Chapter 1:
"God I hate running." I sighed to a girl I'd only met a few days before. Her name was Amanda. She was cool, and hated this PE class more than I, if that was even possible.
"I know. It's college; I thought I finished all of that gym business back in high school. But of course not, I decide to go to the one college that believes in making its freshman healthy!" We laughed.
I'd already been at college for a week, but already I was loving it. Everything about it was unbelievable and awesome. Originally being from Massachusetts, going to college in North Carolina was great. Not that I hate my family, but at 18 I knew it was time to break away. I've never been a shy person, and being on my own well I actually find it kind of fun. Odd, I know. Not too many girls from little old MA would travel to NC for school so far from home, most of my friends had gone to Boston but hey I dare to be different.
"Alright ladies and gents, today since it is our first official class you are all going to be running the mile well I time you. Since this is introduction to jogging, by running a timed mile I will best be able to evaulate where each of you stands. Alright now go get on the white line, when I say go you'll begin, and remember it's 4 times around the track. On your marks, get set, go." Said Mr. Thompson.
And we were off, oh that's right no I wasn't. See, there was a reason that I took jogging when I had options like swimming, tennis, golf, etc. I had played soccer and ran track. Okay I was a sprinter not a long distance person, but I knew enough about sports to know that A. they always time you on the first day and B. they will time you again at some point with the expectation that you have improved and I for one was planning on getting an A in PE but I was not planning on trying. Yet, when he said go Amanda started to run with the rest of the herd so I had to grab her.
"Amanda what do you think you're doing?" I said getting in place next to her.
"Running the mile Lexi, what about you?" She said and already sounded out of breath.
"Amanda, here's what we are going to do. " We started jogging more slowly as I explained my plan that anyone would really run a 10 minute mile no problem, so we had to do a 12 minute mile so that when we had to do this again each time we could just try harder and then look as though we'd improved.
So, as we started our third lap Mr. Thompson barked that it had already been 9 minutes. Better than I'd expected, I thought. I'll never have to try in this class ever again. Amanda and I tried to look sympathetic as we passed him, "Sorry." she said to him, "I'm not much of a long distance runner." I wasn't sure why she was apologizing there were people behind us still, I made sure of that.
As we rounded a corner there he stood encouraging us on with the rest of the manly bozos who competed to come in first and in so impress our teacher. "Come on you can do it." He yelled, "Only a few more feet."
"If it's only a few more feet why don't you run it?" I yelled back. I'm sorry, I can not stand this mock encouragement. It's humiliating and annoying. Amanda look over and smirked at me, "What?" I asked.
"Nothing just that the boy who you so coyly told to run with us, is putting on his running shoes again and I think when we come back he may just take up your invitation."
"Oh great." I replied.
"It could be, I mean he was hot whoever he is and atleast we'll be meeting someone new who actually enjoys this running hell." I laughed, she had a point. I think he had been cute. Not that it mattered, I had a boyfriend. The same one I'd had since high school, John, and honestly I loved him, he was marvelous and wonderful.
So we continued running and sure enough as I rounded that same corner up came Mr. Runner boy.
"Hello ladies." He said with a small smile and southern accent.
"Well howdy yourself." I replied rather grimly getting a look from Amanda, perhaps she wanted him to run with us, I on the other hand did not want this guy thinking he could hit on us as we ran. How rude, I mean honestly.
"Hey," replied an overly perky Amanda. "I'm Amanda and this is Lexi."
"Nice to meet you both, I'm Derek." He said.
"So Derek, may I ask why you are running with us? Cause I was just being a wee bit sarcastic back there." It was a harmless question, still Amanda shot me glares.
"Oh, just thought you needed some help, looked like you were falling behind." He replied.
"Yeah, we were. Thanks Derek." God, could Amanda flirt anymore?
"Amanda! We were not. Look Derek this was all part of my master plan."
"Master plan huh? What would that be?" He asked. You know that annoying look boys get when they are amused, and you know at any second they are going to be like 'aww your so cute' well that is the look I was getting now.
"Well see Lexi here, had this idea that if we ran slow this time that next time when he time us it'd look like we improved." Amanda blurted out.
"I see, well how is that working out for you?" He asked looking at me, yet again.
"Well it was going great but now we only have like 200 feet and then it'll be all over with. I wonder if I should run slower."
"Ha, you can run slower than this?" He asked looking like he was going to laugh.
" Yup, much slower. Would you like to see?" I asked not even pretending to be amused.
"Naw, I would like to see you run faster though." He said. "You must have it in you cause if not you wouldn't think you could run faster next time Mr. Thompson times us. So come on, so me what you got!"
"I'll show you what I got. Right in your face, with my fist." I said, okay so I'm not the most subtle person. But you know what, he just laughed and said okay, as we neared the finished line.
"Ladies, you got 12 minutes and 38 seconds. Hopefully I'll be able to improve this over the course of this class. And you, didn't you already finish?" Mr. Thompson asked Derek.
"Yes sir, I was just helping these girls. You said you wanted us to encourage the people still running and they look like they were slowing down so I thought they could use some help."
"Well that was nice of you." Mr. Thompson said smiling and went off to rag on the next people who had come in with not so great times.
Sometimes, I hate when boys some signs of intelligence.
