Pain Is Temporary, Quitting Is Forever

[ViolentMedic]

((Marshall West continued from Teddie Bear Tears.))

“--twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine--”

Studying was very important. There was no question about it. But Marshall would wilt without sunlight, and it was important to keep active. So he had decided to dedicate this free period to exercise. He had designated hours set aside for all his most urgent classes after school, which left him free to get the blood flowing.

Also, he’d tried studying in the library during this free period, and then made too much noise while telling off another cluster of students for being too loud. It had been suggested that he go outside for a while. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t factor it into his schedule!

Right now, Marshall was doing push-ups. Once he’d finished them, he’d do some sit-ups. After that, he’d do some laps of the field. Just because it wasn’t track season, that was no excuse to not practice. Then he’d figure out more exercise during the run, because this was all so last minute that he had failed to sufficiently schedule the entire period of exercise.

He hadn’t even decided how many push-ups he was doing.

Truly, this was a low point for his organization skills.

“--thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven--” Marshall kept counting loudly as he continued doing push-ups on the edge of the playing field. How many was enough? Until his arms were jelly? He could go for a long time, that was too unspecific...

[Ryuki]

(Dominiqua Ashmore, continued from A Picture is Worth… Something)

Dominiqua power jogged around the field. She was trying to sweat out the awkwardness from her encounter with Josh in the Imagination Center. Jogging, or swimming, or hiking, really helped clear her mind. It was her release, her outlet. The feeling of her body in motion, blood pumping through her veins, it was bliss.

After completing her second lap, Dominiqua took a break on the bleachers, and drank some water. She put her head in her hand, lost in thought. Josh probably thought she was rude to ask to take a look at her photo, then dismiss him. She thought he was busy looking at his phone, or the lacrosse team picture to look. If she saw him again, she planned to apologize.

She looked over and saw Marshall, doing push ups. Like her, Marshall was a fitness buff who liked to run. He was pretty cool.

“Hey Marshall,” she said, “getting in a good work out?”

[ViolentMedic]

Marshall had been paying too much attention to his push-ups, and hadn’t even initially noticed Dominiqua doing laps of the field.

“Hello, Dominiqua!” he shouted, not slowing down in his push-ups. “Forty-two! I am—forty-three—indeed! Forty-four! I suppose—forty-five—that you are doing—forty-six—the same! Forty-seven!”

Fifty was a good, round number for now. Marshall didn’t like to interrupt his routines, but it would also be rude to ignore a classmate, particularly one that he shared multiple interests with—fitness and photography—and one that he had yet to offend in some way, and friendly competition was the cornerstone of training oneself to be better!

“Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty!” he bellowed quickly before popping up to his feet. Unwilling to stop moving, he started doing stretches. “Are you training yourself in the off-season? Excellent!” He gestured wildly yet approvingly at her, grinning from ear to ear.

[Ryuki]

“I’m just out here to jog off some stress,” Dominiqua said.

As Marshall stretched, Dominiqua wondered if she should tell him what was bothering her. She didn’t want to bother him while he was exercising. But, maybe if she talked about her problem with someone, she’d feel a bit better. Dominiqua got up and moved next to Marshall, and stretched along with him.

“I think I was rude to Josh,” she explained, “I asked him to take a look at a photo I took, while he was busy looking at a picture of the boys’ lacrosse team for the year book. Then I just kinda dismissed him.”

As she explained, she bent with her back and reached her hands down to touch the tips of her shoes.

“I’ve felt awkward about it since,” she finished.

[ViolentMedic]

Marshall nodded as he listened to Dominiqua’s concerns in the midst of what had now become a group stretching activity.

“I see! That does sound very rude of you!” Marshall said, with all his usual loudness, energy and cheer as he continued to do stretches. “If you are concerned that you hurt his feelings, then you should apologize instead of jogging! Jogging is good for you, but it doesn’t solve problems caused for others, and those should be fixed as soon as possible!”

Marshall, who currently was stretching his stance out and then raising his arms to turn left and right, frowned a little as he considered his own words.

“Unless they’re crying over it in a bathroom, in which case… you should wait outside, or leave a note and a candy bar taped to their locker or something.”

