Blog & Blood

Harper

    Gansley pulled up into the parking lot at school just as the first bell was ringing. Usually he would have liked to be early but he had spent too much time on his phone and lost track of time. A little mix of Cereno and texting his hockey player pals.
    He wouldn't say he had a best friend other than Miller but he hadn't messaged him since his family took off to Hawaii at the beginning of August, they were supposed to have arrived back sometime last night so maybe it was a late flight.
    "Gans, my main man," Coach Harper said cheerily as he walked through side doors. "Running late from an interview with Pinto huh?" He joked giving me a broad smile.
"Heck no. She's all about Daire like all the reporters around here. Doubt 'National' even knows my name." I answered, using the nickname me and the guys had given her, and I couldn't help noticing his eyebrow twitch a bit. I always thought he had a crush on me. Or maybe it was meant for Miller.
"I wouldn't say that. Your slapshots better than mine," he said. Matching my stride, clipboard in hand.
    Presumably he had been marking kids off the checklist, who came back, or better yet keeping an eye out on those who dared to play hooky on the first day. Kittredge prided itself on its attendance rate.
    I laughed. "Thanks Coach, how was your summer, get to the city a lot?"
He grinned broadly, "practically lived there." He chuckled. Going a bit red in the cheeks. "How 'bout you? Looks like you put on some weight since June. Been hitting up Equinox a lot?"
    "Naw, their rates skyrocketed so I convinced Mom to invest in some new equipment for the basement. Since most of the guys use it more than the gym anyways she couldn't really say no." I say, beaming proudly. Most of the guys had put on at least fifteen pounds this summer using Ganslys' Basement.
"So now you can actually say you live in a gym." Coach Harper joked. "You might want to add a protein bar down there, then you'd never have to leave."
"Already have," I laughed. "As of now Gans Gains is the leading favourite," I say, flexing my bicep, my shirt stretching and riding up on my bulky forearm.
"You got me beat," he says, and it's laughable. He could arm a Third World country with his guns and he knew it. 
We continued to banter as we make our way down the now emptying halls, I notice Pinto still hasn't left when we walk past the large front glass doors. Her backs towards us, jet black, nearly purple, hair glinting in the sunlight gesturing towards the school.