((Craig/Hera thread, I'd love it if this could be kept private! Thanks!))
((Craig Hoyle's debut thread))
Gatorade just didn't do the things it was advertised to do. Craig had drank at least three bottles of the stuff since he had been out on the football field training by himself and, if anything, the only effect the drink had on him was he could now hear his belly sloshing whenever he moved. Not that this would be a problem, except the current situation had Craig practicing slamming his body as hard as he could into objects with deceptively little skill.
Stupid tackling dummies... how does that waterboy guy do it!? Craig thought, backing up from the football equipment meant to strengthen his skill at running people over. In reality, all it was doing was making his chest and stomach hurt (even through the pads). The sun beating down on him didn't help matters any except to increase the amount of that gatorade he was sweating out of him. At least I'm not wearing the helmet or all that other stuff though, that would suck... Crag thought, trying to capture the bright side of things. Indeed, the pads and jersey he wore were bad enough, but the rest of the equipment would probably have him sweatier than a workhorse in August.
Backing up a few steps in order to both give himself a breather and examine the hideous contraption he was supposed to tackle, the overweight boy pulled on a piece his jersey to get it up to his face. Sweat in the eyes sucked, as anybody could tell to those who hadn't experienced this painful nusaince themselves. It was nothing to cry about over, though. No, his crying and whining days were over! Craig sucked in his stomach to the best of his ability (it didn't go in very far) and tightened up, preparing for the next rush right into his target...
Second lap, same as the first!
Gotta keep up if you wanna talk!
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MK Kilmarnock
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TheLeakyFaucet†
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[[Debut of Hera Alosso]]
The track stretched out into an endless road in front of her. Feeling her heart pounding but knowing from experience that those kind of things had to be fought, Hera Alosso gritted her teeth. She controlled her breathing as she ran down the track surrounding the football field. Her sneakers grinded against the asphalt, her muscular legs flexing and threatening to collapse as she forced them onward. Man, you shouldn't have taken a week off from running. You're rusty now. Hijo de puto.
Getting around the first corner, Hera forced herself to run faster. If there was one thing that she really valued in life, it was running. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world to feel your problems vanish behind you as you felt yourself breaking the sound barrier. Running was a great stress-reliever. Much better than drugs, for that matter. Those idiots. That stuff will kill you. Thank God you're done with those people...
Running down the track, Hera quickly chalked up a mental schedule in her mind. She'd run for about another hour. Then she'd jog her way home and maybe write a little. With prom coming up, she'd taken note of everyone dating and gotten some great ideas for a good old love story. One of them was so good that she felt that she might have been able to stretch it out until a whole novel. Hera didn't know if her writing was particulary good, but if anything, it must have been better than those awful vampire romance books she saw all the other girls reading.
Gazing out across the football field as she ran down the track, Hera squinted and saw a large boy in a jersey running into a tackling dummy. It was strange. Out of all the times she'd run around the field, she'd been the only person there. Considering how the field wasn't that big and they were the only ones there, it would only seem right for a normal person to go up and talk to him. Her mother had always said that being social was one of the most important skills. It would get you far in life...
But Hera couldn't consider herself normal. In fact, she was far from it. Looking away from the boy as he ran into the dummy again, she closed her eyes and ran faster. God, I could really use some Gatorade...
The track stretched out into an endless road in front of her. Feeling her heart pounding but knowing from experience that those kind of things had to be fought, Hera Alosso gritted her teeth. She controlled her breathing as she ran down the track surrounding the football field. Her sneakers grinded against the asphalt, her muscular legs flexing and threatening to collapse as she forced them onward. Man, you shouldn't have taken a week off from running. You're rusty now. Hijo de puto.
Getting around the first corner, Hera forced herself to run faster. If there was one thing that she really valued in life, it was running. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world to feel your problems vanish behind you as you felt yourself breaking the sound barrier. Running was a great stress-reliever. Much better than drugs, for that matter. Those idiots. That stuff will kill you. Thank God you're done with those people...
Running down the track, Hera quickly chalked up a mental schedule in her mind. She'd run for about another hour. Then she'd jog her way home and maybe write a little. With prom coming up, she'd taken note of everyone dating and gotten some great ideas for a good old love story. One of them was so good that she felt that she might have been able to stretch it out until a whole novel. Hera didn't know if her writing was particulary good, but if anything, it must have been better than those awful vampire romance books she saw all the other girls reading.
Gazing out across the football field as she ran down the track, Hera squinted and saw a large boy in a jersey running into a tackling dummy. It was strange. Out of all the times she'd run around the field, she'd been the only person there. Considering how the field wasn't that big and they were the only ones there, it would only seem right for a normal person to go up and talk to him. Her mother had always said that being social was one of the most important skills. It would get you far in life...
But Hera couldn't consider herself normal. In fact, she was far from it. Looking away from the boy as he ran into the dummy again, she closed her eyes and ran faster. God, I could really use some Gatorade...
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MK Kilmarnock
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WHAM!
Yeah... that hit went just about as successful as the previous one. The previous one, in clarification, was a rather piss-poor hit by just about any sportsman standard. Craig had started out great, sure, but he just couldn't muster enough strength to land another hit squarely on the dummy, causing it to press in no more than an inch at best before kicking back. The springs nearly sent Craig tumbling right onto his back, but quick feet and wildly flailing arms just barely kept the boy's heavy body upright. "Augh... this is hopeless..." Craig complained to the sun, leaning his shoulder into the same equipment he was beating on earlier. "I guess this is why coach won't keep me in for more than a quarter... I just can't keep up. It's stupid, all I have to do is lean forward on the guy.... and I can't even do that."
