nowhere by Marysue Hobika Page B

street at my grandparents’ old farmhouse. According to the names on the graves and the close proximity to the farm, I concluded that all the people buried here were relatives.
    I sat down with my back against the giant oak tree. Pulling out my sketchpad and pencils, I sketched the tombstone in front of me. I felt the pain of having recently lost my dad. A tear rolled down my cheek and I quickly brushed it away with the back of my hand. I wasn’t usually an emotional person.
    I didn’t think while I drew. The pencil flew across the page making marks, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Often times I didn’t know what it was going to be until it was completed. The cemetery was still with only a few birds calling off in the distance from time to time. When I finished I was not at all surprised by what had taken form on my paper. It was a portrait of my dad. He was sitting behind the tombstone, using it as a desk, his laptop open in front of him. He wore a peaceful smile. I smiled, too, as another tear fell. I realized I’d dreaded moving here because I thought I’d feel so far away from my dad and the life we’d all had together in California. Now I knew that was silly. He was always with me, even here in the middle of Nowhere. It didn’t matter where we lived. My father had loved me and he lived on in my memories. I shut my notepad, feeling better than I had in months.

Chapter Ten
    Dooner
    Practice was hell all week. Stepping under the scalding hot shower in the locker room, I washed away a full day’s worth of sweat and dirt. The week had started off bad when I let Tyler and Casey coerce me into starting a fight, and since then nothing had improved. I was still being benched for the season’s opener. I had to do something—and fast—to change that. I mulled a plan over in my mind as I lathered shampoo into my hair. I’d do whatever it took to make sure that I played in that game. I rinsed my hair and then abruptly turned off the shower. Grabbing my towel, I quickly dried off. It was time I had a talk with Tyler and Casey.
    “Tyler, we need to talk.” He was just changing out of his shoulder pads. “Tell your buddy, Casey, to join us too.”
    “Sure,” he grunted. 
    “Meet me outside when you guys are done getting dressed.”
    “Sure,” he grunted a second time. 
    I quickly pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt. It never took me more than a few minutes to get ready. I went outside to wait for them.
    A few minutes later Tyler and Casey emerged from the school. I got right down to business, “We need to stop acting like enemies. We have to put our differences aside and do what’s right for this team.” Tyler mumbled his consent. I continued my pep talk. “This is our senior year, the year we’ve been waiting for. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be on the sidelines acting as a bench warmer. I want to be playing in the game, leading the team to its fiftieth straight win.” I pounded my fist into my palm.
    “Me too,” agreed Tyler. Getting Tyler to work with me, instead of against me, was going better than I could have hoped.
    “I don’t know why you intentionally threw me that blind pass.” I looked angrily at Tyler. “And why you,” I said, shifting my gaze to glare at Casey, “slammed into me so hard, but I’m willing to put it behind me.” I swallowed to push back the bile that was threatening to rise. I hated giving in like this, but I couldn’t miss that game. “As long as you promise not to try anything like that again. We need to move on and work together.”
    “I agree,” said Tyler.
    Casey nodded.
    “I’ll pretend it never happened on one condition,” amended Tyler.
    “I’m not playing games with you, man. This is serious.” I scowled.
    “So is this. Stay away from my cousin, Mike.”
    “Mikayla...What does she have to do with anything?” 
    “Just stay away from her. She’s been through a lot already and she doesn’t need a guy like you