“Hey Art, you ready?”
“Yeah, hold on. Just let me... Yup ready.”
“Okey doke.”
We walked out of the house and like usual I handed George my backpack when we got to the edge of the road. We waited a minute and along came the bus rumbling down the road. A couple seconds later my Garmin beeped signaling it had caught up with the satellite. I waved bye to George and started running.
We were a month into school
and every day I gave my bag to George and he got in the bus with it. Then I started running towards school, a distance of about 2 miles. Every morning. I would run at an easy pace and usually still beat the bus. Then at school, I swipe my ID on the gym door and head into the locker room. I turn the shower to ice cold, shower off the Wyoming heat and dust and then change into clothes that are in my gym locker, replacing them with the running clothes I just had on. Iʼll save those for practice later. I then precede to go to the commons where my friend group is always waiting and George usually drops my backpack off, on his way to the junior high.

The 8th grade is a part of the high school and the junior high is a cross the road.
Today the sun was especially hot. The air was dry though. In Wyoming that makes the perfect combo because the sun heats you up, you start sweating, but then the dry air causes it to evaporate and you begin to cool off. Itʼs perfect.
On these morning runs I just try to focus on fluid running. I focus on all the points to good form that Iʼve read in running science books. Our county librarian knows Iʼm obsessed with sports science and special orders me books.

Forefoot landing, relaxed back, fluid follow through, and head up.
As Iʼm running I notice that the some of the telephone poles are damaged from last nights thunderstorm. About a half a mile into the run I take a turn onto a trail that leads to school. As Iʼm getting closer though I notice a telephone pole fallen across the road blocking off the trailhead.
I take a slight detour through the the parking lot of a store, to get on the trail. Itʼs so peaceful on this trail and I can just run.
One foot after another.

Thud, thud, thud. Just keep running.
When you come out of the trail itʼs another quarter mile to the school. Just for kicks I start sprinting to the school and it helps to just relax me.
I go to the back door and swipe my ID card to open the door to the gym. Ms. Alicks is already in there on her computer getting ready for class. I go into the locker room and switch on the shower. Ice cold. I get showered and start getting dressed. Once Iʼm finished I head on out to the commons.
George has dropped my bag off and the guys are waiting

for me. I head on over and the four of us do our handshake.
We stand in a square and high-5 the people next to us. Then backhand them. We slap the people next to us in the shoulder and then cross our arms.
The four of us our on the cross country and track teams together, except Lou, who plays football, basketball, and baseball. Weʼre also in the same lunch period and Ray and I have the exact same schedule.
Weʼre re the perfect friend group because Ray and I are best friends and Lou and Jack are best friends and we

all compliment each other. I trust them all a lot, and aside from Jo, theyʼre the only ones who know about mom and dad. Ray and I live in the same neighborhood and he lives down the street from Lou. Jack lives on the other side of Orchard Valley, in the Cheyenne side. Ray and I met when we were in 6th grade in school. He was already friends with Lou. Jack moved here in 7th grade and immediately joined the group. Back in 6th grade there was a kid named Josh in our group but he ditched us for the group that is headed in the wrong direction.
We all lean against a wall in the commons and talk.

Jack and I are talking about who is going to win the MLB game tonight and the NHL game tomorrow. Him and I donʼt care about football but Lou and Ray love football and are debating about the NFL game Friday in Denver.
After a while Jackʼs girlfriend shows up and he walks over to be with her. Heʼs the only one with a girlfriend in our group, but the one who should have been the last to get one. Because Lou and Ray are really heated now over football I decide to watch from a safe distance on this one.
I wait for a couple minutes, school starts in 5, and then

Josie walks in the door.
Josie lives across the road from me and weʼve known each other since we were little. Sheʼs my best friend aside form the guys. Sheʼs practically my sister, even more than the guys are my brothers. Since dad is a drunk and mom only cares about George, Iʼve spent a lot of nights and days at Josieʼs. Weʼve become really close and I trust her with my life and more than anyone. Her mom and dad treat me like their own.
Josie is different from a lot of girls who are just obsessed with how they look, guys, and ridiculous stuff, along with being

annoying. She has her own friend group, Suzanne Wilker, Madelyn Stewart, Reagan Carina, and Kenna Trent. She doesnʼt really talk with the guys and I donʼt talk with her friends, weʼre our own in between group. And weʼre the best friends each other has. Iʼm her best friend and she is mine.
She comes kes running up to me and jumps in front of me. “Okay, shut up Art! Whatever you have to say is less important than me! Okay? Okay.” Josie was practically shouting happy.
“Umm... Okay?” I was playing along.
“So dad entered this

drawing in work for a Christmas cruise to the Caribbean.” Someone was excited.
“Uhuh.” I kind of saw where she was going.
“And... drumroll!”
I started drumming on my legs.
“HE WON!” She was really excited now.
“Nice! Yes! Thatʼs awesome Jo!”
“Hey Iʼm not done. Not yet!” I was confused now, “okay?” “It was for four tickets and...”

“Heeeyyyyy!” I saw where this was going now! I pointed at her with a huge grin.
“Since your practically my brother and my closest friend... I invite you: Arthur Maczon to come with us!” She spun and pointed at me with this huge grin on her face.
“Umm... let me think. Hmmm. OF COURSE!” I was excited now!
This is where Jo and I do our handshake. High-5, backhand, high-5 to snap, grasp hands, and then I spin her and she spins me like you do when dancing.

BRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!
The bell rang and Jo and I were off to homeroom with Ray a ways behind still debating with Lou. Iʼll worry about getting mom to let me go with Jo for Christmas later.
“And when you smile the whole world stops and stares for a while“ -Bruno Mars