It took a few seconds for the boy to realize what he was doing. Why am I here feeling sorry for myself!? That doesn't... that doesn't do anything, I gotta keep moving, keep the flow going! Or... whatever the hell coach was telling me. Craig felt somewhat angry with himself over allowing his failures to make him get all mopey. This was the kind of behavior he was working on kicking so he could better himself. If this kind of stuff kept up, coach would... no, the captain would be angry! Craig thought about JJ yelling at him for a few moments, shivering in displeasure. That was something he did NOT want to experience.
With prom so close, practically around the corner, there was yet another reason for the boy to push himself to the edge. He had never had a date and, damn it, Craig was determined NOT to go to prom alone. ... Kinda determined. Well, not really determined at all. He was anxious as all hell about asking a girl to go with him, too... but when you don't ask, nothing ever gets done. "There's plenty of time to worry about that..." Craig spoke to the grass at his feet with all the certainty that one would put into the sentence 'I just know I'll win the lottery and pay off all my debts'. At the very least, his reflections were giving him a breather. Maybe he could have a second wind and get some more practice done! It was a good thought...
Such a thought was blasted out of Craig's mind once, still stuck in his pacing track, he noticed a lone jogger running around the field. Recognition was less than immediate, especially at this distance. Maaaaaaaybe... I can work jogging into my routine? Coach would accept that, wouldn't he? Craig thought with a slight smile. Could things finally go his way this afternoon? Praying he was right, Craig grabbed the fourth bottle of Gatorade out of the six-pack he left near the tackling dummy and headed towards the track around the field as steadily as he could possibly go. If he was lucky, the girl would match his cumbersome speed when she finally joined him...
Yeah... that hit went just about as successful as the previous one. The previous one, in clarification, was a rather piss-poor hit by just about any sportsman standard. Craig had started out great, sure, but he just couldn't muster enough strength to land another hit squarely on the dummy, causing it to press in no more than an inch at best before kicking back. The springs nearly sent Craig tumbling right onto his back, but quick feet and wildly flailing arms just barely kept the boy's heavy body upright. "Augh... this is hopeless..." Craig complained to the sun, leaning his shoulder into the same equipment he was beating on earlier. "I guess this is why coach won't keep me in for more than a quarter... I just can't keep up. It's stupid, all I have to do is lean forward on the guy.... and I can't even do that."
It took a few seconds for the boy to realize what he was doing. Why am I here feeling sorry for myself!? That doesn't... that doesn't do anything, I gotta keep moving, keep the flow going! Or... whatever the hell coach was telling me. Craig felt somewhat angry with himself over allowing his failures to make him get all mopey. This was the kind of behavior he was working on kicking so he could better himself. If this kind of stuff kept up, coach would... no, the captain would be angry! Craig thought about JJ yelling at him for a few moments, shivering in displeasure. That was something he did NOT want to experience.
With prom so close, practically around the corner, there was yet another reason for the boy to push himself to the edge. He had never had a date and, damn it, Craig was determined NOT to go to prom alone. ... Kinda determined. Well, not really determined at all. He was anxious as all hell about asking a girl to go with him, too... but when you don't ask, nothing ever gets done. "There's plenty of time to worry about that..." Craig spoke to the grass at his feet with all the certainty that one would put into the sentence 'I just know I'll win the lottery and pay off all my debts'. At the very least, his reflections were giving him a breather. Maybe he could have a second wind and get some more practice done! It was a good thought...
Such a thought was blasted out of Craig's mind once, still stuck in his pacing track, he noticed a lone jogger running around the field. Recognition was less than immediate, especially at this distance. Maaaaaaaybe... I can work jogging into my routine? Coach would accept that, wouldn't he? Craig thought with a slight smile. Could things finally go his way this afternoon? Praying he was right, Craig grabbed the fourth bottle of Gatorade out of the six-pack he left near the tackling dummy and headed towards the track around the field as steadily as he could possibly go. If he was lucky, the girl would match his cumbersome speed when she finally joined him...
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TheLeakyFaucet†
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There was a charley horse in her left leg now. Slowing down slightly and feeling like there was a tightly wound knot in her tendons, Hera winced and did her best to relax her muscles. It very rare for her to get a charley horse. She´d gotten cramps here and there, but most of the time they were manageable. This was just bad.
Slowing down, Hera tried to take the pressure off her left foot as she jogged around the track. Sweat beat down from her forehead as her sneakers crashed over and over against the asphalt. Although she was in no posistion to check her watch, it must have been the late afternoon. It gave her a strange feeling. While every other teenager in the world was worrying about prom or talking about the latest football game, she was just running to get a sick sense of gratitude and fantasizing about poorly written romance novels. It was like a tunnel vision to her. It had always seemed like running was going to get her somewhere, but in the end, all she did was turn onto the next corner of the track and keep going. It was just a big circle.
¨So prom´s coming up¨, Hera remembered. ¨¨Ah well. So is life...¨
As much as she would have liked to go, she knew she´d filled the mold of a loner too well for anyone to take notice and ask her. That wasn´t saying there weren´t a few decent guys around who she would daydream a perfect night with, but the whole social scene just didn´t seem to be the right choice. She wanted to go. Instead of jogging around the track and ignoring her problems, it would have been great to have yearbook photos and memories of her actually enjoying high school. Ain´t gonna happen.
Gazing over her shoulder, Hera noticed the football kid seemed to be running toward the track. Now things were definitley going to get awkward. If he caught up, considering they were the only two people on the field, it would only seem normal to start a conversation. But if anything, she wasn´t normal. Hera was in a shell. Her mother had always advised her to get out of her shell, but it was just too hard.
Hera ran and tried to get her charley horse to stop hurting.
