Prologue
It was the same routine has I passed the art and shop building heading for the gym to practice for the upcoming Junior Olympic Basketball tryouts. As I approached between the two buildings there they were all standing around the open bay door of the shop. Taking a small break from whatever project they had currently been working on to take notice of my approach.
Five sets of eyes followed my every move while I chose to put my head down and started the process of counting how many steps I had left to reach the door of the gym. They were becoming leaders of this school, they showed their authority in the halls and on the fields every Friday night. Here in this small town of White Deer, Texas those five sophomores boys were the town peoples hope for another future Football State Championship.
As I counted my last forty steps to the gym door I wondered what they thought of me, the lonely five foot four inch, dirty blonde, brown eye freshman girl. I wonder what type of questions ran through their minds as their eyes followed my every step to my destination.
The past three weeks I have walked this trail Monday through Friday never missing the allowed time my high school coach set aside for me since the new start of school year to practice on my own without distractions. I only allowed myself twice to really look up and take in their muscular forms. Just small glimpses both times but able to take notice of why the girls in this school fight for their attention.
As I approached the gym door and put my hand to the handle a strong feeling to look up and turn around came over me. As I turned my head to look back, one set of eyes was staring right back while the other four had found other interest.
I knew these set of eyes and the body they belong to had a matching set in his twin brother that stood just behind him as he stood leaning against the open bay door. Even though their looks were like looking in a mirror I knew he was the one they called, “Chase” because of the hair style he sported, the just got out of bed and ran a hand through it type of hair.
As we both stood on our opposite sides playing who will look away first, I took sight of him giving myself a real chance to come familiar with his six-four statue, blonde hair, and those blue eyes, and the way his tight white t-shirt snug his body where I could see the outline of his six pack abs. Just for a second I questioned, “What would it feel like to trace them with my fingers?”, as if he saw the question in my eyes his lips lifted into a smirk causing my face to overheat and which had me looking away to get my face under control ending our staring game.
I return to reality and reminded myself why my hand was on this gym door this was the door that would lead me to a way out of this small town. Looking into Chase’s eyes was just a distraction that I couldn’t afford or take a chance on.
