Life Of Two Best Friends: College CHPT 20

CHAPTER 21

“WAKE UP!…” Coach threw open the door of our bedroom. Only to find the bed stripped and the two of us on opposite sides of the bed. But on the floor. “What the? Why are both of you on the floor?”

I knew why, so I didn’t respond. I just ignored the unwelcomed vistor.

Jeremy groggily sat up from his position. I should say, he groaned is way up; because the noises he made were hilarious. “What?” he looked up at the bed. “Where is he?”

Coach pointed to the opposite of where Jeremy was sitting.

Jeremy begrudingy stood, crawled onto the bed, and gazed over the bed trying to see me. “You idiot. I gave you the bed last night. If I had known, I would have slept up here.”

‘I guess the thought of more sleep is out of the question.’ I hoisted my cramped body up so that I could look Jeremy in the eye. “Really? I thought you were on the floor for reflection?”

“Right. True. Neither of us deserved the bed. What’s for breakfast?” Jeremy expectantly asked Coach.

Coach stood there confused about what that exchange was just now. But he shook his head, “What do you mean breakfast? It’s only four-thirty in the morning. You need a workout before breakfast.” Coach grinned that grin that I know all too well.

“Four-thirty!” Jeremy exclaimed as he leaned back over to his side, digging around under the bed for his phone. Finally fishing it out he checked time; indeed it read four-thirty. “Are you crazy?” Jeremy reached back down the side of the bed and grabbed the comforter and drapped it over his body.

‘That’s stupid to do in front of Coach. I would have waited until he left the room.’ I sighed and got up from the floor. If Coach says it’s time to workout, you don’t fight it. Or it will be ten times worse.

“George,” Coach pointed at Jeremy to get up, “we leave in five,” and Coach left the room.

I could hear Coach quickly walk down the stairs. “Dude. Dude,” nothing. ‘Maybe he actually fell asleep.’ I walked over to the mound on the bed and lowered my head to where his head presumably would be. Sure enough a soft repetitve breathing was coming from the blanket. ‘Yep. The idiot fell asleep again.’ “Dude!” I yelled at the blanket and jabbed him in, what I assumed was his side, as hard as possible.

“Yyyyyaaaouch!!” Jeremy yelped and jolted up, falling off the bed.

I couldn’t help it, and I busted into laughter. ‘That was awesome.’ “Dude. We’ve now got, I check my watch, “two minutes until we need to be downstairs and ready. Move your butt,” I quickly threw on some exercise pants and a sport jacket. “One mintue,” counting down seemed like the only way to motivate Jeremy. He was at least trying to quickly get dress.

We both were putting our shoes on when we heard the loud, “Thirty seconds!” from Coach downstairs.

We bolted, even before our shoes were tied. We were down the stairs and quickly tying our shoes as Coach continued to count down, “thirteen, tweleve, eleven,…”

Finally finished with my shoes, I stood up ready for the torture to begin.

“Three, two, one, good. Not great, but good,” Coach glanced at the two of us. “I’ll be getting in my truck, and you two will be running until I get tired. Fair?”

‘Not fair. Not one bit.’ But there is no way I was going to say that out loud. I just nodded.

Jeremy looked shocked, but he too didn’t argue.

“Good,” Coach grabbed his truck keys and walked towards to his vehicle. “Well? You gonna start?” Coach waved at us, while pausing before getting in his truck.

‘Right.’ I left the porch and started the long trek on the road. ‘I wonder when Coach will get tired?’ I looked around to make sure the idiot was following me, and he was just to my right. I heard the truck behind us, and I was about to stop and let him through.

Almost instantly, Coach pulled up beside us, “Don’t you dare stop. I’ll see you in my rearview mirror. If you stop I will magically wake up more. Now get going,” and the truck roared directly in front of us. Just enough ahead, that we couldn’t catch up.

‘This is going to be a long morning.’ We continued down that never ending road.

…

“When…is this..going to…end?” Jeremy said gaspng for air as we continued to run.

‘I had no idea.’ The sun was just beginning to rise. Meaning it must be closer to five. ‘Thirty minutes! I knew coach was brutal, but I think this was a bit
excessive.’ Again I was not going to be the one to say anything. “Just keep… going,” I retorted back to Jeremy as I continued my pace behind Coach’s truck.

“Ahggg…” Jeremy grumbled, but he too continued.

The truck suddenly showed break lights. ‘Break lights?!? Awesome sauce.’ Our trek must be over. The truck pulled to the left and the engine shut off.

“Thank…you,” Jeremy wheezed out as he seemed to pick up his pace until he reached the grassy patch in front of the truck. He collapsed to the floor.

‘Idiot. His legs are going to be burning when he stands back up.’ I kept my pace and paused, standing next to Jeremy’s collapsed body. Coach was still in the truck. “Coach?…” ‘What is he looking at?’ I followed his gaze behind me…‘no.’ There behind us was the city pool. Turning my eyes back to coach I saw that smirk smile. The smile that meant death was coming. “Dude. I wouldn’t just be still. Stretch or you are going to regret it,” I whispered down, nudging Jeremy’s sprawled out body; just as Coach exited his truck.

“You two,” Coach stopped, looking down at the dead Jeremy. Coach chuckled and looked back to me, “Get him up and ready. He’s not too smart for collapsing. I’m going to enjoy this,” Coach walked past me and towards the pool.

“What does he mean not too smart?” Jeremy sat up quickly. “Ah…my head,” Jeremy grabbed his forehead.

‘The blood must have rushed back to his brain.’ “Exactly,” I reached down and pulled Jeremy to his feet. Or at least I pulled him up. As I expected his legs could not hold up his weight.