Slowing down, Hera tried to take the pressure off her left foot as she jogged around the track. Sweat beat down from her forehead as her sneakers crashed over and over against the asphalt. Although she was in no posistion to check her watch, it must have been the late afternoon. It gave her a strange feeling. While every other teenager in the world was worrying about prom or talking about the latest football game, she was just running to get a sick sense of gratitude and fantasizing about poorly written romance novels. It was like a tunnel vision to her. It had always seemed like running was going to get her somewhere, but in the end, all she did was turn onto the next corner of the track and keep going. It was just a big circle.
¨So prom´s coming up¨, Hera remembered. ¨¨Ah well. So is life...¨
As much as she would have liked to go, she knew she´d filled the mold of a loner too well for anyone to take notice and ask her. That wasn´t saying there weren´t a few decent guys around who she would daydream a perfect night with, but the whole social scene just didn´t seem to be the right choice. She wanted to go. Instead of jogging around the track and ignoring her problems, it would have been great to have yearbook photos and memories of her actually enjoying high school. Ain´t gonna happen.
Gazing over her shoulder, Hera noticed the football kid seemed to be running toward the track. Now things were definitley going to get awkward. If he caught up, considering they were the only two people on the field, it would only seem normal to start a conversation. But if anything, she wasn´t normal. Hera was in a shell. Her mother had always advised her to get out of her shell, but it was just too hard.
Hera ran and tried to get her charley horse to stop hurting.
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MK Kilmarnock
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Huh... she slowed down? She's kinda favoring one leg... Craig thought, stepping foot on the track. Part of him was feeling uneasy about his decision to begin running. Part of THAT part of him felt uneasy because running just flat-out SUCKED for him, but the other part fed off of his shyness. Was this really the best way to talk to somebody? Whatever part of him told Craig not to do this, though, was countered by the other part of his mind that kept pushing him forward.
By pushing himself, he had worked himself up from being miserable to actually enjoying some marginal popularity; it was a formula he would like to repeat, if able. With this in mind, Craig took another look towards the girl. This is my only chance to catch up to her. ... Unless she laps me. That would be sad but hey, I still get to talk to her... That last thought was shoved to the back of Craig's mind as he began to tell his feet to move.
As momentum began to carry Craig's body forward, the guy knew he had to make a choice. If he kept himself at a jog, the girl could very well be able to pick up speed again and he wouldn't get a chance to talk with her. If he sprinted, he had a better chance of at least reaching her, but then who knows how long he could keep up? Each option had a drawback, much to Craig's annoyance. Why does running involve so much thinking? Craig thought, mostly annoyed with his own body's slowness rather than the truth in this fact. Gotta keep my eyes forward though, legs moving.... Breathe like coach told you.
By pushing himself, he had worked himself up from being miserable to actually enjoying some marginal popularity; it was a formula he would like to repeat, if able. With this in mind, Craig took another look towards the girl. This is my only chance to catch up to her. ... Unless she laps me. That would be sad but hey, I still get to talk to her... That last thought was shoved to the back of Craig's mind as he began to tell his feet to move.
As momentum began to carry Craig's body forward, the guy knew he had to make a choice. If he kept himself at a jog, the girl could very well be able to pick up speed again and he wouldn't get a chance to talk with her. If he sprinted, he had a better chance of at least reaching her, but then who knows how long he could keep up? Each option had a drawback, much to Craig's annoyance. Why does running involve so much thinking? Craig thought, mostly annoyed with his own body's slowness rather than the truth in this fact. Gotta keep my eyes forward though, legs moving.... Breathe like coach told you.
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TheLeakyFaucet†
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Hera craned her neck and saw that the kid was actually running on the track now. Although he was pretty big, he didn't really seem to be much of a runner at all. Just the way he was moving his legs gave her the feeling that this kind of excercise really wasn't his thing. Probably more used to slamming those tackling dummy things.
That was when a strange thought struck her. The moment she'd stepped out onto the track, she'd had the unearthly feeling the kid was watching her. She'd tried to shake it off, but there was no denying now that he had been looking right at her. And now instead of tackling his dummy, he was running like he was trying to catch up with her. Glancing back at him, she was finally able to figure out who it was. Craig Hoyle. Besides knowing he was on the football team and also a senior, he was really just a nameless face in the hallway. Yeah right, just like the rest of the student body....
Suddenly feeling very alone on that track with Craig, Hera almost felt frightened. There really was nobody else on the football field...
She couldn't help it now. The tendons in her leg were tightening and she couldn't ignore the searing pain in her ankle from the charley horse. She was slowing down, and soon enough, if he actually caught up, things were really going to get awkward...
That was when a strange thought struck her. The moment she'd stepped out onto the track, she'd had the unearthly feeling the kid was watching her. She'd tried to shake it off, but there was no denying now that he had been looking right at her. And now instead of tackling his dummy, he was running like he was trying to catch up with her. Glancing back at him, she was finally able to figure out who it was. Craig Hoyle. Besides knowing he was on the football team and also a senior, he was really just a nameless face in the hallway. Yeah right, just like the rest of the student body....
Suddenly feeling very alone on that track with Craig, Hera almost felt frightened. There really was nobody else on the football field...
She couldn't help it now. The tendons in her leg were tightening and she couldn't ignore the searing pain in her ankle from the charley horse. She was slowing down, and soon enough, if he actually caught up, things were really going to get awkward...
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MK Kilmarnock
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I can't believe it.. I'm actually catching up to her! Craig's mood had been slowly drained by forcing it to jog along the track despite all its protests, but the prospect of finally getting to talk to the girl he had been eyeing lifted it right back up. Though psychological in its purest sense, Craig's heart almost lightened up in the most literal context possible, the rush of euphoria (a little trickle of adrenaline couldn't hurt either) almost making his body seem lighter.
