“One, two. One, two.” I repeat over and over again as I do modified sit up’s.
My face is dripping sweat and I grunt with effort as I lift my body up again. I had just completed a two lap sprint and was now on the bench, watching as everyone else on the team packed up their stuff and headed home.
In my mind I’m thinking of Eve, Vampires, and Halloween. By this time next week I will be decked out from head to toe in a costume, stuffing my face full of sugary treats my parents never keep at home, and getting the pants scared off of me at the schools haunted house.
“Cooper!” Coach yells at me.
I have never understood why he always uses last names. This isn’t boot camp.
“Yes coach?” I say between breaths as I finish my last set.
“Hurry up and get off the field! And next time don’t be late!”
I groan as my abs complain about all the extra work and quickly move to grab my bags.
My legs move on autopilot as I make my way off the soccer field and into the student parking lot where one of my parents usually pick me up. It seems like the amount of people dishing out punishment is high today. First Mr. Burrell and then Coach.
Coach Cardinal grunts as he walks by and hobbles to his truck, nodding to me as he fiddles with his keys.
I wait for him to leave before I take a seat on the nearest bench and check my phone for any new messages. I have one from an unknown number but I’m too distracted to read it at the moment.
“Hey Isabelle!” Sammy calls out.
I shove my phone in my pocket. The text message will have to wait.
“What are you doing here on a Friday afternoon?” I ask out of curiosity.
Samuel scans the parking lot, clearly looking for someone and then quickly turns his attention back to me.
“Astronomy club.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot.” I say lying down on the bench and letting my feet hang over the end. A long sigh escapes my lips and I close my eyes. I get a whiff of the body spray Sammy is wearing and stare up in the clouds lost in thought.
The smell reminds me of camping.
“Long practice?” he asks.
“You have no idea.” I say as a cloud shaped like a tree lazily floats by. I catch a slight movement from Sammy as he bounces his leg up and down, an unusual occurrence from Mr. calm and collected.
“In a hurry to get home?” I ask still staring at the clouds.
“No.” He says truthfully. I can always tell when he’s lying in the same way he’s always able to call me out on my BS.
“What’s the rush then, you’re all jittery.”
I tear my attention away from the sky and stake a glance in his direction, studying the way his eyebrows bunch together and his eyes fall to the floor as if having an internal argument with himself.
He’s clearly bothered by something my my curiosity is peaked.
“I’m looking for someone.” He says.
I sit up with a mischievous smile.
“Oh, how the tables have turned. Is this mystery person a boy?” I tease elbowing him in the shoulder.
He turns beet red and looks away.
“No Isabelle, not everything is about boys.”
I shrug.
He had a point.
“Then who?” I prod, curious.
“I’m looking for Eve actually. Have you seen her?”
Even more curious. I sit up now, my attention fully on Sammy as his foot stops its incessant bouncing and instead shuffles ever slightly in a sharp and nervous manner.
“Nope haven’t seen her around since school let out. Is there something wrong?”
Sammy smiles and shakes his head, his body relaxing all at once.
“No, I’m just worried about a test coming up next week and I was wondering if I could copy her notes.”
Ah. Eve is a great notetaker and it would make sense seeing as mid-terms were right around the corner. Still I watch as Sammy fiddles with the zipper on his backpack and silently wonder if there is something else bothering him.
Guilt eats at my chest from our earlier conversation.
We all have our secrets I guess.
“So, what are you going to be for Halloween?” I ask changing the subject.
This seems to brighten Samuel right up. His dark brown eyes shimmer mischievously and I can tell that he has something on his mind, something exciting.
“Well you see it all depends.”
“On what?” I ask getting curious.
“Well what are you going to be? Because Eve and Julian are entering the group and couple costume contest and I was wondering if you were up for a little challenge?”
I raise an eyebrow and smile.
“Challenge? I’m always up for a challenge.”
“Well, why don’t we enter as well and compete with Eve and Julian. I already asked her, I’m just waiting for her response.”
I cock my head to the side from confusion.
“Why don’t you just ask the boy you’ve had your eyes on, what’s his name?” My brain draws a blank as I try to remember.
“Bryce.” Sammy fills in as his face turns red.
“Yeah Bryce!”
He turns his head and clasps his hands together.
“It’s too soon. You can’t just ask someone you barley even know to participate in a contest, let alone a couple contest.” He said with a melancholy tone.
I stare across the parking lot searching for words.
“Look, Sammy, if there’s one thing we could have all learned today from Eve is sometimes it’s to take chances. You never know until you try. If it’s too soon then ask him to the festival and you can save the contests for next year.”
I smile at Sammy and nudge him with my elbow.
“But I really want to compete against Eve.”
This catches my attention. As outspoken as Samuel can be at times I never took him as one who liked competing against people. That’s like putting a scholar in the middle of a gladiator battle and telling him to fight, he would have no idea what the heck to do. Sure he likes arguing and using his intellect, but that is way different from competing against Eve. He has something else on his mind.
“So let me get this straight. You want to enter a competition. Against Eve?”
He shrugs and smiles.
“Well it was more just for fun.”
This is out of character for Sammy and I wonder what his driving motives are.
“Okay, well I’m going as a barbarian complete with battle make up and a cool sword, and I know you won’t want to dress as anything remotely close to that. Ask Bryce.” I insist.
Sammy seems surprised at this and he’s about to say something but shakes his head and decides on something else. I shrug off his reaction.
A blur of color rushes toward the soccer field and I turn my head, blinking twice and checking my vision.
“Hey I have to go Isabelle. My rides in front.”
I nod but before I can get another word out a quick movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.
“See you Monday!” I say distracted.
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