Abel let out a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. However the tension in his body wouldn't go away. As the crack of a gunshot ripped through the air, the tension made Abel freeze ever so briefly. 'I started late!' his thoughts raced faster than his feet.
Each foot pushed him forward with his maximum force, yet somehow his heart managed to push even harder on his chest. His ragged breaths chugged out of his mouth like smog from a steam train. Abel ran as hard as he could manage even though his body was setting off every signal that he should stop.
Crossing the finish line, Abel slowed down, which wasn't as hard as it maybe should've been. Panting like a dog, hunched over with his hands on his knees, his misery and embarrassment was interrupted by a gentle voice off to his side. "14 seconds." Abel looked at his partner. She must've taken her hair down from her ponytail, as it splayed itself across her shoulders. "I think you might be getting faster?" She chuckled nervously.
"Thanks Abigale." Abel weakly waved at her. She glared back with a pouty face. He got a little nervous. "I should start exercising more. I don't need chicken legs and chicken arms too." Abel raised his fists to his shoulders and flapped his chicken wings.
"You don't need a chicken brain. I told you to call me Abby. You and your silly smile." Abby handed a worksheet to Able. It recorded all of his depressing feats. 6 pushups, nothing impressive. 20 sit-ups in a minute. A slow sprint of 14 seconds. A shotput that almost landed at his feet. An eternal mile, a lot of which was walked. They called one thing long jump, but Abel only managed a decent hop.
"Pitiful," his bubbling emotions leaked out of his mouth. "Did I just say that?" He placed his hand over his mouth and tried to calm himself down. He peaked over at Abby, hoping he didn't embarrass himself any more in front of a cute girl.
"Since we finished the worksheet, I guess we're done... See ya later!" Embarrassed she made her excuses before she turned and jogged away. Her brown hair bobbed rhythmically as she called out to her friends.
Abel turned the worksheet in and changed before going to his locker. The hum of the hallway and the clangs of lockers filled the air. He pulled out his backpack and then felt a strong smack on his shoulder. "Hey Abel. You ready for the game? I'm so pumped!"
"Are you really that excited to lose your money? Probably just because this is your first time, Sam. You'll get sick of it soon." Abel laughed at his friend and closed his locker. "So, you learned the rules Sam? Took you a while."
"Don't laugh at me! There are so many combinations in Texas Hold'em it took me a while to make sure I wouldn't forget any in the middle of a game." Sam turned and lead the way. "The games are at the community center, right?" Abel nodded in affirmation.
They began walking and Abel stumbled and slumped into the wall. He was short of breath, and his heart still made the occasional aggravated thump. Sam flinched at the sudden movement then moved to Abel's side. "Whoa are you alright? Crap! Gym, right? I heard the track invite slash fitness test was stupid."
Abel nodded weakly and used the wall as a crutch to move a few feet forward to the water fountain. He took a few slurps and a few deep breaths. He stood up straight and smirked at Sam, "Well... I just had to show how tough I am. My partner was Abigale. For a woman, well, I'd damn my heart 3 times over."
Sam lightly shoved Abel. "You idiot. You don't need to push yourself too hard like that. Plus, with talk like that, isn't it obvious your heart was made for loving? Or being played, because Abby would never date you!" Abel shoved Sam back and one cranky teacher even used the word horseplay with them before the finally got off school grounds.
They went into a study room at the community center and a handful of other kids were already sitting at the table. Abel sat down and began to rummage through his backpack. Small talk and pleasantries were made while everyone finished setting up. Abel pulled out 2 decks and began to shuffle them. The cards flowed like water and were ready almost instantly.
Abel dealt the cards with a practiced expertise and everyone analyzed their hand with tension. Abel went around the table and the game went smoothly. Coins filled the center and left as the flow of the game continued. Occasionally a piece of candy would be used to raise the stakes, or fast food coupons.
Abel had been running this game for almost a year now. His last one had been shut down. This one kept the stakes low, which helped it to have a longer lifespan and be safer than his previous game. It had a minimum buy in of 5 dollars and a maximum of 20.
"Abel, how do you do it? You only ever buy in with 5." Abel had amassed a shiny treasure trove in front of him and was chewing some candy. He glanced at poor Derick, peeked down at his cards, then back again.
"Like this. Call." Abel slid a couple dimes out and waited with a smirk on his face. Derick looked at Abel intently but couldn't read him. He squinted as if that would help him discover the secrets on the table.