Whatever the cause, the boy was able to push through the pain and approach Hera to within the distance where they could have a conversation with just slightly raised voices. That is, they could if Craig wasn't still behind Hera for the most part. Gotta push... almost there! And this is her slowed down? Sheesh, what would I do if... Crushing the thought halfway through, Craig tucked down his head, shifted a little to the inside of the track in relation to Hera, and sprinted forward.
At first, he was struck immediately with the primal fear that he'd end up barreling forward and falling flat on his face, but such fears were pacified when the rather short bursted ended up having Craig next to Hera. Feeling a bit more comfortable with this arrangement between the two of them, Craig chose this time as the best one to speak up. "Nice... day... we're... having?" He breathed, the words coming out in a rhythm where there were only two other instruments: the dull sounds of his clunky feet hitting the surface of the track, and the sloshing of his full, unopened bottle of gatorade. No sooner had these words come out, Craig's eyes squinted shut for a full second. Wow, way to go! Keep popping out interesting lines like that and... yeah.
Giving the quickest off-hand look he could at the girl running next to him, Craig tried to see what Hera's reactions to all of this were. He had figured she'd be shy, he was still a shy person in nature and could practically pick them out of a crowd by this point. Just hope we stop to talk, soon... don't know how much longer I can keep this up!!!
Whatever the cause, the boy was able to push through the pain and approach Hera to within the distance where they could have a conversation with just slightly raised voices. That is, they could if Craig wasn't still behind Hera for the most part. Gotta push... almost there! And this is her slowed down? Sheesh, what would I do if... Crushing the thought halfway through, Craig tucked down his head, shifted a little to the inside of the track in relation to Hera, and sprinted forward.
At first, he was struck immediately with the primal fear that he'd end up barreling forward and falling flat on his face, but such fears were pacified when the rather short bursted ended up having Craig next to Hera. Feeling a bit more comfortable with this arrangement between the two of them, Craig chose this time as the best one to speak up. "Nice... day... we're... having?" He breathed, the words coming out in a rhythm where there were only two other instruments: the dull sounds of his clunky feet hitting the surface of the track, and the sloshing of his full, unopened bottle of gatorade. No sooner had these words come out, Craig's eyes squinted shut for a full second. Wow, way to go! Keep popping out interesting lines like that and... yeah.
Giving the quickest off-hand look he could at the girl running next to him, Craig tried to see what Hera's reactions to all of this were. He had figured she'd be shy, he was still a shy person in nature and could practically pick them out of a crowd by this point. Just hope we stop to talk, soon... don't know how much longer I can keep this up!!!
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TheLeakyFaucet†
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"Nice....day....we're....having?"
Hera had been staring down at the track. Glancing up, she was startled to find that Craig had completely caught up with her. Along with that, her worst fears had been confirmed. He was really trying to talk to her. You're alone out here. It's all real, you're completely alone out here with this guy you don't even know....
The pain in her leg slowing her down into a jog, Hera noticed that Craig was holding an unopened bottle of Gatorade. It was sloshing up and down as he ran. Almost an addict when it came to energy drinks but feeling asking for it a little awkward, Hera turned her eyes away from the bottle. Craig didn't look like a bad person. And that was relief, because Hera had known a lot of bad people, and sometimes they seemed to outnumber the good. Even if it hardly happened, she couldn't help but have the unnatural phobia that people were out to get her. And the sad part is they almost never are, you idiot....
She was almost neck-and-neck with Craig now and the pain in her leg made it impossible to speed back up to her original pace. They were alone together on a track, neck-and neck with absolutely no one else around. It would almost be rude not to talk now.
Hardly making eye contact with Craig, she stared back down at the track.
"Yeah", Hera said as she ran. The word sounded very strange to her. "Yeah, the day's great..."
The moment she finished speaking was unbelievably awkward for her. Even if she didn't want to, something else needed to be said. Even if it was one of the most basic things her mouth could have spit out in the situation.
"I'm Hera Alosso".
Hera had been staring down at the track. Glancing up, she was startled to find that Craig had completely caught up with her. Along with that, her worst fears had been confirmed. He was really trying to talk to her. You're alone out here. It's all real, you're completely alone out here with this guy you don't even know....
The pain in her leg slowing her down into a jog, Hera noticed that Craig was holding an unopened bottle of Gatorade. It was sloshing up and down as he ran. Almost an addict when it came to energy drinks but feeling asking for it a little awkward, Hera turned her eyes away from the bottle. Craig didn't look like a bad person. And that was relief, because Hera had known a lot of bad people, and sometimes they seemed to outnumber the good. Even if it hardly happened, she couldn't help but have the unnatural phobia that people were out to get her. And the sad part is they almost never are, you idiot....
She was almost neck-and-neck with Craig now and the pain in her leg made it impossible to speed back up to her original pace. They were alone together on a track, neck-and neck with absolutely no one else around. It would almost be rude not to talk now.
Hardly making eye contact with Craig, she stared back down at the track.
"Yeah", Hera said as she ran. The word sounded very strange to her. "Yeah, the day's great..."
The moment she finished speaking was unbelievably awkward for her. Even if she didn't want to, something else needed to be said. Even if it was one of the most basic things her mouth could have spit out in the situation.
"I'm Hera Alosso".
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MK Kilmarnock
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"I'm Hera Alosso"
"Oh, yeah! H.... I know!" Craig said. His sentences were no longer severely punctuated by loud huffs and puffs, even if only because he was releasing each group of words in quick bursts, struggling to catch his breath before and after every time he actually managed to talk. And she's still going! Man, with her leg like that, she really should stop soon. I HOPE she stops soon! I can't keep this up!
