score points for their team. Ben had thought about being a smartass and answering, but luckily Coach didn’t give him time.
“I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you. At least one of you need to place in the top three while also managing to prevent Georgia from reaching the top eight.
Coach waved his hand in Ben’s direction, then towards Parker and Brad. “I’ve got one idiot with a black eye, another with a bruised leg, and a third that nearly gets lost every day on his way to practice.”
Ben rubbed the dark blue bruising just below his eye, while Parker continued rubbing out his leg.
“So, I’m going to keep this simple,” Coach said. “Get out of my locker room and win the damn race.”
Brad was the first through the door, followed by Parker. Coach grabbed Ben by the shoulder as he walked by. For a moment he just stared Ben straight in the eyes. “Remember what started all of this.”
Ben simply nodded, knowing Coach was talking about a lot more than what happened at the bar last night.
17
Letting Go
April 6, 2015
“Dude, you’ve got to let it go,” Parker said as him and Ben stepped off the sidewalk and onto Stadium Road. They passed The Hub on their left, along with about 200 students standing in line at Chick-fil-a.
Two cute girls walked by. “Congrats on the win, Ben,” they said in unison.
“Thanks,” Parker said. “My race went well too. Geez, it’s like I’m not even alive. I know you got first and all, but did no one see me cut that guy from Georgia off for eighth? I mean that was the freaking clincher!”
“If it makes you feel any better, I think you had a nice race.”
“I don’t get it though, you have girls falling all over the place for you and you’re caught up with some girl you hardly know. I thought you were like giving up girls or something, and now you’re obsessed over this one.”
“Wait, what? When did I say I was giving up girls?”
“I don’t know, man. You’re given this second chance at life basically, a full ride to one of the most prominent college athletic departments in the country, where you miraculously turn into this star athlete, and it’s taken me nearly a year to even get you out of the damn dorm room.”
“So, when exactly did I say this again?”
“Well, I guess, you didn’t. But with everything that happened…”
“One, I told you not to ever go there. And two, I don’t know what the deal is with this girl.” Ben paused. “I just…I don’t know.”
They walked on the pebble sidewalk between the Liberal Arts and Computer Science building that opened up to a small courtyard. A group of students had duct taped a makeshift dance floor to the ground and were break dancing. Some students stopped and watched, or even joined in, but Ben and Parker kept walking.
“Okay, well if you like her this much, then fill in some blanks for me. You met her at Fight Night, you take her back to your place, and you don’t even get a number?”
“Not exactly,” Ben said.
“Well, what exactly?” Parker said.
The huge iron bell in Century Tower interrupted them and they took a right on Newell Drive and then a left towards Little Hall. They passed a couple guys from the football team and Ben gave the obligatory head nod, then answered Parker’s question. “She gave me her number.”
Parker stopped. “Wait a minute, if this girl gave you her number, then why the heck don’t you just call her.”
“Thanks, genius, that was insightful.”
“No problem,” Parker smirked. “But seriously.”
“I called her Saturday before the race.”
“And?”
“And she didn’t answer or call back.”
“Okay, so call her again.”
“I called her Sunday, and the same thing.”
Parker was about to speak, but Ben interrupted him. “And I called her again yesterday and left a message. No call back, nothing.”
“Okay, well, call her again. I mean, you pretty much have two options. Keep calling until she
“I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you. At least one of you need to place in the top three while also managing to prevent Georgia from reaching the top eight.
Coach waved his hand in Ben’s direction, then towards Parker and Brad. “I’ve got one idiot with a black eye, another with a bruised leg, and a third that nearly gets lost every day on his way to practice.”
Ben rubbed the dark blue bruising just below his eye, while Parker continued rubbing out his leg.
“So, I’m going to keep this simple,” Coach said. “Get out of my locker room and win the damn race.”
Brad was the first through the door, followed by Parker. Coach grabbed Ben by the shoulder as he walked by. For a moment he just stared Ben straight in the eyes. “Remember what started all of this.”
Ben simply nodded, knowing Coach was talking about a lot more than what happened at the bar last night.
17
Letting Go
April 6, 2015
“Dude, you’ve got to let it go,” Parker said as him and Ben stepped off the sidewalk and onto Stadium Road. They passed The Hub on their left, along with about 200 students standing in line at Chick-fil-a.
Two cute girls walked by. “Congrats on the win, Ben,” they said in unison.
“Thanks,” Parker said. “My race went well too. Geez, it’s like I’m not even alive. I know you got first and all, but did no one see me cut that guy from Georgia off for eighth? I mean that was the freaking clincher!”
“If it makes you feel any better, I think you had a nice race.”
“I don’t get it though, you have girls falling all over the place for you and you’re caught up with some girl you hardly know. I thought you were like giving up girls or something, and now you’re obsessed over this one.”
“Wait, what? When did I say I was giving up girls?”
“I don’t know, man. You’re given this second chance at life basically, a full ride to one of the most prominent college athletic departments in the country, where you miraculously turn into this star athlete, and it’s taken me nearly a year to even get you out of the damn dorm room.”
“So, when exactly did I say this again?”
“Well, I guess, you didn’t. But with everything that happened…”
“One, I told you not to ever go there. And two, I don’t know what the deal is with this girl.” Ben paused. “I just…I don’t know.”
They walked on the pebble sidewalk between the Liberal Arts and Computer Science building that opened up to a small courtyard. A group of students had duct taped a makeshift dance floor to the ground and were break dancing. Some students stopped and watched, or even joined in, but Ben and Parker kept walking.
“Okay, well if you like her this much, then fill in some blanks for me. You met her at Fight Night, you take her back to your place, and you don’t even get a number?”
“Not exactly,” Ben said.
“Well, what exactly?” Parker said.
The huge iron bell in Century Tower interrupted them and they took a right on Newell Drive and then a left towards Little Hall. They passed a couple guys from the football team and Ben gave the obligatory head nod, then answered Parker’s question. “She gave me her number.”
Parker stopped. “Wait a minute, if this girl gave you her number, then why the heck don’t you just call her.”
“Thanks, genius, that was insightful.”
“No problem,” Parker smirked. “But seriously.”
“I called her Saturday before the race.”
“And?”
“And she didn’t answer or call back.”
“Okay, so call her again.”
“I called her Sunday, and the same thing.”
Parker was about to speak, but Ben interrupted him. “And I called her again yesterday and left a message. No call back, nothing.”
“Okay, well, call her again. I mean, you pretty much have two options. Keep calling until she
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