Chapter 18

More Training

"Come on Jackson…..two more……" Cooper encouraged Jackson as he tried to finish his last reps on the bench press.

"one more…..you can do it…."

Jackson's arm's were shaking from the effort. Cooper ever so slowly helped Jackson. Not letting the bar stop, but adding just enough support to keep it moving under Jackson's power. With a heavy sigh of release, Jackson dropped the bar back on the rests and sat up. Turning slightly, Jackson grabbed the towel off the bench and wiped at the sweat on his head.

"I hate it when I run out of gas." Jackson said looking at Coop. He then decided that he was hot and sweat covered enough and took his t-shirt off just like Coop.

"I do too. But I at least I gave you more help then you gave me."

"Well you could have fooled me this last time."

"What are you two doing sitting there?" asked Coach Conn.

"Resting?" both Jackson and Cooper answered.

"Wrong. You two have thirty minutes of laps in the pool."

"Tell me again why we have to swim laps?" Cooper asked.

"Because after you wear your muscles out lifting weights, swimming helps build up their endurance and strength."

"I thought that's why we lift weights in the first place." Jackson complained.

"Showers, pool, and then the court." Coach Conn guided both boys out of the weight room. He stood there and watched as they headed to the pool locker room to do their laps. He was proud of the hard work that they met head on after coming to him to help them train. Actually he was kind of disappointed that they never came out for the volleyball team. They would have put the team over the top this year. But maybe next year. Back in his office now, Coach sat down to grade some papers as the boys did their laps in the pool.

Cooper decided now was a good time to bring up a question he'd had since Maddie got here.

"So, how are things with you and Maddie. I've noticed that you haven't been walking on the ground since she got here."

"It's scary, Coop. I mean, everything is so natural and easy. We can talk for hours about something so simple as ants gathering food or sit for hours holding hands and not saying a word to each other. And the passion in the kisses is just unbelievable. It's just so scary."

"You guys haven't gone all the way have you?"

"NO! I'm not that dumb. But that doesn't me I don't want to. I get the feeling she feels the same way too."

"Then you better be careful."

"Yes, I know that only way to not let anything happen is to not let anything happen."

"You're a man of few words Jackson." Coop said sarcastically.

"I don't want to sound cheap. There's more to it then just physical."

The showers shut off and they left the pool locker room for the pool.

"All I can say J-man is that I approve. From the time I've spent with Maddie, she seems to be very special. So if you blow it, I'm asking her out." Jackson turned to Cooper, shook his head and pushed him into the pool.

"Sure. Laugh it up."

Jackson felt two hands on his back as he went flying into the pool.

"Good job, Maddie!" Coop yelled to her.

Jackson came up and on seeing Maddie, splashed her. Which made the lifeguard blow the whistle at him.

"How's Maggie?" Cooper asked.

"She's really sick right now. She's thrown up a couple of times. Miley had just gotten there when I left."

"You think Maggie would like to see us yet?" Jackson asked.

"Probably not tonight. That's why I came down here to watch a hot guy and his friend workout. So, who's your friend Cooper?"

Cooper laughed.

"Very funny, Maddie."

"Go swim." She blew him a kiss. Maddie turned and climbed the bleachers to find a good seat.

-------------------------------------------------

Maddie found a good seat. It was by the stairs that Coach Conn had them running up and down in the gym. They run the stairs for twenty trips. A trip, as Jackson explained it, was going up and coming back down. There was no rest for the weary. After they finished the stairs, it was on to the court to work on diving saves. Maddie watched Jackson dive after a ball the coach threw. The purpose of this drill was to try and deflect the ball back at the net. It looked painful to her. But looking at Jackson's body, he was in even better shape than when he was in Boston. That made her smile. There was just something about her and Jackson that just clicked from the very first time they met.

Maddie had always believed in love at first sight. But she thought it would never happen to her. That changed when she laid eyes on Jackson. For the first time in her life, she didn't think about other boys at all. She only thought about Jackson. Maddie had stayed in touch with Jackson through emails. Which remind Maddie of most romantic email she had ever gotten. It was only four words long but spoke volumes to her. She even memorized it. Not that remembering four words is that hard.

"I missed you today."

Maddie had never had anyone tell her that. Oh yeah, there was the 'I like you' or 'I love you', but no one had ever told her that before. Add to that the fact that Jackson called every Friday night to tell her about his week and how he thought about her, she was in love. Maddie also knew that she and Jackson were old enough that this might be the real thing too. She had always loved stories where the high school sweethearts celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. So she would hold her breath and take things as slowly and as carefully as possible. What happened yesterday filled her with great hope that this might just come to pass. Yesterday, she was quite willing to express herself and her feelings towards Jackson fully. But it was Jackson, with great reluctance, who put a stop to things. That told her that he could make a difficult decision and follow through with it even when he didn't want to. She could trust him. Look at the unselfish way he guarded his sister's secret. A volleyball landing beside Maddie shook her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the gym.

"Hey, I thought you were suppose to be watching us, not daydreaming!" Jackson called to Maddie.

"So you threw a ball at me to wake me up?" Maddie asked as she got the ball.

"Maybe."

Maddie threw that ball at Jackson. Darn! He caught it. She was trying to hit him with the ball. Maddie sat back down and watch the drill the coach was putting them through now. It looked like they were playing a team of four. Jackson serving answered the question at hand. Watching the match was very impressive. Why? Because Jackson and Cooper actually beat the other team. They must be good to do that. The coach had called them in and Maddie got up and walk down by Jackson.

"So Jackson," Coach Conn started, "this is the Maddie I've been hearing so much about?"

"That's right coach. Maddie this is Coach Conn. Coach Conn, Maddie."

She shook hands with him.

"That was great Jackson. I didn't know you and Cooper could beat a four man team."

"Just come back tomorrow Maddie. They start playing a full six man team."

"Why are you having them do that?"

"I've been wondering that myself, coach," Cooper added.

"I'll answer the question because the pretty young lady asked. You already know the answer, Cooper," Coach started and then turned to Maddie.

"Because it was the only way to get the competition level higher than the level of play of these two."

"So you're saying that they're equal to a six man team?"

"You just watched them beat a four man team. And, I would like to add, for the fourth day in a row too.

"Wow!"

"I agree with that. Now you two go and hit the showers. Don't take too long Jackson or you just might lose this pretty girl to someone."

"Don't worry coach, I'll hurry. But I don't have to worry about losing her to anyone else. I'm wrapped around her little finger." Jackson kissed her on the check as he headed to the showers.