Higher, Faster, Stronger

"What," one boy started, "You don't want to have us do any regular push ups first?"

Derek thought for a moment.

"Good point. Two hundred regular, 100 one handed with each hand. Got it?" his cold stare defied anyone to argue. No one would. Nathan would end up plopping down near me and Neil a little ways away. Derek would look over at us from the bleachers, making sure everyone pulled their weight. I had no complaints. And for the most part, the guys seemed to leave me alone.

That too was fine with me. A couple was curious though. I couldn't really blame them. It was probably one of the first times they've seen a woman toss a ball around, especially with hair like mine.

"Are you for real?" one boy asked. He had interesting facial markings and I found out later his name was Cameron. I rolled my eyes at the question when I was working on my push ups.

"I'm alive, breathing and have a pulse rate. Are you for real?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, I mean with the whole trying out thing." he replied.

"I'm doing push ups with you aren't I?"

"Well yeah, but anyone can do push ups. Have you really been playing long?"

"Yup." This kid was grating on my nerves a bit but I let it pass. He was just curious after all.

"It's cool though. I'm Cameron." He smiled at me briefly before settling back into the rhythm of his push ups. I returned the smile before slightly increasing my speed. Nathan turned his head and saw me moving faster than him. He in turn increased his speed.

"Hey Nate, it's not a contest…" I murmured.

"Heh, I know. I just don't like being beaten by anyone, girl or no." I looked past him to Neil for confirmation.

"It's true. It took 3 people to restrain him from killing the quarterback of a team last year when they won in overtime. Idiot." He stated bluntly.

"Heh, well he deserved it!" Nathan half shouted. A few people turned around to look at us.

The coach looked up. "Woods, back to push ups!"

"Sir!" he grumblingly replied. Neil had started on the one handed push ups already.

I started them soon after. Whoever said girls didn't have the endurance for it could shove it.

Nathan was having a little more trouble but refused to admit it. Kael was slowly dragging. I can't exactly blame him for that….

It took a while for everyone to finish. Derek looked up and motioned to the track.

"Pads on. Run the mile. I'll be timing you. Ready go."

His stopwatch clicked. The way their track was set up, a mile was 4 laps. I started toward it, wishing I had stretched my calves a bit more. I'm naturally a runner but I also had something to prove.

I picked up the pace a bit toward the end of the second lap. I could see some poor guys, the rookies who had never played before; their lungs were on fire. The extra padding was a bit too much apparently. They'd pass out with exhaustion in no time if they tried to keep up the pace.

I sprinted all out the last half of my last lap. I arrived first with a boy named Sam a half lap behind. As I stood trying to get my breath, Derek leered from a distance. His gaze was cold, almost evil. How could someone with that much power be that evil? Wait, scratch that.

The coach looked up in surprise as three other boys finished. He hadn't expected that I'd do as well as I had, I could just tell. But this was just another practice. I'd been doing this too long to be intimidated. Or rather, I refused to.

The coach blew his whistle and we all gathered in.

"Right, I'm going to be splitting you up into groups. One will do up down's, another goes to the blocking frame and third hit the obstacle course."

I always hated up downs. Jog in place till the whistle is blow then lay flat on your stomach then get up again. The blocking frame was a padded frame that usually had enough run for someone to sit on it. The point was to move it, usually with your shoulder. The obstacle course they'd set up downfield had things like the tires and throwing drills and more. The whole point was evaluation. Could we throw? Could we block? Could we handle the frame?

My group headed to the block frame first. Derek was there. I had a few of the guys in front of me. They'd run a good ten yards and throw their shoulder against it, trying to move it. Derek sat on the back with a clipboard doing evaluations. Most couldn't move the frame very far, save for Neil.

Then it was my turn. Derek gracefully stepped off the frame and motioned me to go. I was outraged. I walked the ten yards and stopped in front of his face. Helmet in my hand I stared deep into his black eyes.

"Don't do me any favors. You wouldn't step off that frame for any other boy." I enunciated the last word, hissing.

Turning on my heel, I jammed the helmet back onto my head. Some of the boys had seen what went on and were shocked at his gall. To be frank, I hadn't thought he'd do something that cold. I guess I should have expected it.

I took a running start and picked up speed and THWACK! Hit my shoulder directly into the side of the blocking frame.

And it started to move as I pushed harder. I carried Derek a good ten yards downfield before stopping. I didn't look at him but in the corner of my eye I could have sworn his eyes turned red.

My group soon moved onto the obstacle course but I kept burning inside. My pent up rage went into the various drills tossed out at us.

This was just the physical day, Monday was the play day. We'd form mock teams and carry out plays, just so the coach could analyze positions and whatnot. At 5 practice dismissed. I headed back into the girls locker room still seething. I pulled off my grimy pads and quickly changed my outfit. Even if I still looked flushed at least I wouldn't smell like one of the boys.

Jamming my things into my bag, I picked up my keys and messenger bag. My car was one of the few left in the parking lot. Suddenly a hand caught my wrist. To be honest, I hadn't even seen him coming.

"Never embarrass me in front of my team like that again." He hissed in a cold voice just dripping with rage.

My face fell into a frown. As he walked away I just replied.

"Then never underestimate me again."

My wrist would hurt for a week after that.
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Music, dinner, a shower and my favorite DVD did nothing to soften my mood. I turned on my computer and shut it off soon after.

I couldn't get the event out of my head, and it was going to drive me crazy.

Throwing on a sweatshirt I jumped in bed. It was more productive than PMSing around Mom anyway.

She was worried of course, when I came in looking like I was going to murder something. I couldn't blame her.

I closed my eyes and let sleep fall over me.
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The rest of the weekend and the Monday school day went pretty quickly. I told Hannah what had happened and I swear, I thought she was going to cry. Poor girl. Nate was as mad as I was but I told him if I made the team it was a better way to grate on the Glacier's nerves. Neil just sighed and shook his head.

"I told you so."

"I know, but I didn't expect it from the team captain."

"Neither did I."

By shear twist of fate, I'd see him in 3 more of my classes before practice even started. Even I had to admit, he was smart, if the biggest arrogant jerk in school. But he wasn't my real problem.

News had gotten out I'd tried out on Friday. A lot of people were giving me weird looks. A couple people had said I was their hero. All of the popular girls gave me the look of shear disgust. It was frustrating.

I saw Keegan, another of our teammates, walking in the hallways analyzing some of the people around me. Hannah was at her locker between classes, and I was there with her.

"Don't let them get to you," he said, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Thanks," I called. "See you at practice."

"S-Sarah? Don't pay a-any attention to them." Hannah said softly.

I let out a big sigh and headed toward my last class. Trust me the bell couldn't have rung fast enough.
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I checked the list over and over again.

Fullback on the red team. I sighed in more frustration. Fullback basically blocks for the runners offensively. They are also the ones to get picked off by burly linemen. Fullbacks do need speed though. Their job is to protect and that means bumping a few boys to the ground.

Nate was on my team, playing as Halfback. I'd be blocking for him if we had the ball offensively.

The day started, after some mild calisthenics, with some basic plays. Later on, as we knocked heads more, we got more bruised. This play in particular called for Nate to go long into the end zone. As it started I followed him closely, and hit someone out of the way from tackling him. Soon after, I was tackled. I couldn't see who did it but I heard a floating voice in the air say, "Girls don't belong here."

Nate ran into the end zone and scored but I knew this would happen. I just knew it.

As the day wrapped up the coach called us in.

"The sheets will be posted tomorrow. For those who don't make it, sorry you just weren't cut out for this game. For those who do, good luck. We're going to have fun this season..."

Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

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I stared at the listings in shock.