A/N: This is my first fanfic, no flames on me, please. I also may have upset someone, somehow recently so I'm going through all my older chapters from this one up to Chapter 22 to see where I went wrong and fixing other errors along the way while a friend of mine continues this story for me (temporarily) on this account. This is gonna take a long time to do and I probably won't have any time to edit the newer chapters so hang in there, yeah?
-Act I: Adventures From Small Begginings-
WHAT ARE THOSE?!
Jasper High
21 October 2019
Monday 12:32
Humphrey's P.O.V
My name is Humphrey Williams. I've just started my first year in High School not long ago with my close friend, Sam Ackerman. Him and I go way back and share many qualities, mostly the saddest things. I lost my parents at the age of seven and he lost his at the age of nine. We basically grew up as orphans in foster care although I can't remember who cared for me at that time but I still can't forget that day my parents died in front of my own two eyes. It still haunts me in my dreams sometimes but I accept it. Shakey doesn't tell anyone what happened to him and I respect that. I met him in Jasper's elementary school and the boys and I called him Shakey.
Now we're in High School. Our old pals split now it's just us, the remaining duo. It's now been three weeks since we've started here and now the school activities were now opened. Little did I know how much this one, single activity would impact my life and all my friends lives entirely...
"Shakey, have you made up your mind on what sport you want to take on this year?" I asked him as I took a bite of my lunch. "I tried out for football remember? I didn't make the team dude." He replied looking depressed.
"Come on dude, there's still plenty of other options. You're still good at chess right?" I asked him after spotting a chess flyer on ground. I saw this as encouragement for both myself and Sam.
As we were sitting on the stands across the baseball pitch, the school's P.A system went on. "Any and all students interested in 'rowing', please see Mr. Sullivan in the school gym before the end of your break, thank you." The lady behind the mic announced really loudly.
"Sheesh, can't the lady at least lower her tone on that thing?!" Shakey exclaimed, still gripping on his ears. But that's not what I was worried about.
I watched in terror as fifty other wolves started running across the field while others were jumping over the grand stands behind us.
"What the hell?" I questioned why everyone went crazy all of a sudden. I then realized that most of the mob were heading towards the direction of the school gym. I left my food, grabbed my bag, got up and started hauling ass to the gym. I knew that there weren't many spots left on the roster because of the way everyone else was running.
'Shit!' I cursed mentally. ' I'm not gonna make it in time, unless...' Then it hit me. I took a sharp right turn and ran through the hallway. I ran as fast as I could without knocking anyone over along the way.
I ran up a flight of stairs and jumped out the window (ignoring a group of girls who just witnessed the havoc I caused throughout this side of the school block) and landed on the rooftop of the gym.
'Well crap...' I thought after realizing I had no way of climbing down. I noticed an open window on the left side of the building.
'I'm gonna die one day, doing stupid crap like this...' I told myself as I dropped down from the ledge of the roof and onto the edge of the window. I'm amazed at how it could withstand my weight after landing on the pane.
I somehow skillfully and yet clumsily slid into the gym, through the back window. After climbing through, I saw Shakey sitting quietly and slowly shaking his head at me. I chuckled as I walked over to him then we shook hands and sat down.
"Dude, I thought you hated watersport and also... HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE SO FAST?!" I exclaimed softly. "One: I only hate polo, not all watersports. Two: I just walked into the main school building and took the stairs." Shakey told me as if memorizing this entire school in the first three weeks was easy (but I honestly should kinda know my way around by now). While we sat waiting for Mr. Sullivan, we saw four alpha-classed wolves walk in through the door. "Dude, that first alpha who just walked in is Garth Richards." Shakey whispered to me.
"What is he some kind of hotshot or something?" I whispered back to him. "Haven't you learned anything in the past three weeks man?!" Sam said a bit too loudly.
"What are you guys whispering about?" A random wolf whispered behind us. Shakey and I were startled by this then I quickly recognized who this wolf was from just his height alone. "Hey, I'm Sylvester Altman but you can call me Salty we share a lot of classes together." The wolf introduced himself.
Salty was a lanky wolf with scruffy fur but he was at least popular amongst some girls somehow. Wait a minute..