“Where did he go?” Jeremy clung to my shoulder as I turned him around to the direction Coach had left. “No. He’s kidding right!?” Jeremy had finially joined the situation.

“That’s Coach for you. You should have listened and stretched,” we started to follow.

“Your coach is crazy. Mine was a mean piece of work, but your’s is…” Jeremy thought for a good description.

“Hurry up you two!” Coach’s voice yelled to us.

‘Crap.‘ “Pick up the pace or I’m leaving you here,” I pretended to let go of Jeremy.

“Dude,” Jeremy latched onto me, “okay.”

We picked up the pace and reached the front gate; where Coach and, I’m assuming, the head lifeguard stood.

“Get ready. Suits and googles are in the restroooms,” Coach shook the lifeguard’s hand again and entered the deck.

‘Yep. Death is near.’

Life Of Two Best Friends: College CHPT 19

CHAPTER 20

Dinner was delicious; it had been over six months since the last time I had pizza. Thankfully we had ordered from a mom and pop type of place called, The Mrs’ Pies.

Jeremy and I were preparing for bed. It seemed like the night just flew by. My chance to talk to Jenny never came. The pressure was getting to me. Because we only have tomorrow, and after that we fly back to Montana and she to Europe. I have no idea of the next time we will meet.

I was showered and was sprawled out on the queen bed just staring at the ceiling fan. I was trying to clear my mind; by not thinking of anything.

Jeremy came out of the connecting bathroom; he shoved his toothbrush back in his backpack, walked over to the bed, and shoved me to the opposite side. “I don’t know what you are thinking; I’m definately sleeping on the bed.”

I threw his hand off of me. “Yeah, right! Sure you are. In your dreams.” But I was really thinking about how to pry into his and Jenny’s conversation from earlier.

“Just ask,” Jeremy laughed as he relaxed onto his half of the bed, “I know that’s what you are thinking.”

‘It’s creepy that he knows me so well.’ I decided to pause our fight for the bed, and asked the question that was hauntingly mind, “Well…how did your talk go? I didn’t hear any yelling or things being thrown so you must have kept your cool?”

“I will admit, there were times I almost lost control, but I kept it in… knowing you would probably kill me if I did anything to your girl.” Jeremy smirked.

“Not my girl, but yes, you would have died tonight,” I brushed off the, girl, statment because I didn’t want that phrase to drift to Jenny’s room. “Did you tell her everything? You guys talked for almost three hours.”

“Yes and no. I apologized for Sophmore year; turns out she found out later what I had said that day.” Jeremy grabbed the back of his neck, “Man, I was a jerk back then.”

I looked at him almost instictively. ‘Only then?’

“Oh, shut it. I don’t have to hear you speak it, to know what you are thinking. But you know what I mean,” Jeremy turned his head towards the mirror to look at himself. “I was a piece of work that day. Yes, my childhood was awful, but hearing her speak about what I did that day…I felt like trash in front of her.”

Jeremy looked like he collapsed in front of me. His body hunched over itself, and he seemed like he was admitting defeat.

“I think the guys let me off too easily. I’ll have to tell Jerry that he did the best. Jenny was shocked when I told her that I was accepted into the four of you,” Jeremy ran his hand through his still sopping wet hair. “I told her about growing up with a crappy Dad and coach. She acknowledged that aspect I think; probably out of pity. I didn’t tell her about my mom. I’m relizing that maybe my mom would rather me not telling everone about that night. I actually don’t know if she has told her friends; so until I ask my mom face to face, I’m going to keep that night to myself.”

I didn’t even think about that. That Jeremy’s mom might not want to talk about her nightmare experience. I felt guilty about telling Ken, and letting Matthew and Jerry find out. “Sorry dude, about…”

“Nope,” Jeremy stopped me, “I’m happy they know. I don’t know if Jerry would have moved past our issue if I hadn’t.”

‘True. Jerry would probably still be hating his guts.’

“I…apologized to her for being the cause of the rumors. What her dad said was right. What I said that day did initiate the rumors, but I can totally see those two idiots manipulating my words into something awful, but without being expelled. I just can’t believe that I was the cause…” Jeremy had recoiled his body from looking in the mirror.

“I understand that, but dude,” I clapped suddenly making him jump, but bringing him out of his zoning, “I kind of feel like the rumors were going to happen anyways. You changed, but none of your buddies did. They continued to be trash. You had no control over their behaviors.”

“But I did,” Jeremy said point blank.

‘What?’ I didn’t actually respond. How could I?

“How do you think that those guys became the way they did?” Jermery questioned without waiting for an answer, “I was the one to create the trash. They were actually pretty cool dudes before my family life got worse. They were all top notch.”

I couldn’t answer him. We were suseptible to change, but knowing this I understood how none of this would have happened if it were not for him…‘I really can’t defend him.’

“So…in the end I was the cause for Jenny’s pain. I…I have no words for myself. Just like you, you can’t even speak to me,” Jermey got up from the bed and sat on the floor. “I’ll take the floor tonight. I don’t think I could sleep comfortably anyways,” He reached up and grabbed a pillow; he then layed down in his new desired spot.

I still sat there stunned. ‘Jeremy is still my friend, don’t get me wrong, but how am I supposed to face Jenny. I befriended the person who destroyed her life. He destroyed my girl’s everything.’ I got up to shut off the overhead light and looked down at Jeremy; he was curled into a ball position. ‘Yeah he is still my good friend. Only a true friend would be sleeping like he is right now; someone owning up to his mistakes.’ I got back onto the bed, but somehow also felt guilty for sleeping there too. So I threw Jeremy the comforter first, before I too grabbed a pillow, a blanket, and slipped off the bed to sleep on floor.