Filmed [complete]

Night Owl

Under his breath, Evan muttered, "Because nobody is interested in cross country."

Ms. Whales eyes widened and slapped Evan on the arm. "It is football season, and football season is very big right now in Texas, but we try to cover every sport that we can in the newspaper. And," she turned to face me, "I think that if we have some photos taken by the famous Autumn Riles might give the cross country team an extra boost at fame."

Evan drifted his eyes from the floor up to Ms. Whales, "But doesn't she usually take the football pictures? The ones that the actual newspaper people want? Paper or web?"

I glanced at him, and caught him watching me. He moved his eyes away from me, and rolled his lips inside his mouth for moment, regretting what he had said.

"I'm sure this game can handle without Autumn's photos. Who are we playing against?" she asked, taking her phone out of her pocket to look at the schedule.

"Ms. Whales, we are playing our rivals, Sam Houston," I told her. "This game is to determine we go to the playoffs."

"Oh," she dropped her phone in her pocket. "Oh," she repeated, pausing to think, "I'll get Simone to cover the photos for the Cross Country meet. Evan, when is your qualifying meeting?"

It took Evan a few seconds to realize what she had said, "This is the meet, but we are the fastest team in the district, no matter what we are running in. Autumn can take the pictures next meet, the playoff meet."

She sighed. Thinking about both sports. "Autumn, you get to choose what to do next week, but for right now, just go home. I do not want students getting mad that you picked cross country over football. I'm sorry, Evan, that we will not have any pictures, but there will be a reporter there covering the story. He will be riding the bus. Isn't he also on the team? I think his name is-"

"Jackson." Evan finished for her.

"That's right, he just transferred, and was put in newspaper since he was on the newspaper at his old school. Don't know much about him, but I do know that he is thirty seconds behind you in the 5k," she explained. "Worried he is going to catch up?"

Evan shook his head, "He is second, I'm first. I do not really care if he passes me." His watch on his hand beeped, and he glanced down. "Excuse me, I have to change for the meet, let me know if we have a photojournalist at the meet next week, Ms. Whales." Without a response from Ms. Whales or I, he jogged off and went through the door.

"Isn't the cross crounty meet next week on a wednesday?" I asked her. "And the football game on friday?"

Ms. Whales' eyes widened, "You might be right, Autumn." She took out her phone again, looking at both of the schedules. "You are correct. The cross country meet is at Plano and the football game is in El Paso. That means, if you want to do both, you have to leave school early on wednesday and ride with the cross country team. And on Thursday, after the pep rally, the team hops on a bus to El Paso. The newspaper will have their own bus to take you guys there riding behind the football bus."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "You aren't coming?" She usually came to important games and told us what to do and what to write down or what questions to ask. It was to help the newbies, but it was nice to have the input.

She shook her head, "The newspaper is run by the students for the students. The newbies I'm sure will be glad that I am not looking over their shoulders twenty four seven." She started to walk towards the end of the hallway, "I will see you next week, have a excellent weekend, tell your family I said hi."

* * * * *

I walked into the day care with keys in my hand. If I was off duty for the day, meaning no photojournalism to take of, I picked up Oliver, my brother.