Chapter 5

"All right, Alan, go stretch out with Melody." Coach Boone commanded, motioning towards where the locker room was. A

lan jogged off the field, taking his helmet off. It had been a few days since Coach Yoast had told Alan he would be working with Melody, and he had gotten to know her a little better in class. She was nice and okay to be with.

"Hey," he said between breaths as he ran up to Melody who was waiting on the sidelines.

"Hey," she said. After a little break of silence, she continued quietly, "Um, Coach told me you had an injured hamstring."

"Yeah," he nodded, watching her, "I, uh, pulled it over the summer."

"I know how much that hurts," she said, "It has happened to me before."

Alan nodded, "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt too much lately."

Melody nodded, as if to say, that's good. "Okay, um, you can take off all your football gear," She told him.

"Umm, okay," he said and started peeling off his jersey. Then, he took off the shoulder pads and rolled up the bottom of his pants to take out the pads there. When he pulled them out, he was in his white pants, now very dirty and white shirt, a little damp with sweat.

"Okay, this is a really important stretch that you need to do all the time. Except it takes two people to do it." Melody explained, looking at him slowly.

"All right." Alan said, "So what do I do?"

"Um, get down on the ground, lie down," she told him. A

lan did as she asked, wondering what he was supposed to do.

"Now put up your foot,"

Alan did as Melody told him, and she grabbed his ankle. She bent down, still holding his foot.

"Now, unbend your knee," Melody reached down and pushed his knee straight.

"Okay, I'm going to push your leg as far as I can before you tell me to stop." Melody pushed his ankle up and forward in small increments, until Alan could feel the back of his left leg stretching, a lot. He grunted a little.

"Oh, did I stretch it too much?" Melody asked, concern in her voice.

"No," he forced himself to say, "No, it's good."

He gritted his teeth together as the muscles in his leg expanded.

Melody saw his face, "I don't want you to push it real hard today," she said, watching his face for his reaction.

"Okay," he nodded, smiling weakly at her.

Alan spent the afternoon learning new stretches, and trying to remember them all. Some he had to stand, some to sit, and even a few where he had to lean on something in order to stay upright.

"Think of it like this really big test," she said, "The more you think about the content, the better you'll do," Melody suggested.

Alan laughed, "Does everything have to be related to school?"

Melody returned the laugh, "How about, it's a really big ice cream sundae. With hot fudge, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top."

Alan looked up from touching his toes, "Now that is just making me hungry."

Melody smiled, "The more you have of the sundae, the better you feel right?"

"Right. Unless you eat too much and then you feel sick," Alan added.

"Exactly!" Melody grinned, "You get it! It's good to stretch a lot, but if you stretch a muscle too much, you end up worse off then you were before you stretched."

"Now every time I stretch, I'm going to want an ice cream sundae," Alan commented.

Melody smiled and walked over to a bench to pull a piece of paper out of a notebook. Alan watched her walk away. He liked her, as a friend that is. She was nice and funny, and very creative. He had never really had girls that were just friends, not since grade school, but he liked her like that. And just like that. He wouldn't get in the way of Sunshine and a girl he liked. Sunshine would probably win anyway. Besides, Sunshine was a lot stronger than he was.

"Okay," Melody came back with a sheet of paper in her hand. "Do these stretches every day. Like before you go to bed and, if you have time, when you wake up."

"What happens if I don't?" Alan asked, not to be trouble, but just wondering.

"I'll be able to tell when I stretch your hamstrings the next day. It'll show," Melody answered slyly. "So you better do them."

Alan grinned, "Yes m'am," he saluted her and stood up.

Melody gave him a playful shove in the shoulder. "You are one interesting person Alan." She smiled. She looked at him for a second,

"Hey, do you want to go get an ice cream? Talking about them made me hungry."

Alan smiled, "Yeah. Sounds good. Just let me go shower first."

Alan emerged from the locker room. Closing the door tightly behind him. He saw Melody, waiting for him off to the side of the field. When he got to her, they set off towards town. They were heading for Howard's Drug Store. The walk there was nice, and they talked about a lot of different things.

Alan learned that Melody played the piano, and had a lot of brothers and sisters. She had named them all, but he couldn't remember any. Alan had confessed to her about always wanting a twin sister and she, amazingly, had said that she always wanted a twin brother. Laughing, they had agreed they should be each other's twins.

"So what are you going to get?" Alan asked Melody as they sat down together on the stools at the counter.

"Oh, I was thinking an ice cream sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream and sprinkles and cherry on top," she smiled.

Alan smiled right back at her, "I was thinking the same thing." He grinned wider.

"I wonder where we ever got that idea?" Melody giggled, shaking her head at his goofy grin.

After they had eaten their sundaes and walked over to the cashier to pay, Alan pull his wallet out of the back pocket of his faded blue jeans. When he took out a five-dollar bill, Melody stopped him.

"Alan," she said, "Don't spend your money on me. I mean, it's not like I'm a date." She grinned at him, "Spend it on your next girlfriend." A

lan smiled, "Okay."

They each paid a few dollars, keeping the amount even. After that, Alan walked her halfway home and then each turned their separate ways.

"See you tomorrow Alan!" Melody called as she walked down the street.

"Yeah! Bye!" Alan yelled in return.

"Hey, Sunshine, what are you doin' here?" Ronnie turned from watching the two figures on the sidelines of the football field when he heard the familiar voice of Gary. He was leaning on the railing of the stands, watching Alan and Melody.

"I should ask you the same question." Ronnie commented, not wanting to reveal why he was there.

"Well I forgot my math book in the locker room," Gary said, "But why are you here?"

Before Ronnie could answer, Gary looked out on the field and saw the two figures.

"Hey, whose that out there?" He squinted as he leaned on the railing next to Ronnie.

"Well that's Alan, but who's the girl?"

Then he remembered that Alan was stretching, "Oh it's Melody right?"

Ronnie nodded.

Gary thought for a minute or two. "So is that why you're here?" He asked slyly, almost laughing, "You're sweet on Melody?"

Ronnie shrugged, still watching as Alan and Melody stood close together, bending over. A gust of wind blew by and Melody straightened up to hold her skirt down, to the extreme amusement of Alan.

"Jesus, Sunshine, she's only been here a week," Gary muttered.

"I know," Ronnie answered. "But I just like her."

Gary patted his shoulder, "Don't let Alan and her get to you, okay man?"

He turned and started to walk way but before he had taken a few steps, Ronnie asked.

"Does he like her?"

Gary turned, thinking, "No. Alan don't like her."

Gary had said that just on a hunch, and he hoped to God it wasn't true. The last thing they needed this season was rivalry between the teammates.