"Craig Hoyle..." The boy puffed, his arms pumping in what could've been seen as an exaggerated flailing of his arms. In reality, however, Craig was pushing himself in his last attempts to keep with with Hera. The faster and harder his arms went, the louder the sloshing of the gatorade got. "Sometimes you write... really pretty stuff!" He said, coughing to wet his throat. "I like your style, I can't write at all!"
It had to happen sometime, but the heavyset boy still thought it was a major inconvenience that his body finally decided to slow down to a crawl. That was it, his legs and his lungs couldn't take the jogging anymore. Lactic acids in his leg were screaming at him to stop, and Craig struggled to keep his back straight and not double over in order to maximize the catching of his breath. It looked like his conversation with Hera would be cut short unless there was something, ANYTHING he could do in order to get her to stay there with him.
"Wah... Wait up, just for a sec?" Craig weakly called, only able to hope that Hera would listen to him. He was too busy catching his air to voice the rest of his thoughts, however... There's no way I can keep up with you. If I can just talk to you for a few more minutes...
"Oh, yeah! H.... I know!" Craig said. His sentences were no longer severely punctuated by loud huffs and puffs, even if only because he was releasing each group of words in quick bursts, struggling to catch his breath before and after every time he actually managed to talk. And she's still going! Man, with her leg like that, she really should stop soon. I HOPE she stops soon! I can't keep this up!
"Craig Hoyle..." The boy puffed, his arms pumping in what could've been seen as an exaggerated flailing of his arms. In reality, however, Craig was pushing himself in his last attempts to keep with with Hera. The faster and harder his arms went, the louder the sloshing of the gatorade got. "Sometimes you write... really pretty stuff!" He said, coughing to wet his throat. "I like your style, I can't write at all!"
It had to happen sometime, but the heavyset boy still thought it was a major inconvenience that his body finally decided to slow down to a crawl. That was it, his legs and his lungs couldn't take the jogging anymore. Lactic acids in his leg were screaming at him to stop, and Craig struggled to keep his back straight and not double over in order to maximize the catching of his breath. It looked like his conversation with Hera would be cut short unless there was something, ANYTHING he could do in order to get her to stay there with him.
"Wah... Wait up, just for a sec?" Craig weakly called, only able to hope that Hera would listen to him. He was too busy catching his air to voice the rest of his thoughts, however... There's no way I can keep up with you. If I can just talk to you for a few more minutes...
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TheLeakyFaucet†
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"Sometimes you write... really pretty stuff!"
It was that sentence that stood out to her. No one else really took the time to compliment her, and it felt good just as much as it felt strange. Her writing was average. There were times when she thought it was incredible, but that was usually on the spur of the moment when she came up with something good. She was a writer. But a talented one? Well....
"Thanks", Hera said awkwardly. She felt herself slowing down even more now, and almost willingly at that. Her jog ended up ceasing into a quick walk. "I love writing. It's a good way to get your feelings out, y'know?"
He wanted to talk to her. And bad. She wasn't sure why, but in the end, it really couldn't hurt. She was a wallflower, and on the other hand, prom was just around the corner. But that was just a strange thought. Was she really desperate enough to fantasize about some guy she'd met at the track asking her out? How did that thought even slip in?
"We can slow down", Hera said. "My leg's hurting bad and I could really use a break". She paused. Part of her wanted the earth to swallow her up right there, but the other part wanted her to keep talking. And she listened to it. "Training for football?"
It was that sentence that stood out to her. No one else really took the time to compliment her, and it felt good just as much as it felt strange. Her writing was average. There were times when she thought it was incredible, but that was usually on the spur of the moment when she came up with something good. She was a writer. But a talented one? Well....
"Thanks", Hera said awkwardly. She felt herself slowing down even more now, and almost willingly at that. Her jog ended up ceasing into a quick walk. "I love writing. It's a good way to get your feelings out, y'know?"
He wanted to talk to her. And bad. She wasn't sure why, but in the end, it really couldn't hurt. She was a wallflower, and on the other hand, prom was just around the corner. But that was just a strange thought. Was she really desperate enough to fantasize about some guy she'd met at the track asking her out? How did that thought even slip in?
"We can slow down", Hera said. "My leg's hurting bad and I could really use a break". She paused. Part of her wanted the earth to swallow her up right there, but the other part wanted her to keep talking. And she listened to it. "Training for football?"
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
The heavy air seemed to thin out and be a bit more generous with the oxygen it allowed Craig's lungs to take, even if it was only because the guy was so happy to have a rest for a change. With the strain his body was having on him, Craig would've listened to anybody who told him that Hera had not stopped, she was still running; this entire conversation, even as bare as it was, happened to be nothing more than a hallucination. Yet nobody was there to tell him that... so this was really happening, she had actually stuck around!
"I love writing. It's a good way to get your feelings out, y'know?"
Craig nodded with about as much vivaciousness as he could pack into his neck. "Yeah! I mean, well, I can't write, but there's gotta be the same feeling behind writing to get your feelings out and drawing them out! And.. and both of them are capable of putting dreams on paper... or something like that. My mom said that a lot." Craig left out the part where he had to find out his mother's favorite sayings from his dad, considering Mrs. Hoyle wasn't exactly around to say them anymore.
"Sometimes I.. phew, hold on..." Now that Hera was staying still for the most part, there was ample time for collecting breath. Craig was starting to get a little annoyed with himself for the constant interruptions in his sentences, where breaths had to sneak their way in between every other word and slow him down. If he was getting annoyed with himself, he could only imagine just how annoyed the girl there with him might be annoyed. Once he was collected, hopefully avoiding this disaster, Craig finished his thoughts. "Sometimes I wish I had done a little more physically so I can stay in good shape... life is a pain when you're fat like this..." Craig added that last bit a little reluctantly before going on, "... but really, I think people who can write or draw really are the lucky ones, the ones who express themselves the best.
