Ch. 9 What? No Sports?
Nathan sighed and got up the next morning. It was the day he was going to Basketball tryouts, and he was nervous. He had tried talking to his old jock buddies, but they wouldn't talk to him at all. He felt comforted that he had the others.
Immediately his phone rang, and he ran to it and picked it up.
"Hello, Nathan?" it sounded like Eric.
"Yes… Eric, what's up?" Nathan yawned.
"Listen, I need your help," he began, "my Dad went to the hospital today…"
"What?" Nathan gasped.
"Apparently he has lung cancer. I always told him it was a bad idea to smoke… anyway, I promised Taylor I'd take her out today, but I kind of don't want to leave my Dad in case he… you know."
"Yeah," Nathan nodded.
"So can you tell Taylor that I'm at the hospital? I already called her but she was asleep, and I'm allowed two calls with this quarter."
"Oh okay," Nathan nodded, "I'll tell her when I get to school."
"Thanks," and Eric hung up.
Nathan sighed and began to make his bed when the phone rung again.
"Hello?" he yawned.
"Nathan! Oh thank God!" it was Melissa.
"What is it now, Mel?" he asked, annoyed, "Eric just called, and my phone has an annoying ring in the morning…"
"Sorry, but you know how I haven't seen my mom since we got back?"
"Yes…"
"She's traumatized! My Dad took her to the hospital before we got back! She can't even talk! But when she saw me she smiled… apparently a huge thing…"
"That really sucks, Mel," Nathan yawned when he heard a beep, "oh, I've got to get this call. Be right back."
"Okay," Melissa whispered as Nathan switched over.
"Hello?"
"Nathan? Oh good. No one else will pick up!"
"Abby? What's wrong?"
"My parents are splitting up!"
"What? No!" Nathan sighed.
"Yeah. What's going on? It's like when we left everything changed…"
"It did, Abby. Listen, I have someone on the other line…" Nathan sighed.
"Oh okay. See you at school."
Nathan switched back to Melissa, "hey I'm back."
"Oh good. Who was that?"
"Abby. Her parents are getting a divorce."
"Oh that's really bad!"
"Yeah. Listen, I need to get ready for school, can I call you back later?"
"Sure," and Melissa hung up. Nathan was just getting dressed when his phone rang again.
"ARG!"
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Nathan walked over to the school, praying to God he would get on the team. Daley was right behind him, even though it was early.
"Thanks for coming, Daley," Nathan smiled. Daley shrugged.
"No problem," she smiled. Nathan looked around for a second, and then gently kissed her.
She smiled when he pulled back, "Good luck out there."
"Thanks," Nathan smiled and walked out onto the field. Daley stood by in the stands.
The players- Ryan, Nick, Jake, Jason, Sergei, Mike- were all standing around and laughing.
"Hey guys," Nathan called and walked up.
"Oh," Ryan glowered at him.
"Um… should I try out or what?" Nathan asked awkwardly.
"Now, Nathan, we've got something to tell you," Jake said while glaring.
"See, Nathan, we'd love to have you on the team. You're a great football player, as we all know, and also good at basketball. In Junior High it was all thanks to you that we won the championship," Sergei laughed. All of the boys laughed and high-fived, remembering the 8th grade well.
"But see, ever since you got back from your little," Nick coughed, "adventure, you've been kind of hanging out with the others from the trip…"
"And everyone at school is a little weirded out by the fact that you are. None of you are alike at all… I mean, we understand about you and Melissa- you guys have been friends for practically forever. But the others…"
"And what's even freakier is that you're dating Daley. I mean, Taylor wasn't your type, but Daley… you guys hated each other. Always yelling, you always were badmouthing her before you left and well… then you come back holding her hand and her cheering you on in the stands…" Mike sighed.
Daley stared in disbelief at the jocks, overhearing the entire conversation. It was, after all, a very empty gym and everything echoed.
"And you've just changed a lot since you came back, and we just don't think that the team is ready for the 'new' Nathan. Besides, you have your things with those other guys, and plus we don't know what a year off season did you your game…" Mike continued.
"What we're trying to say is," Ryan shrugged, "no. You shouldn't, because you won't make the team."
Nathan glared at them all and picked up his duffle bag, "you guys are really low, you know that? We were stranded on an island together for over a year. You have no idea what that does to a group of people, because you've never been stranded on an island yourself. We have this amazing bond- we're like a huge family. And frankly, if you can't handle that having to live with each other for a year bonds people, then you're not worth my time. And as for Daley," Nathan turned around and walked over to her, where she was waiting. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her with all the passion he possessed, which was a lot. Daley couldn't stop smiling when he broke away.
"If you don't think we're made for each other," Nathan called after them as they began to leave, "they you're complete idiots."
The jocks stared after them in disbelief as they left the gym.
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Nathan sighed as he sat down to lunch with the others. People still stared in shock at them, but for the most part the sensation had worn off in the cafeteria. Melissa was laughing at something Taylor had said, Abby was flinging peas playfully at Jackson, who was countering the attack with mashed potatoes, Eric was doing his happy dance, and Daley was reading her book. Nathan sat (as usual) next to Daley.
"Eric, why are you dancing?" he laughed.
"Because," Eric rolled his eyes, "my Dad's still alive, obviously. He made me go back to school at period 4, when we knew he was okay. (It was period 5).
"Give up now, Abby!" Jackson laughed, flinging a potato missile at her.
"NEVER!" she laughed.
Nathan laughed himself and began to eat his pizza. He saw the smart jocks, his old friends, sitting at their table and looking sullenly at their food.
Yup. I made the right choice, and Nathan grinned happily.
(1, 098 Words) Yay! More ditching the old, jerky friends! YIPPEE!
