Part One

Paul Burnham Middle School, Broadhill, Florida

8th Grade Year

Thomas, clad in a gray t-shirt and dark blue gym shorts, huffed and puffed as he came across the starting line for a fourth time. Sweat dripped from his brow as he bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for air, shirt soaked with sweat and his hair sticking to his forehead. He brought his head up as he heard the pounding of feet on the track, the unmistakable sound of Liam, dressed in his dark blue mesh tank top and sports shorts, putting him a second lap down. Thomas didn't care anymore, he stopped keeping track of who was ahead, knowing very well it was Liam. As Liam passed Thomas, who seemed to be melting on the track, he raised his hand and called out,

“Li... LIAM!" Thomas cried out. Liam stopped dead in his tracks on the first turn, looking back at his friend. He jogged back, quietly chuckling as he did. Reaching Thomas, he got down to his level,

“Giving up?" Liam asked,

“No, I'm just slowly dying." Thomas said sarcastically between breaths,

“You're the one who insisted we join the track team this year."

“Yes, but running track," Thomas said as he took in another gulp of air, “is for when you practice track."

“Isn't that what we're doing now?"

“No, a free day in PE is not what I had in mind for practicing track," Thomas complained, “and you had to pick one of the hottest days in the month to do it."

Liam laughed again. Thomas, in a weak and tired effort, tried to push Liam who was only moved back a couple of centimeters. He helped Thomas to his feet.

Looking over Thomas' shoulder, he saw the Coach blow his whistle and wave for everyone to come back inside. Liam patted his shoulder, Thomas lifted his head,

“Here, you get your break now. C'mon."

Liam began to jog back towards the gym as Thomas tried to follow suit, instead hobbling behind his much faster friend.

With a quick hose down in the showers and a change in the locker room, Liam stood near the door as they anxiously waited for the bell to rang his open backpack at his feet with the new Max Galaxy in his hand, eyes lost deep within the pulp and lore of the series. Thomas shuffled towards Liam, wincing as he moved to lean on the wall. Liam looked over to see Thomas wincing again, rubbing the inside of his thighs. The unmistakable sign of sports rash. He chuckled under his breath.

“Instead of boxers, you should try something sporty that breathes." Liam said, looking back at his comic,

“You know way too much about sports underwear." Thomas said,

“Yeah, and how many times have I complained about a rash?"

“Don't say it out loud!"

Liam chuckled, “I think I made my point."

With the sweet release of the lunch bell, the duo made their way out of the musty and musky locker room and out into the courtyard. Within seconds, the outdoor courtyard was abuzz with middle schoolers looking for refuge from their mundane classes with their friends. Liam helped his poor friend across the courtyard as he seethed in agony. Liam tried, he tried all he could to stifle his laughter, yet little spurts of chuckling came out, each accompanied by a shoulder punch from Thomas.

Soon, in the packed lunchroom, the pair came to sit at their usual table by the line of glass doors. They would sit alone for a couple of minutes before the rest of their “motley crew" joined them. Liam sat across from Thomas. Sitting next to Thomas was Phil, third basemen for the Devil Rays, Kyle, a sax player in the school's band [a very good one at that]. Then, next to Liam was Logan, who moved to Broadhill from England, a few years ago, Chris, a fox who's used to be Liam's neighbor, and Ryan... No one knew why Ryan hung around with them. He was mostly annoying and would sometimes interrupt the conversation with his own thought usually pertaining to something completely different. Liam was the only one that tried to be genuinely nice to him. The table filled with chatter on a whole bunch of subjects. The rumor of the new Max Galaxy PC game, the baseball team's record, whatever came to mind. However, in the middle of a heated conversation over the new game, Thomas began to tap Liam's hand,

“Dude! Dude! Dude!" He said with each hit, Liam eventually batted his hand away. With a glaring stare, he put down his food,

“What? What? WHAT?!" Liam said

“So, and you guys might want to hear this." Thomas said, the entire table leaning in on the conversation, “This is pertaining to you, Liam."

“Oh... kay?"

Thomas leaned in, “So, I was sitting in History today, and we had a free day to discuss projects. Well, someone comes up to me and taps my shoulder. I think it's Mr. G because who knows, I might have done something. But I look back, and it's Stacey Carmichael."

The group gasped with wide eyes, Stacey Carmichael was a catch. With deep, blue, crystal like eyes and flowing blonde hair, she was the girl that every guy wished they could have. The one that could seal a reputation in the school. Thomas continued, “Well, she began to talk to me and then the subject of people we like came to hand. I didn't know how to really carry the conversation, so I said 'I don't know,' then she says 'Well, I think I know who I like, and I think maybe you can help me?'"

“Ha! Playing coy, I like that!" Chris said,

“I don't know if she was." Thomas replied,

“Well, good for you Thomas." Liam said taking a drink of water,

“Oh, no no no. She wasn't asking about me, she was asking about you, buddy boy."

Liam choked and spit his water across the table and onto Thomas. He began a violent coughing fit as Thomas sweared and wiped the water off his face. Soon, their group began laughing, patting Liam on the back.

“Wait, wait, wait. Me?" Liam asked, “Why?"

“I don't know, I mean she said you were cute looking." Thomas said wiping his shirt with a napkin.   

Liam's face grew hot as he blushed. He grabbed his seat and began to stare into space. Someone liked him, someone generally liked him. And this wasn't like the one in 5th grade, this was something new, this was something that could last. Thomas smiled as he pointed past Liam,

“Hey, dude, you're getting the eye!"

Looking back, he saw her. She was smiling and moving the hair behind her ear. She sat at her table with her friends, who looked on with her. She waved to Liam who just began to blush more. He turned his head in embarrassment. Her friends laughed as Liam began to think again. This was something big, this was real, and what was he to do?