The White Eagle
By Watch
A-N: I do not own any of Rick Riordan's ideas. I have never, and will never claim that I own any of Rick Riordan's ideas. Thanks for clicking, and enjoy the first chapter of my return story, The White Eagle!
As I peer straight forward into the expanse of the unknown, I can see limbs flailing in and out of my line of vision. To my left there is a gap about twelve feet apart and ten feet high and to my right is a solid wall of metal.
Now you might be thinking that I am describing some sort of path into Hades, but no. Not today. Today I must conquer what most call... the high school hallway.
Hold up, let me hit you with a quick backstory. My name is Jaroslav Henryk Nowak III, but most everyone other than my father calls me Jaro. I am a junior at Washington High School in Southwest Indiana. My grandparents were proud Poles who fled the atrocious memories of Europe at the end of World War 2.
When I was young my father always used to tell me stories about Dziadek (which is grandpa in Polish, and is pronounced Jah-deck), and one of my favorites was about why he decided to settle in Southwest Indiana. Apparently my grandparents were simple, hard working people, and they saw the Amish that populated most of the area to be their philosophical brethren. They settled down on a small plot of land with their own farm, had my father late in life, and tried to forget the horrors of the war.
My father named me after my Dziadek, and in turn himself, because my father said Dziadek was the greatest man he ever knew.
So, that is how I came to be a second generation American with one of the most Polish names of all time in the middle of nowhere Indiana. As I stare down the hallway at the beginning of this cool fall day, I know that there is a chance to honor my namesake at the end of it.
I play football for Washington High School, and although our season has not been the best, we host the first round of the state tournament tonight. My father, Jaroslav Henryk Nowak II, is the all time leading passer at WHS, and I have his big shoes to fill. I had always been the tallest, most athletic, and most talented boy in my age group in elementary and middle school, but now that I'm in high school, my peers have all caught me.
Although there were many options, my name value alone saddles me with the responsibility of playing quarterback. And though I've never had the best luck in clutch situations, tonight I have the ability to play the game I love with some of my best friends, while also sending our tight community of fans home with a victory in our last home game.
Yet, a mighty test stands in our way. One of the best programs in the southern half of the state will soon be on the way to our humble field. The Gibson Southern Titans, my biggest personal rival, stands between me and the ability to honor my Dziadek with victory, and fill my father's footsteps as a quarterback.