"God I hate running." I sighed to a girl I'd only met a few days before. Her name was Amanda. She was cool, and hated this PE class more than I, if that was even possible.
"I know. It's college; I thought I finished all of that gym business back in high school. But of course not, I decide to go to the one college that believes in making its freshman healthy!" We laughed.
I'd already been at college for a week, but already I was loving it. Everything about it was unbelievable and awesome. Originally being from Massachusetts, going to college in North Carolina was great. Not that I hate my family, but at 18 I knew it was time to break away. I've never been a shy person, and being on my own well I actually find it kind of fun. Odd, I know. Not too many girls from little old MA would travel to NC for school so far from home, most of my friends had gone to Boston but hey I dare to be different.
"Alright ladies and gents, today since it is our first official class you are all going to be running the mile well I time you. Since this is introduction to jogging, by running a timed mile I will best be able to evaulate where each of you stands. Alright now go get on the white line, when I say go you'll begin, and remember it's 4 times around the track. On your marks, get set, go." Said Mr. Thompson.
And we were off, oh that's right no I wasn't. See, there was a reason that I took jogging when I had options like swimming, tennis, golf, etc. I had played soccer and ran track. Okay I was a sprinter not a long distance person, but I knew enough about sports to know that A. they always time you on the first day and B. they will time you again at some point with the expectation that you have improved and I for one was planning on getting an A in PE but I was not planning on trying. Yet, when he said go Amanda started to run with the rest of the herd so I had to grab her.
"Amanda what do you think you're doing?" I said getting in place next to her.
"Running the mile Lexi, what about you?" She said and already sounded out of breath.
"Amanda, here's what we are going to do. " We started jogging more slowly as I explained my plan that anyone would really run a 10 minute mile no problem, so we had to do a 12 minute mile so that when we had to do this again each time we could just try harder and then look as though we'd improved.
So, as we started our third lap Mr. Thompson barked that it had already been 9 minutes. Better than I'd expected, I thought. I'll never have to try in this class ever again. Amanda and I tried to look sympathetic as we passed him, "Sorry." she said to him, "I'm not much of a long distance runner." I wasn't sure why she was apologizing there were people behind us still, I made sure of that.
As we rounded a corner there he stood encouraging us on with the rest of the manly bozos who competed to come in first and in so impress our teacher. "Come on you can do it." He yelled, "Only a few more feet."
"If it's only a few more feet why don't you run it?" I yelled back. I'm sorry, I can not stand this mock encouragement. It's humiliating and annoying. Amanda look over and smirked at me, "What?" I asked.
"Nothing just that the boy who you so coyly told to run with us, is putting on his running shoes again and I think when we come back he may just take up your invitation."
"Oh great." I replied.
"It could be, I mean he was hot whoever he is and atleast we'll be meeting someone new who actually enjoys this running hell." I laughed, she had a point. I think he had been cute. Not that it mattered, I had a boyfriend. The same one I'd had since high school, John, and honestly I loved him, he was marvelous and wonderful.
So we continued running and sure enough as I rounded that same corner up came Mr. Runner boy.
"Hello ladies." He said with a small smile and southern accent.
"Well howdy yourself." I replied rather grimly getting a look from Amanda, perhaps she wanted him to run with us, I on the other hand did not want this guy thinking he could hit on us as we ran. How rude, I mean honestly.
"Hey," replied an overly perky Amanda. "I'm Amanda and this is Lexi."
"Nice to meet you both, I'm Derek." He said.
"So Derek, may I ask why you are running with us? Cause I was just being a wee bit sarcastic back there." It was a harmless question, still Amanda shot me glares.
"Oh, just thought you needed some help, looked like you were falling behind." He replied.
"Yeah, we were. Thanks Derek." God, could Amanda flirt anymore?
"Amanda! We were not. Look Derek this was all part of my master plan."
"Master plan huh? What would that be?" He asked. You know that annoying look boys get when they are amused, and you know at any second they are going to be like 'aww your so cute' well that is the look I was getting now.
"Well see Lexi here, had this idea that if we ran slow this time that next time when he time us it'd look like we improved." Amanda blurted out.
"I see, well how is that working out for you?" He asked looking at me, yet again.
"Well it was going great but now we only have like 200 feet and then it'll be all over with. I wonder if I should run slower."
"Ha, you can run slower than this?" He asked looking like he was going to laugh.
" Yup, much slower. Would you like to see?" I asked not even pretending to be amused.
"Naw, I would like to see you run faster though." He said. "You must have it in you cause if not you wouldn't think you could run faster next time Mr. Thompson times us. So come on, so me what you got!"
"I'll show you what I got. Right in your face, with my fist." I said, okay so I'm not the most subtle person. But you know what, he just laughed and said okay, as we neared the finished line.
"Ladies, you got 12 minutes and 38 seconds. Hopefully I'll be able to improve this over the course of this class. And you, didn't you already finish?" Mr. Thompson asked Derek.
"Yes sir, I was just helping these girls. You said you wanted us to encourage the people still running and they look like they were slowing down so I thought they could use some help."
"Well that was nice of you." Mr. Thompson said smiling and went off to rag on the next people who had come in with not so great times.
Sometimes, I hate when boys some signs of intelligence.