'Why would he join rowing? Isn't his height more appropriate for basketball or something-' My thoughts were stopped short when the mob of wolves I saw earlier came storming into the gym. "Took 'em long enough. Eh, Candu?" Garth whispered to the shorter wolf.
After three minutes of waiting, a well-aged and slightly buffed up wolf walked through the door. I immediately assumed that had to be the Mr. Sullivan guy we heard of from the P.A.
I could quickly tell just by the way he walked in and stood in front of the others that this wolf meant business.
"Welcome students, and also welcome to the few rowers who might be selected this afternoon. I am Winston Sullivan, head coach of this sport in Jasper High. Alright everyone, to start of this meeting I would like to say to you all that there aren't many spots left for all of you this season so your coaches and I have discussed a way to sort this matter out: You will all trial for your places in this year's roster. Honestly, not even a quarter of you will make it. Trials begin at 3pm after school. We will meet in the training room just four corridors away from here and don't worry about your P.T. uniforms, we've got our own unique outfits. Any questions?" Winston concluded.
While the other wolves were murmuring about what was to come, I saw a white hand rise from the left corner of the crowd. I couldn't see who it was but that fur colour is really rare.
"Yes?" Winston asked the wolf.
"Sir, are we trialing for the top positions or just qualifying to make the school team?" asked a feminine voice. "Good question. No, you will not be trialing for top spots however... you will have to beat the set par times to determine whether you're in or out." Winston concluded.
'Well that doesn't sound too terrible.'
After School
Narrative P.O.V
Humphrey, Shakey and Salty made their way to the training room. Salty and Shakey were talking about how much respect they'd gain if they make it through the trials. Humphrey however was thinking about how his dad used to talk about rowing.
Lilly's P.O.V
I was waiting outside the room that we were instructed to wait by as other wolves were still on their way. Hell, I've been waiting for so long, I thought that they all quit and I would take a free spot but it was just a thought...
"So you beat us here?" Someone asked from behind me. I turned around to see a grey furred wolf in a dark blue and grey hoodie. I know for a fact that I've seen him earlier today. "Yeah, just hope it's the only thing I beat you in." I answered, silently laughing to myself. It wasn't like I was really gonna let him beat me in the trials, I'd like some competition after all.
"Hey wait a minute... weren't you the wolf I saw earlier running through the hallways and jumping out the windows?" I asked the wolf, remembering that my friends and I saw a wolf just like him running some parkour trial stunts.
"Yeah...so you were in that group of girls which means you saw all of that, huh?" Awkwardly asked the wolf.
"Well anyway, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm Lilly Violet Snow, and I'd very much like to know my competition for these trials." I said to him.
"I'm Humphrey Williams, nice to meet you and by the way, there won't really be much competition 'cause we're only supposed to beat the par times, it's pretty much just a test." He told me as he leaned against the wall.
"Well if that's the case, what would happen if more than the max number wolves beat the times?" I asked feeling a bit nervous. Imagine beating the times then getting kicked out because the team had more than enough members.
"That's not gonna happen." Humphrey belatedly told me after I asked the question. "Why is that?" I asked starting to feel even more nervous around this wolf.
"I think we're about to find out..." he said pointing to Garth, the alpha-classman. 'Was that really an answer?' I thought.
"Well, well, well what are you love birds talking about?" The higher classed wolf asked us.
'Don't start...!' I thought with a face full of anger. Humphrey just stood there with a genuinely irritated face. Garth saw this and immediately backed off in a comical fashion.
"Alright, alright chill, it was just a joke. No emotional harm done right?" He waved it off. "Yeah whatever." Humphrey said, still looking annoyed by Garth.
"So what are we still waiting for anyway?" A tall wolf asked behind us. I didn't even notice he was there, aswell as a shorter wolf too.
"Oh Shakey and Salty, this is Lilly. Lilly, this is Shakey and Salty."
"No need to introduce us dude, we were standing here the whole time." The shorter wolf told Humphrey with a snicker.
9 minutes later
The last wolf casually strolled up to the door of the room. He was a big wolf with a probably bigger personality.
"Marvin Orchard A.K.A. The Mooch, sorry I'm late guys." The wolf apologized.
