Once Upon A Rodeo

6: First Day of School

"Welcome home," he joked.

I laughed, "glad to be back."

"Ready to whip the newbies into shape," he quirks an eyebrow up.

Before I could answer the question we heard loud talking coming from the hallway and into the trainer rooom. Mr. Helburn looks at his watch then back at me with a smirk forming on his lips, "well if you weren't it's too late now." The bell for class to start rings right then and he walks out of the student room.

I walk out and joined everyone else, waving to a few junior and sophomore trainers. I sat down on a stool next a treatment table and waited for Mr. Helburn to begin.

"Welcome back to hell," he sang. Everyone, excluding the freshman, laughed who smiled nervously. "Nah, I'm just kiddin'," he reassured them.

He then goes on to talk about the basic responsibilities of a student athletic trainer and what he expects our behavior to be. Also that he will eventually make us cry at least once. Which is true, I don't know anybody in trainer who hasn't cried because of Mr. Helburn, even the male student trainers. In fact they cry the hardest.

"I'll now turn this over to our only senior student trainer and my favorite." He said winking at me. "Annabelle Storm."

He then walked into his office not even looking back to see if I was getting up and taking over.

I stood up a little numbly. I know that it was silly of me but I couldn't help but me a tad bit nervous. Mr. Helburn kinda put me on the spot and I don't like talking in front of crowds. Even if it is a small crowd of people I've known for forever.

I hid my shaking hands in my pockets and took a deep breath before I got up to face the class. "Hey," I said shakily not remembering what I had to say. "Welcome to trainer, newbies."

My sad attempt at a joke was met with blank, dull, and unresponsive faces. I let out a shaky laugh. "Wow, thanks Mr. Helburn!" I called in the direction of his office. "They all hate me now because you said I am your favorite!"

"Welcome," he called back. That, thankfully, initiates some laughter out of them.

I feel myself start to relax. "I am glad to see that we have," I counted the heads of the freshman. "Twelve freshmen! Wow I don't think we've ever had that many in one grade."

"We haven't!" Mr. Helburn yelled from his office.

I gasped, "and three boys! There haven't been any boys in trainer since my freshman year."

"We get it your old," teased my friend, Callie, a junior trainer.

I laughed but sobered quickly. "But in all seriousness, girls you will quickly find out that if you are in here just to be around guys that will not fly. Trust me. We see it every year. Trainer is not a blow off class. It is actually demanding and will take up a lot of your free time. Ask anyone here," I gestured towards the sophomores and juniors who were nodding along. "The trainer room ends up being our second home. But still it'll happen every year, some girls will join trainer to be around the football guys more in hopes of snatching up a boyfriend. The class ends up not bein' fun for them 'cause they don't want to be here or do any work, and it isn't any fun for the rest if us because we end up having to pick up your slack. So please if that is what you are here for then please go talk to the councilor and switch out of the class."

I scan the freshmen, already having an idea of those who would end up being a problem. "I promise we will not judge," I looked in the potential troublemakers' direction. "My best friend Jenna joined trainer with me our freshman year. Now I love her to death, but I was so glad when she quit during the second semester 'cause she was only there for the boys and hardly did any work. If you don't want to be here, it shows, and it hurts the rest of us. It makes us not want you to be here either."

"Preach," Callie said nodding sadly.

"Another thing trainer isn't for everyone. I am the only senior this year, but when I started as a freshman there were five other freshmen, yet I am the only one out of the six of us still here," I said.

I looked at the juniors and sophomores, "anything y'all want to add that I forgot?"

"Nope, but you might want to establish your big rule now," Callie laughed.

"Oh right!" I remembered and stared back at the newbies intensely. "Maddox and Landon Bradshaw are mine. No one is allowed to help them unless I am not there, I am busy with another player, or I give you permission. Otherwise," I smiled. "Hands off the Bradshaw boys!"

"And she is serious," Callie added.

"Yup. So now that all of that has been settled, let's teach the newbies the basics."

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A/N:
Hey y'all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what y'all think of Landon and what little you know of his plan... Next chapter the whole plan will be explained! I plan on updating on Thursday as a little happy thanksgiving treat for y'all. As always don't forget to vote and comment! They really motivate me to write more often.

-Madison