The transition to talking about football was jerky to say the least, yet Craig felt it welcoming. Hera seemed to be somewhat interested (or maybe amused?) in what he was doing, so who was he to deny her such information? "Well..." He started, rubbing the back of his head. "Football season was in the fall, of course, but JJ and the rest of the team seemed to be pretty mad at me for my lack of endurance. I thought I could shape up a bit since, um, my grades this year are probably going to keep me back. There's a good chance I won't graduate..." His hands both idly clasped onto the Gatorade bottle. "I hope I do, there's still a chance of me passing, but I figure I could use the workout anyway and be in better shape for next season if I get held back. How many sports can a guy like me play anyway? ... Besides sumo wrestling!"
Craig laughed at his own joke while working to get the bottle open. Just before he broke the seal cap, though, he had a sudden thought. Wow... that's rude of me! She's been running too, and I don't see any water on her or anything... "Um..." Craig held out the energy drink to Hera, slowly at first. "Do you want one? I've got three more and my dad gets them all the time at BJ's, so it's really no trouble at all."
"I love writing. It's a good way to get your feelings out, y'know?"
Craig nodded with about as much vivaciousness as he could pack into his neck. "Yeah! I mean, well, I can't write, but there's gotta be the same feeling behind writing to get your feelings out and drawing them out! And.. and both of them are capable of putting dreams on paper... or something like that. My mom said that a lot." Craig left out the part where he had to find out his mother's favorite sayings from his dad, considering Mrs. Hoyle wasn't exactly around to say them anymore.
"Sometimes I.. phew, hold on..." Now that Hera was staying still for the most part, there was ample time for collecting breath. Craig was starting to get a little annoyed with himself for the constant interruptions in his sentences, where breaths had to sneak their way in between every other word and slow him down. If he was getting annoyed with himself, he could only imagine just how annoyed the girl there with him might be annoyed. Once he was collected, hopefully avoiding this disaster, Craig finished his thoughts. "Sometimes I wish I had done a little more physically so I can stay in good shape... life is a pain when you're fat like this..." Craig added that last bit a little reluctantly before going on, "... but really, I think people who can write or draw really are the lucky ones, the ones who express themselves the best.
The transition to talking about football was jerky to say the least, yet Craig felt it welcoming. Hera seemed to be somewhat interested (or maybe amused?) in what he was doing, so who was he to deny her such information? "Well..." He started, rubbing the back of his head. "Football season was in the fall, of course, but JJ and the rest of the team seemed to be pretty mad at me for my lack of endurance. I thought I could shape up a bit since, um, my grades this year are probably going to keep me back. There's a good chance I won't graduate..." His hands both idly clasped onto the Gatorade bottle. "I hope I do, there's still a chance of me passing, but I figure I could use the workout anyway and be in better shape for next season if I get held back. How many sports can a guy like me play anyway? ... Besides sumo wrestling!"
Craig laughed at his own joke while working to get the bottle open. Just before he broke the seal cap, though, he had a sudden thought. Wow... that's rude of me! She's been running too, and I don't see any water on her or anything... "Um..." Craig held out the energy drink to Hera, slowly at first. "Do you want one? I've got three more and my dad gets them all the time at BJ's, so it's really no trouble at all."
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TheLeakyFaucet†
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:51 pm
"Do you want one? I've got three more and my dad gets them all the time at BJ's, so it's really no trouble at all."
"Thanks!" Hera exclaimed. "I was so thirsty!"
She accepted the bottle of Gatorade and quickly unscrewed the cap. The gulp was rewarding, but not exactly rejuvenating. That was the problem with energy drinks. For a long time, Hera couldn't help but think the burst of strength you got was all in your head. Mind over matter really did work, especially if someone was telling you that something was supposed to give you an energy boost. You can't say it doesn't taste great though. Maybe not be the athlete's drink they say it is, but it quenches your thirst. Gatorade's great...
She screwed the cap back on after a gulp and thought over what Craig had said. He was training to get better for next year. Along with that, his grades weren't that great. As much as she didn't want to talk about this, Hera knew there was no denying that this was an issue for her too. Her search for decent colleges had turned up pretty short, and although it was a silly fear when there were so many exceptions, she still had that feeling that her status as an illegal immigrant would hurt her chances of moving up in the world. Studying had never really been her strong suit either. She spent most of her nights writing in her notebook instead of hitting her textbooks, scribbling down her adolescent fantasies and writing down poetry that was either very good or very bad.
"It's good that you want to get better", Hera said. "I've never really had the endurance for sports. I mean, running's all I''ve ever been good at if you don't count writing. And I don't do either of them because I think I'm good at them anyway. I do it because it's fun. A la ocasion la pintan calv-
She paused, feeling emberassed. She'd accidentally spoken Spanish again. That tended to happen a lot, especially at school when she often ended up saying the wrong things. That's probably why you hardly talk in the first place. It just slipped out sometimes.
"I'm sorry", Hera laughed. "That came out of nowhere. Let's just pretend that didn't happen. So you said you're into drawing?"
"Thanks!" Hera exclaimed. "I was so thirsty!"
She accepted the bottle of Gatorade and quickly unscrewed the cap. The gulp was rewarding, but not exactly rejuvenating. That was the problem with energy drinks. For a long time, Hera couldn't help but think the burst of strength you got was all in your head. Mind over matter really did work, especially if someone was telling you that something was supposed to give you an energy boost. You can't say it doesn't taste great though. Maybe not be the athlete's drink they say it is, but it quenches your thirst. Gatorade's great...