"Damn it. I fold." Derick slid back from the table, making the chair screech. Abel and his final opponent, a girl named Jessica, flipped their cards. Jessica had a flush. However, Abel had a straight flush.
"See! You're so lucky! It's ridiculous!" Derick shouted.
Jessica rolled her eyes "Don't whine. Plus he doesn't always win. It's still pretty impressive though. If he loses, he loses completely. How do you do it, Abel" Jessica sniggered and shot an almost provocative look. Abel had to think though, if it were provocative, was she just trying to bug him or flirt?
"It's all about what life deals you. If you're dealt trash, bluff." Abel shrugged his shoulders.
Derick rubbed his chin. "So what you're saying is... when life gives you lemons..."
Abel interrupted, "Ask for salt and tequila. Lemons and cards are way too different. Bluffing with lemons is really difficult." The whole room broke into laughter at the turn the conversation had taken.
"I hate to take your money and run everybody, but it's been a while. We should probably head out." Abel began to pack up his things and his spoils. Everyone said their goodbyes and took their winnings. The people who didn't win left with a weight off their shoulders, or pockets, depending on whether pride or coins weigh more.
Abel waited on the curb and looked up at the aurora in the sky. The thin gold and silver waves danced across the afternoon sky. The bus stopped in front of the community center a few minutes later and Abel stepped up into the floating vehicle.
Taking a seat in the back, Abel looked out the window and took in the sights. This was probably the most peaceful part of his daily routine. On his way home he always saw a few young wizards practicing spell circles in a park. In a parking lot, some kids would gather to skate and a mutant among them would make small ramps for them.
On this particular day, Abel saw a snake with four wings slithering through the air. The snake left his vision, but Abel found a bird to stare at shortly after. Then the snake dove down and latched onto the bird. Abel jumped in shock and bumped his head into the window. He rubbed his head and sarcastically whispered "What a wonderful world."
Abel stepped into his home close to 7:30. The sun would begin to set soon, and Abel would finish his day. He stepped into the kitchen for a snack and saw a note from his mother on the table.
"I had the night shift at the hospital. We have some leftovers in the fridge. Don't forget we are going to visit your dad this weekend. No plans. Love you, see you tomorrow. -Mom"
Abel filled a glass with ice and water then tossed his bag onto the counter. He took a sip and winced. He looked at the stove clock then immediately began rummaging through a cabinet. He pulled out a small pill bottle and took 2. He grabbed a piece of bread and ate it while staring into his water aimlessly.
He walked over to his desktop and turned it on. As the whirring picks up and the loading circle goes round and round, he got a strange feeling in his stomach. He rolled back in his chair and looked down at his hands. His stomach had butterflies dancing and his mind was hazy. He looked back at the computer again, 'I didn't take my medicine too late. The screen never makes me nauseous, I do this all the time.'
A sick feeling in his gut began to build and his heart raced. His hands trembled lightly and then his mind began to think back further and further. However, one day was enough. "Pitiful." He whispered for a second time that day.
Abel stood up in a shock. He walked into the bathroom. His stomach churned and his blood began to boil. He looked in the mirror at his pale face. He pulled the handle on the mirror's right side and his eyes searched the shelves for a thermometer. "I can take care of myself."
His legs trembled and he dropped to his knees, his face in the sink. He turned the water on. "I can walk by myself. I don't need to babied and definitely not saved!" Splashing water on his face while talking, his words were jumbled like a phone call with bad reception. Water dripped down his face and from his lips.
He slid to the ground exhausted. He pushed himself up to rest against the tub. He could see the desktop through the door and down the hall. The loading had finished and a strategy game had opened automatically. "That won't help me. Not with what I really want! Stupid game!" His voice had crescendo-ed into the closest thing to a roar he could muster.
His body was losing control, but began to settle down finally. As the strange wave of emotions, sickness, or craziness, whatever it was died down, so did Abel. "Crap, I yelled. Well, the houses aren't wall to wall, so it should be fine. Jeez, what came over me?"
Abel laid and listened to the running water for a minute before he stood back up. "I have a heart problem, I'm not mental. What was I even saying? What..." Abel turned the faucet off and walked into his living room. "What do I really want?" Abel didn't feel sick anymore, but a strange feeling remained. Like an itch inside his chest, something important he couldn't remember, a word on the tip of his tongue, a strange vibe even...