Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:42:02 -0500 From: Justin Luong Subject: The Difference Chapter 2 (REVISED) Chapter Two: Two Years Two Years Ago... It is the start of the football season. The school is hectic. Football season is the most important event for this school. If not for football, the school would go down in rubble. They have been the undefeatable for the past five years. All thanks to the all-star player, Brian Shift. Now Brian wasn't your average player, he could actually play the whole game all by himself and still win. He is incredible. He can get any girl he wants and he is going out with none other then Haleigh Brand, the head of the cheerleading squad. But what makes him stand out the most is his gorgeous blue eyes, his tight body, and his signature smile that make all the ladies melt. "Hmm what else can I put in this?" wondered Ryan. "Ryan, I need that article now. Are you done with it?" asked Mrs. Hartfield. "Oh, my bad. I'm sending it to you right now," Ryan said. "Did you get it?" "Yes, I did. Ryan you can go home now," said Mrs. Hartfield. "Okay, peace Mrs. Hartfield," replied Ryan. Ryan was about to leave the news room when he heard Mrs. Hartfield slip out the word, "Crap!" "Mrs. Hartfield? Is everything okay?" asked Ryan. "No, Ryan everything is not okay. I forgot to tell Bree to take some pictures of Brian for this weeks newspaper. I'm in so much trouble," said Mrs. Hartfield. "Is there anything I can do?" asked Ryan. "Yes, yes there is," said Mrs. Hartfield. Mrs. Hartfield walked out of her office and handed Ryan a camera. "I need you to go out on the football field and take some pictures of Brian and the team. Oh and I need you to interview him. If you do this, I'll give you thirty points extra credit," said Mrs. Hartfield. "Isn't that a bit much for just some guy on the football team?" asked Ryan. "Yes it is, but the school administration will chew my face off if we don't get him on the paper. So please, I'm begging you to do this," said Mrs. Hartfield. "Okay, it is extra credit anyways. Extra credit never hurt anybody," said Ryan. "Thank you," said Mrs. Hartfield. "I need you to report here when you're done. I'll take care of everything else from there." Ryan put the camera strap around his neck and grabbed his notebook and pencil. Ryan walked out into the school parking lot and saw the football team practicing out on the field. Ryan was never a big fan of football, let alone sports. He found his own interest in writing for the school's newspaper instead. He could never do sports in the first place he didn't have the competitiveness for it and hardly enough stamina and endurance. He didn't like pain all too well either. And to him, seeing a gay kid on any kind of sport would cause too much drama. Yes, that's right Ryan is a homosexual. He first found out about his sexual orientation when he watched the movie The Hot Chick. He's been out ever since. But due to this, he was never really liked among his peers, let alone accepted. He only had a few friends, but one stuck with him since kindergarten. Her name was Kasey, but he just called her Kase for short. Of course, Kasey was in an outcast league of her own. She was a band geek. She was only recognized for her ability to toot her own horn, a French horn. She even made it to State. Anyways, Ryan made it onto the field and was astonished by how the boys put their heart and soul into the game, even if it was just a practice game. Ryan put down his notebook and began taking shots. "Wow this camera is amazing! It really looks like the football is coming right at me," said Ryan. "Hey kid, look out!" yelled the coach. "Oh poo, it really is coming at me," said Ryan. Just as Ryan thought the ball was going to make its mark, someone tackled him out of the way. "Ow, I think the ball would've been better," said Ryan. "You okay?" asked Brian. "What?" asked Ryan dazed. "Are you...okay?" asked Brian. "Um...uh yeah, yeah I'm okay," mumbled Ryan. "Practice over, boys," said Coach Barker. Brian got up and saw that Ryan had a camera in hand and a notebook. "Hey, you must be that interviewer for the school newspaper," said Brian. "What?" asked Ryan still dazed. "I guess I hit you kind of hard, didn't I?" asked Brian. "What? Oh this," Ryan said pointing to his head. "It's nothing. I get hit in the head a lot I just forgot what I was doing here for a bit. "Oh," Brian laughed. "Well, where do we start?" "Um, I guess with pictures," said Ryan. "Pictures? Okay, let me get changed first," Brian said as he walked away. "He doesn't seem as bad as what people say. Maybe it's just the image thing," thought Ryan. "Hey, you coming or what?" Brian hollered next to his car. "Oh, sorry," Ryan apologized as he got up to Brian's car. "I thought you said you were going to change?" "I am," said Brian. "Right here, next to my car. It takes a shorter amount of time if I just changed here and not in the locker room." After Brian was done changing, he put his football gear in his trunk and waited for Ryan's orders. "So, where do you want me?" asked Brian. "Don't answer that perverted, don't answer that perverted," thought Ryan. "Um on the hood," said Ryan. "Okay," Brian said. "Um we're going to do this a little different," said Ryan. "I'll interview you and while you answer them I'll capture you in live shots. "Okay, whatever you want," said Brian. "Okay, so when did you first start getting into football?" Ryan asked as he took a shot of Brian gazing out into the field. "The first time I started getting into football was when I was two. I was playing with my food and I threw one of my meatballs at my dad and what do you know, it landed right in his mouth. Since then, my dad has been putting me in pee wee football, then middle school, now high school," explained Brian. "Wow, that sounds like a way better life story than mine," thought Ryan. Brian and Ryan continued to talk and snap shots until a car came by and from inside the car, a voice projected from within and said, "Brian, let's go! We're meeting Haleigh and Lea at the Simply Edge restaurant." "Looks like I got to go. It was nice working with you," said Brian. "Same here," said Ryan. "Hey, you're in my algebra class. You think you can tutor me some time?" asked Brian. "Sure," Ryan said not paying attention to what he just agreed to. "Bye," said Brian. "Peace," said Ryan. As Brian and his friends left the school parking lot, Ryan packed up and went back inside. As he got to Mrs. Hartfield's class she noticed that she had fallen asleep. "I got two options, wake up Mrs. Hartfield from her deep slumber and get my face chewed off or I can leave all her stuff here and go home," thought Ryan. "I'm going to go with option two." Ryan left Mrs. Hartfield's camera and bolted out of there as soon as he could. As he walked to his car, he noticed a note on his car which said, "If you ever come across Brian again, I'll slit your throat." Ryan looked around the lot and saw no one. "If this is someone's way of saying this is a joke, this isn't funny!" yelled Ryan. Ryan scared for his life, got into his car and sped off. When Ryan got to the end of the lot, he got a sudden phone call. It was Kase. "Hey Ryan, the girls and I are at Simply Edge. You want to join?" asked Kase. "That place sounds familiar. Where have I heard that name?" Ryan asked aloud. "From me, since I just said it, doofus," said Kase. "Ha ha, I could die from laughing," said Ryan. "So are you coming or not?" asked Kase. "Sure, I'm starving," said Ryan. "I'll be there in ten, peace." "Buh-bye," said Kase.