She screwed the cap back on after a gulp and thought over what Craig had said. He was training to get better for next year. Along with that, his grades weren't that great. As much as she didn't want to talk about this, Hera knew there was no denying that this was an issue for her too. Her search for decent colleges had turned up pretty short, and although it was a silly fear when there were so many exceptions, she still had that feeling that her status as an illegal immigrant would hurt her chances of moving up in the world. Studying had never really been her strong suit either. She spent most of her nights writing in her notebook instead of hitting her textbooks, scribbling down her adolescent fantasies and writing down poetry that was either very good or very bad.
"It's good that you want to get better", Hera said. "I've never really had the endurance for sports. I mean, running's all I''ve ever been good at if you don't count writing. And I don't do either of them because I think I'm good at them anyway. I do it because it's fun. A la ocasion la pintan calv-
She paused, feeling emberassed. She'd accidentally spoken Spanish again. That tended to happen a lot, especially at school when she often ended up saying the wrong things. That's probably why you hardly talk in the first place. It just slipped out sometimes.
"I'm sorry", Hera laughed. "That came out of nowhere. Let's just pretend that didn't happen. So you said you're into drawing?"
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
The lingering burning in his legs and his still-recovering lungs took a back seat to the thrill generated from Hera accepting his gift. Something even that simple was enough to brighten the kid's day, especially if it somehow involved her. Craig had been thinking about Hera for a time that, while not exactly 24/7 as though she dominated her life, it was constant enough at frequent intervals that he had to do something about it. There was no telling how he might've felt or how hard his heart would have been punched right in the jimmy had Hera turned down something so simple as a sports drink, but she didn't, and that was all the less he had to worry about.
Using the short space of time where neither one of them was talking thanks to Hera taking a long sip of the Gatorade, Craig stretched each of his calves (his balance wavering slightly each time) and drew out a deep breath to prepare his legs and wind in the event that the kids spontaneously decided to begin walking faster or even running again. I wouldn't complain if I never had to run again! Craig thought, feeling himself sweat a bit more just at the thought. Shaking this, the boy looked back to his running partner in time to hear her respond to something he said.
"It's good that you want to get better"
This confused Craig at first, since he was not entirely sure as to what Hera was referring: his football, or his drawing? When he was just about to ask which she meant, she beat him to the punch and all but indicated she was referring to his football playing. I need to get better in that, alright... JJ nearly killed me that time I fell flat on my face. I honestly don't think it's possible to rip somebody's head off and shit down their neck but.. seriously, he makes it sound like it is! The next set of comments brought Craig back to attention as well as they made him very happy. Doing things because they made you happy was definitely the reason to do them, and this just made Craig like Hera even more. The sharp look of confusion on his face once Hera switched to Spanish, though, was more than just a little bit noticable.
It didn't last long, either.
"You're bilingual!?" Craig exclaimed with an excited grin once Hera was all done telling Craig to ignore it. "That's... that's the coolest thing ever! If I could speak Spanish, I could have so many more jobs than I can have now! I tried to learn when I took spanish one, but I just had an easy teacher who let me BS my way through the whole thing... y-you know?" Thinking that he might've put a bit much into that, Craig lowered his voice back to normal. "It's not as cool, but yeah. I love to draw. I draw anything, but I'm really big on superheroes and comic book stuff lately."
Using the short space of time where neither one of them was talking thanks to Hera taking a long sip of the Gatorade, Craig stretched each of his calves (his balance wavering slightly each time) and drew out a deep breath to prepare his legs and wind in the event that the kids spontaneously decided to begin walking faster or even running again. I wouldn't complain if I never had to run again! Craig thought, feeling himself sweat a bit more just at the thought. Shaking this, the boy looked back to his running partner in time to hear her respond to something he said.
"It's good that you want to get better"
This confused Craig at first, since he was not entirely sure as to what Hera was referring: his football, or his drawing? When he was just about to ask which she meant, she beat him to the punch and all but indicated she was referring to his football playing. I need to get better in that, alright... JJ nearly killed me that time I fell flat on my face. I honestly don't think it's possible to rip somebody's head off and shit down their neck but.. seriously, he makes it sound like it is! The next set of comments brought Craig back to attention as well as they made him very happy. Doing things because they made you happy was definitely the reason to do them, and this just made Craig like Hera even more. The sharp look of confusion on his face once Hera switched to Spanish, though, was more than just a little bit noticable.
It didn't last long, either.
"You're bilingual!?" Craig exclaimed with an excited grin once Hera was all done telling Craig to ignore it. "That's... that's the coolest thing ever! If I could speak Spanish, I could have so many more jobs than I can have now! I tried to learn when I took spanish one, but I just had an easy teacher who let me BS my way through the whole thing... y-you know?" Thinking that he might've put a bit much into that, Craig lowered his voice back to normal. "It's not as cool, but yeah. I love to draw. I draw anything, but I'm really big on superheroes and comic book stuff lately."
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TheLeakyFaucet†
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:51 pm
"It's not as cool, but yeah. I love to draw. I draw anything, but I'm really big on superheroes and comic book stuff lately."
So he was into superheroes. It wasn't something that she'd been expecting, but definitley something that she liked. When you pictured a big kid like Craig Hoyle, you couldn't help but think doodling comic books would be the last thing on his mind. Just goes to show you. You can't judge a book by it's cover after all.
"It's definitley cool", Hera urged. "Trust me, it's great to be able to draw something. I mean, besides stick figures. That's the most I've ever really been able to do".
She felt like kind of an asshole for a second, seeing how she'd shifted the focus of the conversation back to her. It wasn't that she was insensitive or anything (or maybe she was. Who was she to judge herself?). It was just that in the past year, she'd felt winded up into a shell. Too shy to talk much in school, she kept all of her feelings inside and only really had the chance to get them out on rare occasions. Hera never really got the chance to talk about anything, and on basic instinct, the first thing that came to mind was to bring up something about herself.
