Higher, Faster, Stronger

The strange thing about me is, I'm not actually an angry person. Sure I get irritated if someone fumbles or my favorite pair of jeans has a bleach stain but there's nothing really to get mad about. You can't change the fact that it happened. Sure, I have a bit of a temper once in a while but whatever. Who can say they don't? Few things have irritated me to the point of explosion.

But before I get to that, allow me to introduce the social structure of the school.

Our principal's name is Jared. He's pretty fair, I've heard, when he's not reading / writing his porn novels. The only position above his is superintendent, and Taylor Hicks rules that position though she rarely ever comes to the school.

We have: the band geeks, art kids, preppy jerks, sports kids, smart ones and then you have some like me. I don't really belong solely in one category. There is actually quite of few of us here who defy traditional categorization. For example, Hannah. She's an average student but cooks as well as an iron chef! She blushes and faints easily but its part of her charm.

The band kids: they play at the major sporting events but otherwise aren't that important. (No offense.)

The art kids: I love these guys. The art room is nice and quiet and they welcome almost anyone. The halls are decorated with murals and such. Nice.

Preppy idiots: don't get me started. I hate, and I do mean hate, those who walk by in 4 inch heels in a ridiculous outfit from a major brand name whose sole lives are gossip and rumors! One good insult and they can't tell their kneecaps from their toenails.

Sports kids: we just like our sports. We live and thrive on our teams; they become part of our family. Some of us are more competitive than others but the outcome's the same.

Smart kids: They'll generally give you a smile if you've proven you've more brain cells than the average Neanderthal that roams the halls. They aren't so bad.

And then, there's Derek.

Derek Thompson.

Valedictorian.

Captain of the football team.

Glacier extraordinaire.

Honestly, I could get this kid less. He's got brains, and obvious brawn but you'd swear the temperature goes down 15 degrees just sitting near him. Mom always said you could tell something about a person from their eyes. His are just cold. He has a best friend, or a best annoyance, I would suppose. But as popular as he seems, this boy is just plain frigid.
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"What do you mean, there's no girls football team?" I demanded of Hannah. Ok granted, I didn't know her too well but this was just kind of an insult.

"I'm sorry….t-there's just none. Is there any o-other s-sport you like to play?"

"Yeah, football!" Whining was going to get me no where but I had heard this school had a GOOD sports program. A football field, a track field, a pool and even an archery range and wrestling arena!

"Girls just didn't seem to want to play…" she added softly. Now at that point, I had no clue what I was going to do for the fall season. I love football…&sob&

"Maybe, Sarah, you could ask to play on the boy's team? Or start a girl's team of your own. Or, I could show you to our weight room and you could work out there."

"Hannah! You're a genius!!"

"Um...Sarah, that's my cousin, Neil…"

"Yeah, but can he cook?"

She just smiled and helped me look over my schedule again.
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So a plan formed through my head the rest of the day. I was going to ask the principal for a girl's football team. He couldn't really refuse. Later on, Hannah showed me where the weight room was. I phoned home and told mom I'd be home a little late.

The place was amazing. Barbells and weights on one side and each machine was coordinated to each side with the parts of the body they used.

There were 2 guys in there when I headed over to the treadmills. A blonde kid in a black short sleeve shirt and a pony tailed kid with a laptop in front of him. Or rather, resting on his stomach. He looked dead, frankly. The blonde kid was finishing up some push ups while the lazier one was asleep. I just set the machine on and cranked up my mp3 player.

Personally, I was enjoying my relaxation time. When I last looked over at the blonde kid, he was shaking Pony Tail Head fiercely, presumably yelling. I lowered the volume gingerly.

"Are you trying to kill him?" It was hard not to smile. The kid laughed and put one hand behind his head, one still holding the shirt of Pony Tail Head.

"Heh…I don't know, I thought he was already dead…"

I hopped off the treadmill, my legs feeling funny from running so much. I knelt down and checked the pulse. He was alive.

"Sorry, but your friend here is alive. Just dead asleep."

"I don't know how to wake him! I've been shaking him for a few minutes now!"

I thought about it for a second.

"Well, from my perspective, you have a few options. You can pour water on him, you could throw him in the pool a room away or you could give him a nut-shot."

The kid blanched.

"A what?"

"Let's leave it at a kick below the belt."

I thought he was going to turn purple honestly…

He thought about it.

"Pool it is then! But," he added sheepishly, "Can you help me carry him?"

I tucked my mp3 player in the pocket and removed the computer from his stomach. Blondey offered his hand.

"I'm Nathan Woods!" he said, giving me a thumbs up. I liked this kid, kind of dumb but he makes up for it in the confidence department.

"Sarah Hall."

I grabbed the arms and Nathan grabbed the legs of Pony Tail Head.

"He's Steven. He's really lazy!" Nathan added.

"So it seems."

Both of us took hold of Steven and moved through the narrow doorway. A wave of chlorine hit us. The lanes were in for the later groups, like seniors that would come in. Personally I thought he'd wake up smelling the chlorine. I guess I was wrong.

Nathan and I moved to about the 5 foot mark in the pool near the first lane.

"One." He grunted and we started to swing.

"Two."

"Three!" On the final count we released him and Steven went splashing into the water.

About four seconds later he came bobbing up looking really annoyed.

"Troublesome..." He kept muttering.

"Sarah, meet Steve Mills. Lazy genius, statistician and player on the football team and currently, drowned rat." announced Nathan.

Steven climbed out the pool as I looked on in amusement.
"What, you didn't throw my computer in, too?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nah, it's on the high dive," I answered. I got an eyebrow raised by him for that one.

"Nah, you're lying. At any rate you seem smarter than the idiot here. And stronger too, if you carried me here."

"Nah, it was a team effort," I answered, offering my hand.

Then something clicked in my brain.

Wait.

Hold the Phone.

"Did you say football team?"
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"Hm…Troublesome…"

Nathan scratched his head.

"That's really bad Sarah!" Apparently he caught onto me really quickly. The genius just reviewed the team rules on his playbook.

"I understand your situation. Coach Morino would probably be stuck on this one. And it's no use petitioning for a girl's team. Lack of interest killed it last time around. You'd have to try out of course," he continued. "You'd probably need approval from the superintendent, the principle and more troublesome people."

"What about the captain? Would it help to go to him?"

Nathan and Steve exchanged looks.

"What did I say?"

"You'd probably have an easier time convincing a dead man to live again." Nathan added quite bluntly.

With a lightning set of fingers Steve typed into his laptop and turned it to me. It had a profile inside of it.

"This is Derek Thompson. Described a many people's worst nightmare."

I shivered suddenly when I looked at the eyes. Nathan noticed.

"Sarah, are you ok?"

"He's a very cold person isn't he?" Nathan sighed and nodded. "How could you tell?"

I pointed toward the screen. "The eyes. You can always tell by the eyes. He's frowning and just the general look is cold."

Steve nodded and shut his laptop.

"Sorry, but it's rather troublesome. There's not much anybody can do."

Whatever way you looked at it, I was stuck.

Crap.

Remember that explosion point? I was just about to bump into it.