章節 2: 2. Ch 2- On The Track
"So, your parents are really making you go through with it?" Zach asked Lincoln as they sat around the lunchroom table with their other friends Liam, Rusty, Clyde and Stella, the new girl.
"Yep," Lincoln replied, somewhat exhaustedly. "I know they mean well, and they just want me to be healthy, but I just wish there was another way I could do this."
"Why not just get a bunch of them exercise games?" Liam suggested. "You get your video games, they see you working out- everyone's a winner!"
"I tried suggesting something like that, but the said they wanted me to do something where I wasn't staring at a screen constantly." He blinked as he remembered something his mother had originally tried. "Which, now that I think about it, doesn't explain why my mom tried to get me to be fitter by following one of her exercise videos."
"Parents will just say one thing, and then say the opposite later if it makes their point," Rusty explained. "Trust me, if I was in your shoes, my dad would be exactly the same."
"I'm sure there's more to it than that, Rusty," Stella offered, before turning to the white-haired boy. "Besides, maybe you'll have fun with it. You won't know unless you give it a try."
"I guess… still, I don't know if track is something I'll find fun."
"Surprising, after the way you were running after that football game," Liam commented, causing Zach and Rusty to start sniggering.
Stella rolled her eyes at them. "Knock it off, you guys," she scolded, before smiling back to Lincoln. "Anyway, if you're doing track after school, I'll be there too, so you won't be alone."
"I didn't know you did track! When did you start?"
"I did it for a bit before I came to Royal Woods, and I decided to take a couple of weeks to settle in at school before starting again."
"I still don't understand why they're getting on your case so much," Clyde admitted. "I mean, my parents are fine with the fact I don't do any sports."
Lincoln deadpanned at his best friend. "Clyde, you're an only child, so they don't have anyone to compare you with, whereas I have ten sisters who all get exercise in some form, so they expect me to do the same. Also, you have asthma."
Before he could retort, Clyde realised that what Lincoln was saying was completely true. "Oh, right."
Lincoln rolled his eyes, then turned to his other friends. "What about you guys? Did your parents ever have to make you take up exercise?"
Liam shook his head. "Naw, working on the farm gives me all the exercise I need."
"My dad never minded," Rusty spoke next, "though it probably helps I'm on my bike a lot."
"My parents are more concerned about me keeping up with class," Zach explained next.
"My parents didn't make me take up track," Stella added, "but they were eager to allow me to sign up when I asked them." She noticed how his expression was sullied by the answers he received, so she gave a soft smile. "Don't worry about it too much. As long as you give it a try, they can't be mad at you. You'll be fine."
This seemed to improve Lincoln's mood, as he nodded with a smile. "Thanks, guys."
As the final bell of the day rang, everyone in Lincoln's class eagerly smiled as they began packing their things away. While Lincoln also began to pack his stuff up, he was nowhere near as in a hurry to leave. A woman in her late thirties with her red hair held up in a bun by a pencil, wearing a green turtleneck, dark green skirt, gold belt, green knee high socks and black shoes, put down the chalk in her hand and turned to her class.
"Alright, class," Mrs Johnson announced, "that will be all for today. Make sure your homework is complete and I'll see you tomorrow."
The class of sixth graders began to fill the hallway, which was already fairly full due to the rest of the school also eagerly making their way out of the building. Clyde and Lincoln were among the last to leave the class, walking over to their lockers which they opened up and began to clear out.
"So, I guess this is where I wish you good luck," Clyde told his friend after closing his locker. "See you tomorrow?"
"Hopefully, if I can actually move in the morning," Lincoln jested, putting his gym bag over his shoulder and closing his locker, before patting Clyde on the back. "But thanks, buddy."
"No problem, Lincoln. See you later!"
With that, they parted ways. While Clyde began to head home, Lincoln made his way through the corridors of the elementary school, passing through the dining hall until he reached the gym. He entered and walked over to the open door on the far right. Upon reaching it, he looked in and saw a hefty man wearing a yellow polo, red sweatpants, white sneakers and a red baseball cap over his brown hair. The man grabbed a whistle attached to a blue string and a clipboard, then turned and saw the white-haired sixth grader. "Ah, Loud," he spoke. "Good to see you showed up."
"Sure did, Coach Pakowski," Lincoln replied.
"Well, at least you're making an effort. Go and get changed, then head outside to the track."
"Uh, Coach? Will any of the football players be doing this as well?"
The coach paused for a moment, before realising why he was being asked this. "There tend to be one or two, but rest assured, I will NOT allow roughhousing. That dumbass who coached you before might have allowed it, and I'll admit I might if I was coaching football, but not for track."
Lincoln felt somewhat relieved at hearing this. "Thanks, Coach."
"Yeah, yeah, now go get changed! Be out there in five minutes or you'll do five laps off the bat!"
Lincoln didn't need telling twice. He nodded to the coach, before walking over to the other side of the gym, walking through the tunnel under the bleachers and into the boys' changing rooms. He placed his stuff on one of the empty spots and began to get changed, but after he traded his usual shirt for his red PE shirt, he heard the door open.