"I like superheroes too", Hera said finally. "I've really never been into comic books - not really my thing, you know? But I watch every movie about superheroes that comes out". She paused for a second. "It's weird, but if there's one thing that's never really appealed to me about the whole superhero-scene, it's being able to fly. I can't get enough of that. It probably sounds really weird, but I'd do anything to be able to get up in the air and just soar away. It's probably the greatest power out there".
She paused again for a second. Then she turned to him and asked the age-old question:
"What's your favorite super power?"
So he was into superheroes. It wasn't something that she'd been expecting, but definitley something that she liked. When you pictured a big kid like Craig Hoyle, you couldn't help but think doodling comic books would be the last thing on his mind. Just goes to show you. You can't judge a book by it's cover after all.
"It's definitley cool", Hera urged. "Trust me, it's great to be able to draw something. I mean, besides stick figures. That's the most I've ever really been able to do".
She felt like kind of an asshole for a second, seeing how she'd shifted the focus of the conversation back to her. It wasn't that she was insensitive or anything (or maybe she was. Who was she to judge herself?). It was just that in the past year, she'd felt winded up into a shell. Too shy to talk much in school, she kept all of her feelings inside and only really had the chance to get them out on rare occasions. Hera never really got the chance to talk about anything, and on basic instinct, the first thing that came to mind was to bring up something about herself.
"I like superheroes too", Hera said finally. "I've really never been into comic books - not really my thing, you know? But I watch every movie about superheroes that comes out". She paused for a second. "It's weird, but if there's one thing that's never really appealed to me about the whole superhero-scene, it's being able to fly. I can't get enough of that. It probably sounds really weird, but I'd do anything to be able to get up in the air and just soar away. It's probably the greatest power out there".
She paused again for a second. Then she turned to him and asked the age-old question:
"What's your favorite super power?"
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
This girl certainly was a fun one. I've had people come up to me and wish that they could draw like I can, yeah, but when she says it... I don't know, it just feels like she really means it! The funniest thing about all of this was that Craig had just the opposite desires; his drawing was just fine to him, practically mundane by this point. He wished he could look good (which Hera certainly did in his book), and do just a bit more with his body than just hefting it in one direction, using his weight as momentum. For starters, it would be nice to be able to run more than a few hundred feet...
Craig sure had been warming up to her, and fast. Considering all the ironic angles, Hera had actually scared him at first. Not actually the girl herself, but more the wonder of whether he'd ever be able to bring himself to talk to her. At first, he had wondered whether she'd think he was too big or scary, or maybe he was too fat and unattractive. Barring those, there was still the age-old 'you're a geeky fat kid, get away from me' which seemed to nail Craig again and again when he was young. Yet, there he was, actually chatting it up with Hera.
Then... it happened. She mentioned comic books.
You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Craig thought in a great deal of excitement, evidenced by his childlike grin down at Hera. She likes comic books, she loves to write, she appreciated drawing and doesn't think I'm a loser? She's perfect! Freaking perfect! Oh, and she's bilingual, I forgot bilingual! Craig hung on to each and every word Hera spoke, as though she could unleash some dark secret at any moment or divulge information that could save the lives of the entire planet. Of course, that's still about as far as he had expected the conversation to go. Sure, girls could get into comics every now and then, but how in-depth could it possib-
"What's your favorite super power?"
Craig's jaw slackened for a bit. Did she just... ask him... "Oh, uh... eh, heh heh, wow!" Craig stared up at the sky. "I wasn't expecting that! Let's see... well, strength is good, but super speed would be even better since I'm so slow! Wait... there's always teleportation so I don't have to run at all... ooh, and flying is nice like you said, that's a good way to get places! And then there's telekinesis which can achieve the same thing and let you throw other things... then there's mind-reading, man, that would be so helpful at school and a million other situations, and..." Craig bit his tongue, trying to stop his gushing. "I'm sorry... was I... talking too much?"
Craig sure had been warming up to her, and fast. Considering all the ironic angles, Hera had actually scared him at first. Not actually the girl herself, but more the wonder of whether he'd ever be able to bring himself to talk to her. At first, he had wondered whether she'd think he was too big or scary, or maybe he was too fat and unattractive. Barring those, there was still the age-old 'you're a geeky fat kid, get away from me' which seemed to nail Craig again and again when he was young. Yet, there he was, actually chatting it up with Hera.
Then... it happened. She mentioned comic books.
You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Craig thought in a great deal of excitement, evidenced by his childlike grin down at Hera. She likes comic books, she loves to write, she appreciated drawing and doesn't think I'm a loser? She's perfect! Freaking perfect! Oh, and she's bilingual, I forgot bilingual! Craig hung on to each and every word Hera spoke, as though she could unleash some dark secret at any moment or divulge information that could save the lives of the entire planet. Of course, that's still about as far as he had expected the conversation to go. Sure, girls could get into comics every now and then, but how in-depth could it possib-
"What's your favorite super power?"
Craig's jaw slackened for a bit. Did she just... ask him... "Oh, uh... eh, heh heh, wow!" Craig stared up at the sky. "I wasn't expecting that! Let's see... well, strength is good, but super speed would be even better since I'm so slow! Wait... there's always teleportation so I don't have to run at all... ooh, and flying is nice like you said, that's a good way to get places! And then there's telekinesis which can achieve the same thing and let you throw other things... then there's mind-reading, man, that would be so helpful at school and a million other situations, and..." Craig bit his tongue, trying to stop his gushing. "I'm sorry... was I... talking too much?"