First Day of School
Today, the last Monday morning in August, is always one of the busiest and loudest days of the year. Today was the day that all the kids waved goodbye to everything that had to do with summer (except the heat, of course) and said hello to school again rather unwelcoming. All the kids were either crying, moaning, or groaning while the parents were silently cheering.
I got to school way early because if I didn't I would be stuck in traffic and trying to find a parking spot. Our school is for grades K-12, so pretty much everyone was gathered here. The school was not very wide but it was tall. It was three stories with the elementary kids, cafeteria/gym, and all athletics on the first floor, the intermediate kids on the left and the junior high kids on the right of the second floor, and the high schoolers on the top floor.
I was leaning up against my truck in my usual parking spot, waiting for Jenna and Landon. But it wasn't just going to be them. Travis Hillwood would also be there. It was the end of the era of just the three of us.
I didn't really think about it until Mrs. Numrey pointed it out yesterday. She didn't mean it to be malicious, but what she doesn't know is that I went home and mourned the loss. Some would argue that it was a gain not a loss. I'm gaining a new friend, but I don't want to be friends with the cowboy. I don't want to be anything with him. He is just an annoying distraction who complicates my life.
I felt an arm flung over my shoulder. I looked up and saw Landon grinning down at me. "Deep in thought, are we?" He joked. "Thinkin' of ways to whip your newbies into shape?"
I laughed, "no. That was last night. I have a good plan to filter out the freshman who are only doing trainer to get guys."
"Don't be too mean," he smirked.
"I won't," I defend. "I don't wanna scare the good ones away. Speakin' of the bad ones; where's Jenna?"
"She was awful. Wasn't she?" He laughed remembering Jenna's freshman year when she did trainer with me. "I think she went with Travis to go to the front office to pick his schedule up. She said that they would meet us on the fourth floor."
The fourth floor wasn't actually another floor. It was the roof. But it is a legend at McCarthy K-12. It's been said that there is a pool, an arcade, and all other types of crazy things up there. Sadly none of that is true. There are just a few lawn chairs and an old radio that someone must have set up there a long time ago.
Only a few know where it is. My dad and Dan found it their sophomore year and they gave us little hints and tricky riddles to find it. Landon, Jenna, and I found it our freshman year. We shared our discoveries with Bethany, Brittany, Jay, Cricket (who plays the keyboard in Landon's band) and Sterling (who plays bass guitar in the band). Besides us no one else in knows where it is.
"So we are just gonna let him up there?!" I exclaimed. "We hardly even know the guy! The fourth floor is not just somethin' to share with just anyone!"
"Wow Annabelle," he said hold his hands out in front of my face. "Chill. I don't see what the problem is. It is not that big of a deal. And if keepin' the fourth floor to yourself is so important than lower your voice, because the way you are yellin' everyone is gonna know. Plus, I thought you were gettin' to like Travis. You know with the whole goin' out for a ride thing and sitin' next to him in church."
"No. I am not," I said crossing my arms over my chest.
"Good," he smirked and walked away.
I stood there for a second trying to process what he just said. What the heck?
I chased after him and grabbed his arm pulling him back and facing me. "What do you mean by good?"
"I have a plan Annabelle Storm. A big one. That I can't do without your assistance," he says starting to to walk again.
"What plan," I ask hesitantly.
"Before I explain, you have to promise to hear my whole entire plan before you say no."
I knew that the plan wasn't gonna no to be one that I like, but once you start to tell me something you can't stop. I have to know all. "Fine."
"I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend." The word no was right at the tip of my tongue, but I suppressed it when Landon gave me a pointed stare.
Instead I said, "why on earth would you want me to pretend to be your fake girlfriend?"
"Tell you later," he said and looked up. I looked up as well realizing that we walked all the way to the fourth floor without me noticing. Reaching for the handle and twisting it, Landon pushed open the door on top of the celling, brought the ladder down, and climbed up. I followed after him and saw that everyone else was already here, comparing schedules with the cowboy.
~•~•~•~
When the five minute bell rang we all left the fourth foot and walked to our first period. I had English with both of the twins and Travis Hillwood. We all waked together, Jenna chatting away with the cowboy and me not really listening.
All of a sudden I feel my backpack being lifted off my shoulders. "Let me help ya with that," Landon said with a cheeky smile.
I knew that this was all part of his plan. "No it's okay. I got it." I said a little forcefully.
He smiles shaking his head, "no no. I insist."
I looked and saw that we have now gained the attention of Travis Hillwood and Jenna. Jenna motioned for me to give it to him. I sighed and let him take it wondering what are they up to now?
We walked into class and sat down. I sat down at the front of the class with Landon beside me, Jenna behind me, and the cowboy diagonal from me.
I looked around the room smiling, Mrs. Humfrey hadn't changed it since I had her my freshman year. It was obvious that she had a thing for cheetah print and the color red. The room just contributed to how sweet and playful she is. I am so happy to have her again.
The bell rang and Mrs. Humfrey walked in with her big kind smile that already started to get me excited for the class. "Good mornin'! Happy Monday," she says in her usual cheery voice.
~•~•~•~
I walked out of my government and economics class and fought the urge to run downstairs to escape in the trainer room. I was sick and tired of sitting all by myself, trying to tune out the whispers about the cowboy.
The worst was theater. I didn't even want to take the class but I need a fine arts credit to graduate and art was off the table considering I have no artistic abilities at all. And to top it all off, Travis Hillwood was in the class and sat down right next to me!
Why couldn't he have sat down somewhere else? Didn't he want to make new friends? Why was he so insistent on being around me and making my life so much harder?
I ran down three flights of stairs and turned into the athletic hall. I didn't slow until I entered the training room where I immediately felt at ease.
I let out a sigh of relief and flung my backpack on to a chair in the student room. "I made it," I breathed out.
"Annabelle, is that you?"
"yes sir." I answered Mr. Helburn, the head athletic trainer, who stood in front of the student room looking stern as always.
Hollis Helburn is in his late forties, has no children, and is unmarried. He stood at a hight of 6'4'', with broad shoulders, a muscular built, and a mouth that hardly ever grinned let alone smiled which has always made him look disgruntled. He intimated everyone, including the players. In fact, I think that the players are more afraid of Mr. Helburn than they are of the coaches, but I know better. Mr. Helburn may look tough, and he may get mad at you, yell at you, and make you cry, but if you do what your told and don't slack off he isn't bad at all. He can actually be really sweet and considerate.
"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