Chapter 44

Danger Will Robinson, Danger! The voice was accompanied by Syn snickering, as Dan fell to the ground, gasping for air. His body hurt. His lungs screamed for oxygen, trying to take in every ounce they could, while his heart raced, the beating causing his head to throb. He was going to die. This was his end.

“I must say.” Said the voice of his torturer. The voice of the demon sent to destroy him. Dan groaned, his hands barely feeling the grass between his fingers. It had been an hour. He was sure of it. And it had been hell. “You, are the most amazing freshman I’ve ever seen.” To her credit, Samantha was breathing hard as well, her body drenched in sweat as she sat down on the grass beside him.

“I,” he gasped. “No more.” That debuff he got when hit 25 stamina was brutal. Even with his enhanced stats, he was still human. His Strength, Dexterity, and Con were only at a +9 compared to whatever he’d been at before he’d gained these powers. If he was being generous, and his stats had been in the Average Range nearing Great…that was still human levels. Hell, he wasn’t certain even Peter could have gone through everything Samantha had just put him through.

“Don’t worry Dan.” She said, handing him a cold drink she’d pulled from a bag she’d carried over. “You survived. It’s done.” Dan took the cold drink. It was some sort of electrolyte replenishing sports drink. He didn’t even care what brand or flavor. He opened it and consumed the liquid, downing it recklessly quickly.

She hadn’t been kidding. He now knew why all the freshman were so scared of her ‘special’ lessons after practice.

“This has to be illegal.” He said between gulps. “You could have killed me.”

“Oh please,” she laughed, though she was breathing hard too. She’d done everything with him. All the exercises, all the drills. She’d been there right beside him, pushing him to breaking on each, making him execute each task until he couldn’t. “If I can do it, you can too.”

Dan glared at her. Sure, she’d taken part in the scrimmage, and the other drills…but she hadn’t done all those suicides, or all those laps. She’d started with more stamina than even his magically empowered body; he was sure of that. Not to mention, she was 24, and likely at the peak of her physical form. Dan was 14.

“But really,” she leaned back, looking up at the sky “the few seniors who have gotten sent to me, broke before the hour was up.” It was getting dark. Dan was going to have to make his way home, in the dark. While exhausted. He thought about that and laid back on the grass. If he waited 10 minutes, his stamina would be back over 25. Meaning the debuff would be gone. If he stuck around for 30 minutes, he was sure he’d be able to jog home without too much trouble. And he wasn’t too worried about heading home in the dark, there wasn’t really any crime in the area, and it was still before curfew. But still…he kind of wished his dad was still around, so he could get a ride. The thought of heading home, to his empty house, in this state, stung.

“Lucky me.” Dan said. “Guess that proves I wasn’t just talking a big game.” He coughed, his ragged lungs rejecting the cooler air he was gulping down. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wince. The drink had been cold. His body, way too hot. Needless to say, his mind was being attacked by the sharp pangs of a brain freeze.

“I could tell you weren’t from the start.” Samantha said. “But I needed to see what you were made of. I can’t have people on the team who don’t know their limits. And this is a team.” She stressed the last part. “You realized it during the scrimmage. No matter how great you are, you can’t win a game by yourself.”

“What if I’d quit.” He asked between bits of pain. “What would you have done?”

Samantha looked down at him. Strands of hair stuck to her sweat covered face, and Dan couldn’t help but stare. In this moment, it was hard to remember she was his coach. She’d looked so proper and authoritative earlier…but now…Dan’s hormones flared. His soccer coach was hot.

“You didn’t seem the type to quit.” She said simply. “I could sense a fire within you. For some reason, you remind me a lot of myself, when I was younger. You’ve got skills, you’ve got spirit, and you had something to prove. Not only that, but you’ve also got a passion for the game. I knew you wouldn’t give up.” She chuckled and took a drink from her own bottle, letting out a heavy sigh. “But really, I didn’t expect you to make me work so hard.”

Dan found himself laughing at that statement. An action he regretted as his strained abdominals growled at him. He didn’t know how many minutes it’d been since he laid down, but his stamina was still under 25. He’d gotten way too used to these powers, and the absence of actual…strain and pain from hard work. Silently he thanked Syn for his powers, knowing without them, he wouldn’t be able to move in the morning. The fact Samantha was likely going to be sore from this exertion, was at least a slight victory.

However, something about what she’d said, hit a cord within him. Guilt rose up in his stomach, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. She just told him he wasn’t a quitter…but that was exactly what he was. It was why he was here, after all.

