I said with a matching grin.
He stopped running. "30 feet!? Alex that's amazing!" Nate said pulling me into a hug. I stated to laugh.
"Yeah it is!" I said running some more.
"Modest much?" Nate asked with a wink. I could feel my cheeks burn up. Dang why does he have this effect on me?
Nate POV
The track meet right before prom. I'm going to officially ask Alex out to prom, and not just as a friend. We just agreed that we would go. It was more like hey we should go so we aren't the odd ones out. I've been planning on asking her out but I just decided on how I'll do today. And with just finding out what is happened with her Dad I feel like I should bring so joy to her life. Since the 4x4 is the last and hardest event I'll wait for that and when she crosses the line I'll run up to her with a bottle of Gatorade that will say "Prom?" and then I'll have a shirt under my track shit that will say "Yes?" and "No?" on the back it has "Prom? Yes? No?" I did not design the shirt Macey did.
I'm now starting to get a little nervous. The 4x4 is just after the two mile which the girls are running now. One more race and then her last event of the day. She did amazing in the 200 and 800. I shouldn't be this worried. I grabbed the Gatorade and headed down to the field. This is normal for me to do, and the other guys. We just like to hang out as much as we can and help calm nerves.
"Hey guys!" I yelled walking up to Kenzie, Al, Bex, and Devon. "Y'all are going to kill it out there!" I said making sure that they were ready "oh and do one of you guys want to hold the blocks for us?"
"I knew that was the real reason you came over" Bex said accusingly. I just shrugged.
"Oh ask Michael. He's going to hold Bex's". Al said jumping up and down slightly.
"It looks like some one is excited." I said nudging her slightly.
"I can't wait! I love this race!" She said with a giant grin. "Now go the boys are lining up and you need to do great today." She said pushing me off.
Dyl, Mark, Tim, and I walk up to the start line with Michael in toe. "I need first runners to go to their blocks second runners back here, and third and four runners off to the side come one the track when it is your turn to run." The official said. Dyl and I went to their marks, I am the first runner out of the group no presser right? Wrong. The front of the track became quite. "Runners to your mark!" The official said. I let out a deep breath and slowly backed into my blocks. "Runners to your set!" We all stood up in our blocks. It was all quite and then BANG! The gun was fired we all took off. I'm not sure how many of you know this but running the 4x4 is deadly. The first 300 yard you have to give it about 90% and the last 100 everything you have left, this means that your legs are going to feel like jelly…Coming around the last curve I cant hear anything, but my own breathing. I see Dylan standing in front of me and yelling at me to bring it in. Soon I pass off the baton and wait for a few seconds before the track is safe to cross and go off to the side and try not to throw up. Just a normal day running this race. In the good news we won! After all of us guys were done either puking, Mark and me, or getting over the feeling, Dyl and Tim, we all started yelling.
The girls' team was flying around the track. Al was going second this meet. She looked determined and ready when Bex came running up to her, their hand off looked great. Soon Alex was running with all of her heart to get the girl in front of her. While going around the last curve she kicked into high gear and started to pull ahead of the one person in front of her. I was yelling for her to keep pushing, and she did! She was able to hand it off to Kenzie before the other girls caught up.
I saw Alex stumble off the track and lie on the ground breathing hard and looking sick. I knew I should wait before I went over to her. By the end of the race our team had just barely made it first! The girls were walking over to us laughing and smiling. I was standing there holding out the Gatorade. Alex took it and drank some smiling and then proceeded in taking off her spikes. I kind of had a feeling she wouldn't read it, so I had another idea.
I grabbed my shoe bag and pulled out another bag. That bag was from a local bakery and inside the bag was a cinnamon roll. Al loves cinnamon rolls, but she might not want to eat since she just ran and all…but then again this is Ally and she is always hungry.
"Hey Al I got you something." I said when she stood up. "Here." I said handing her the bag. On the bag it said "I know you just ran but here is a cinnamon roll, so go to prom with me?"
She stopped and stared at it for a minute, before she jumped into my arms laughing. I spun her around, and then put her back on the ground. I looked in her eyes to see them tearing up and staring off behind me. "Dad?" She whispered before pushing past me.
I know it is kind of short...or is that just me? I don't know... so do you think it was her Dad? Who do you think will become Prom king and queen? The sooner you review the sooner I'll post. Any way I think it would be great to be asked out with food...
Ok so my two favorite songs right now "I Don't Dance" BY Lee Brice and "Mean to Me" BY Brett Eldredge, is it just me or is his voice super attractive?
So please review or PM me :)