"Look who it is!" He heard someone say. Turning around, Lincoln gulped when he saw a boy his age with dark brown crew cut hair, smirking as he walked up to the Loud boy. "If it isn't the moron who cost us the game."
"Uh, Hey…" Lincoln replied nervously, as visible by his smile. "You, uh, remembered me, huh?"
"Kind of hard to forget something that stupid! That must have been blunder of the year!" The boy laughed hard, causing Lincoln to frown. "Aww, is the baby gonna cry? Maybe you should head home and be girly with your sisters, since it's clear you're not cut out for sports!"
Lincoln's frown turned to a scowl, as he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth tightly. He prepared to yell at the jerk for even mentioning his sisters, but was stopped when he heard another voice.
"Cut it out, Markus," said the voice, which belonged to a redhead boy in a yellow shirt with a green turtle, white long sleeved undershirt, grey jeans and white sneakers with green stripes.
"Aww, what's wrong, Chandler?" The boy taunted. "Do you not like me teasing the baby?"
Chandler rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. Better get changed before Coach makes you run in your undies again."
Lincoln did his best to suppress his laughter as the dark-haired boy blushed out of embarrassment, muttering to himself as he walked to the other end of the changing room. Once he did, Lincoln smiled at the redhead. "Thanks, Chandler."
He waved it off in response. "No biggie. So, since when did you do sports?"
"I don't, really, but my parents are making me find some sort of exercise, so they asked me to try track."
Chandler nodded. "Sounds about right. Still, at least you're giving it a try. I'll see you out there."
Lincoln nodded, before returning to getting changed. It was a minute later when he ran out to the track, wearing his red PE kit. He saw the other kids who were also wearing their PE kits. After spotting Stella doing some stretches among them, he walked over to her. "Hey, Stella," he greeted.
"Lincoln! You made it!" She happily replied, before noticing Coach Pakowski heading their way. "Just in time, too. Had Coach caught you arriving late, he'd-"
"Make me run in my undies?" Stella nodded. "Yeah, I heard one of the guys in the locker room mention it."
The sound of a whistle being blown gathered the attention of the elementary schoolers, who turned to face their coach. "Alright, everyone, gather up," he instructed, which they did with no hesitation. "Today, we're going to be working on- Stevens!" Behind them, a brown haired boy halted after being shouted at. "You're late! Give me twenty squats, now!" The kid moaned before doing as he was instructed. "Now, as I was saying, you'll be doing relay practice today, so let's not waste any time. Give me one lap around the track at a jogging pace."
He blew the whistle once again, and they set off jogging around the track. Lincoln kept up with everyone, though he was closer to the back. After they finished the lap, the coach led them through a series of stretches.
'Alright, this isn't too bad,' Lincoln thought while stretching his leg, 'maybe I can enjoy this after all.'
"Okay, everyone should be warmed up now," Pakowski called out, prompting everyone to cease stretching and stand still. "Today, as I said before, you'll be doing relay practice. I'm gonna put each of you somewhere around the track. One of you will start with the baton, and you'll run to the first handoff. We'll keep doing this until the last person returns to the finish line. Anyone who drops the baton, you'll go to the centre and give me twenty press ups. Are we all clear?" No one responded, not that it mattered as he didn't wait long enough for them to do so. "Alright, no more screwing around. Hop to it!"
He divided up the students into the four positions, with Lincoln being sent to the far side of the track. Among the three others was Chandler, which made Lincoln feel slightly more comfortable.
"Alright, when I blow my whistle, the first person will run! If I call your name out, get ready to receive the baton and go! Ready?" Once again, Coach Pakowski didn't wait to receive a response, as he blew the whistle. The first kid took the baton and ran with it, heading around the track to the first handoff, where he would pass it on to Stella. "Loud! You're next!"
Lincoln blinked in surprise, but got into position. "When Stella gets halfway, start jogging ahead," Chandler whispered.
"Thanks," Lincoln responded with a nod, then turned his head back in time to see Stella getting near. He began to jog ahead, keeping an eye behind him.
"Heads up!" Stella called to the white-haired boy. She closed the distance and held the baton out in front of her, which he managed to accept from her before tuning his jog into a run. He made his way around the track, with a smile starting to form on his face.
'This is going well!' Lincoln thought. 'Maybe this could work for me!'
As he neared the handoff, however, he realised that the next runner was the same boy who had taunted him in the locker room. "Hurry up, Loud!" He barked as he started to jog ahead. Lincoln did his best to catch up to him, but when he attempted to pass the baton, it slipped through the dark haired boy's fingers, falling to the floor.
"Markus! That's a drop! Do your run, then give me twenty in the centre!" Pakowski ordered.
Markus looked incredulous at this, throwing his arms in the air. "What?! But, Coach, that was him who dropped it! That wasn't my fault!"
"No arguing, or it'll be fifty! Now, keep it moving!"
Picking up the baton, Markus shot a deadly glare towards Lincoln, accompanying it with a growl that made the Loud boy feel uncomfortable before he ran away. As the next kid in that position pushed him aside, Lincoln stepped back a bit, feeling that he was beginning to have second thoughts.
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