“Coach-“

“Sam, for today at least. Tomorrow, I’m your coach again.”

“Sam.” He liked that. “I,” the words struggled in his throat. He had a goal. He’d vowed to himself; he would become a tennis player that could stand beside Peter. He was going to climb the ranks, he was going to take Sophia to the championships, and he was also, going to make Peter proud. His reason for starting tennis may have been shallow, but he had come to love the sport. As much as soccer, he wasn’t sure yet, but he knew, it was a passion he needed to pursue. “I don’t think I can join your team.”

She looked at him, and her eyes seemed to search his face, a frown forming. “Why not?”

He thought for a moment, the silence drawing on. His mind worked out a response, but everything he thought of, seemed lame. This was where he belonged, wasn’t it? He’d done so much in that single day on the soccer field, but it had all felt right. He loved this sport. Sure, he wasn’t crazy about the team members, but they’d begrudgingly accepted him, and a few had even complimented him and thanked him after the scrimmage. It was a much warmer group than the tennis team members. And yet…

“I made a promise, to someone.” He paused, “to myself.” He corrected his statement. “I’m going to play tennis this season. I have a goal I need to reach, and I can’t give up on it.”

“Then why are you here?” She asked, her tone immediately going hard. “Maybe I was wrong about you.” Immediately, the air between them shifted.

“Honestly?” Dan didn’t know quite fully himself. “I’m not sure.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I knew, really I do. I love soccer, and I’ve missed playing it. You have no idea how much.” He shook his head, sweat dripping down his face as he did. “But, if I turn my back on tennis now, I won’t just be letting myself down,” his voice got quieter, “but I’ll be letting them win, and I’ll be letting Peter down.”

Samantha let out a heavy sigh. “Peter Young I presume?”

Dan looked at her. Of course, she would know the name. He was the Principal’s son, and obviously, his skill at tennis and athleticism must have made him known to the sports coaches.

“Yeah. He started teaching me tennis when I got here. He’s kind of been looking out for me ever since-“

“Wait a second.” A look of realization crossed her face. “You’re the kid that was hit by the truck aren’t you.” Shock crossed her face. “Are you even cleared to be playing sports?” She went pale. “Do you know what type of trouble I would have gotten in if you’d collapsed on me today?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t try to kill your team members.” Dan said snarkly. Maybe Syn was getting to him a bit. “But, I’m fine, really.” He stood up, his stamina ticking ever higher. He was shaky, but it was getting closer to 25. He could tell he would soon reap the benefits of his short rest. These powers were amazing.

“Any ways,” he looked down at her, blood rushing to his head. Maybe he shouldn’t have stood up so quickly. Oh well, he wasn’t about to show weakness now. If he collapsed, he was certain she would have a heart attack. “Peter has been working with me every day, to help me get better at tennis. And I don’t want to just throw all that away. I owe it to him, to see this through.”

“And,” she asked, standing with him. “What happens if you can’t live up to your goal?” Samantha looked him deep in the eyes. She was serious. “You’ve got potential to be an amazing soccer player Dan. Already, you’re better than all the freshman, likely every member of the JV team, and some of the Varsity players. If you stick around this season, I can assure you, your future in this sport will go far. I’m not talking just a star player here; I’m meaning professional levels. If I’d had your athleticism and skill at 14…” She shook her head. “Don’t throw that away.”

“I don’t want to.” Dan said softly after a short pause. He really didn’t. He loved this sport. But he’d made up his mind. Why did soccer and tennis have to be at the same season? “But I don’t really have a choice.”

Samantha let out a sigh, turning away from him to go retrieve her notebook and whistle. He watched her go, eyeing her form as she did. Her shirt was drenched in sweat as well, and clung to her, showing just how toned she was. Really, puberty was a bear.

“So you’re here till the end of the week, then back to tennis?” She asked, not turning back to look at him.

“Pretty much.” That was what he’d said to the head coach. He’d told the head coach he wanted to spend the week with the team, to see if he wanted to play on the team. Of course, that last part had been a lie, since he was just doing it until he could practice tennis again.

“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to convince you to stay with the team, by the end of the week.” She turned and looked at him. Even in the dim light, he could see a fiery determination on her face. “I’m not going to let you waste what you’ve got.” She said. “As a coach, I could never forgive myself.”

“Good luck with that Sam,” he responded.

She smiled back, a tinge of sadness in the gaze. She’d read him like a book earlier, so he was sure she could tell he was firm in his conviction. “Even if I can’t convince you to stay,” she said softly, “I’ll make sure you always have a spot to come back to.”