I looked around and noticed that there really weren't many girls here trying out this activity, which was kinda disappointing to be honest.
"Well if it isn't little Miss Snow White." An amber furred wolf said to me, mocking my white fur.
'Oh God no...' I thought. It was my step-sister and also my worst nightmare Katherine 'Kate' Quinn. I had a feeling she might join me just to make this sport hell for me.
"Well of course, I didn't ask to be born white fur." I told her then turned away from her.
Kate saw this as a weakness and was about to add another critical comment but Humphrey intervened stopped her
"I think white fur is a pretty beautiful color for a wolf you know. There aren't many wolves with pure white fur." He stated. My eyes widened at what he said.
"Oh?" Kate said. "Which dumpster did my sister dig you out of?"
"One of a kind, probably better than the one you crawled out of." Responded Humphrey. I didn't need him to defend me that way but I was grateful.
And with that, Kate stormed away from us. I sighed and thought of the times when we got along and weren't so toxic.
"Thank you, Humphrey." I said in relief. "Did you really mean that about my fur colour?" I asked him curiously.
"Of course I meant it. What do you take me for, a comedian? I would never compliment someones fur and not mean it. It really is unique and I like it." He told me
'That's the nicest thing I heard about my fur from anyone today.' I thought then smiled at this new wolf. Garth finally opened the doors to the room and what we saw in the rooms suprised us all.
"WHAT ARE THOSE?!" We exclaimed in unison.
"This, my future rowers (well some of us anyway) is an Ergometer, you will be trialing on this Concept 2 Machine (it's basically the more intense fitness machine that measures speed and power, but it doesn't feel any easier than it sounds) remember that you're trialing to beat the set times for this 1000m/1km sprint." Winston said to us, pointing at the white and blue machine.
'I think I can do this... it can't be too hard.' I thought as I started sweating. Winston walked up to the wall in front of the trialing machine and stuck a page on that wall.
"Think of this as motivation." He winked at everyone. The page had times written on them so I assumed those were the times we had to beat to make it to the team. The par times were:
3:50.000
4:00.000
4:30.000
'Those probably aren't easy times to beat for us newbies.' I said to myself mentally.
Humphrey's P.O.V.
'Salty and Mooch both finished with a time of 4:16.260. this isn't looking too good for me...' I thought. "Next!" Ordered Winston as he took down Katherine's time.
Lilly then volunteered to go next because she felt sympathy for the girl who looked beyond nervous about these trials. I don't blame her.
I wished her luck and she went on the machine.I was really impressed and amazed at how she kept her cool in the first 600m but after that, she burned up.
"Ahhh! My legs..." She screamed. "Don't stop, you can do it!" I cheered her on. She acknowledged this by pulling faster and not slowing down. Lilly showed no signs of stopping until she reached the end.
I didn't see the time because I just focusing on how exhausted she was.
"Next!" Winston said. I immediately threw my hand up and wasted no time in getting onto the ergo machine.
"Good luck bro." Shakey told me from within the group. I then felt a strong burn in my bones saying that I must give it my all as I laced my feet onto the footboard then reached for the handles on the machine.
"Start." Winston told me.
I pulled with so much power in the beginning that all I saw was just the units drop dramatically so I decided that that would be my tactic throughout the rest of the 'sprint'. Yeah... it was a terrible idea for a beginner but it seemed to work. honestly had no clue what the other numbers meant but I kept going.
The units in the centre went from 2:18 to 1:58. I assumed that I wasn't pulling hard enough but my body still hurt
'Damn, my muscles are burning up!' I thought. I looked over my shoulder to see Garth and Salty give me a thumbs up for support. I turned to the side and saw Lilly with a 'you got this' face. I kicked in to overdrive mode and pulled a 1:48 power pull throughout the remaining 248m. When I started seeing zeroes, my body became unresponsive.
I rolled off the machine without looking at my time then fully blacked out.
A/N: I'm honestly grateful to everyone reading this. I have moderated every single awful line, one by one since the original one. It's not as bad as it was before but I know it still ain't perfect. One down and twenty-two more to go...
-Press [F] To Pay Respects-