That was his newest attempt to ensure that Teddie understood the apology and felt better. Marshall didn’t buy candy much—to be fair, he didn’t buy any non-essentials much, but it became essential if it was for the purpose of peace between rowdy teenagers. Face-to-face clearly hadn’t been working, and Teddie seemed like a candy-and-sweets sort of guy.

[Ryuki]

Dominiqua didn't think she needed to go as far as give Josh some candy. He didn't seem like he was going to cry over their awkward exchange in photo class. However, if they were to meet again, Dominiqua felt she would feel a bit tense. She didn't know why that was. She should just say she was sorry and be done with it. Right?

She raised her right arm above her head, place her left hand on her hip, and bent leftward.

"Yeah, that's what plan on doing", she said, "I just need to know where to find him so I can do it properly."

She bent her body the other way, raised her left arm, and placed her right hand on her hip.

[ViolentMedic]

“You must have at least one class with him. If not, he’s on the lacrosse team.” Marshall gestured at the field. “He’ll have to be here when practice starts, unless he’s slacking off. In which case, I will have to find him and learn why. If lacrosse isn’t an option...”

Marshall finished the stretch he was doing and, not wanting to pause for long, looked over to see what stretch Dominiqua was doing and mimicked the position.

“Then you can always look for him at lunch, or catch him after school. If you learn his schedule, he should be easy to catch up to. One of the many positive effects of being on a schedule! And Josh doesn’t strike me as the sort to deviate heavily from one.”

Marshall completed the stretch he’d copied from Dominiqua, then did the same but with the other side.

“You probably won’t have to apologize too much. Josh is a fairly mild person. Not easy to aggravate.”

The fact that Marshall didn’t recall ever having to take him to task on anything had to mean that Josh hadn’t shouted back. Not that everyone did, but Marshall could generally recall whatever annoyances he’d felt about people. Josh, on the other hand, was a strangely neutral void.

[Ryuki]

“That’s good to know,” said Dominiqua, “Although, learning his schedule, I don’t wanna come off as some sort of stalker.”

Dominiqua stretched her right arm left, and wrapped her left arm around it.

“I guess I’ll try to catch him at the cafeteria,” she said, “I’ve seen him around during my lunch period.”

Dominiqua switched to stretching her right arm left, and wrapping her right arm around it.

“Let’s hope I don’t make things more awkward,” she said.

[ViolentMedic]

Was it stalking to know someone’s schedule? Marshall remembered who was in most of his classes. How else was he meant to keep track of who he could ask for notes on the rare occasion he missed a day of school?

“The cafeteria sounds like an excellent choice!” Marshall agreed. “And there is only so much time in the day!” He pointed at Dominiqua with gusto. “There’s no time for worrying about what only ‘might’ occur! You can only take challenges as they appear!”

He completed his stretches before he started jogging on the spot lightly.

“On that note… I challenge you to a race! We must stay in practice for the next track season!” Marshall clenched both his hands with a bright smile. “One lap! The winner achieves eternal glory, and the loser has something to strive for!”

[Ryuki]

A race? Now Marshall was speaking her language. Dominiqua really needed this talk with someone who got her. Marshall may be act eccentric, but his charisma was infectious. A race could help boost her confidence, win or lose.

“You’re on!,” Dominiqua said excitedly, shaking her hands and arms, loosening herself up.

The pair got into starting positions, with Dominiqua lowering her body as if she were running track.

“Let’s do this!,” she said, looking straight, concentrated.

[ViolentMedic]

Marshall beamed, preparing himself to race in a similar fashion. “Excellent! On three-two-one-go. Three...”

This had been enjoyable. It was nice to have a conversation that didn’t result in someone crying, yelling or otherwise fleeing.

“Two...”

But that was a concern for another time. Right now, the race was the primary concern in his mind. Time to learn if he’d been practicing enough lately.

“One...”

If he lost against Dominiqua, then he’d have to make sure to up his training. It not being track season was no excuse. But at least she was willing to strive for her best, too.

“Go!”

And Marshall was off, sprinting as fast as he could. If he ran fast enough, in the moment that’s all that would matter.

((Marshall West continued in Sticks And Stones...))

[Ryuki]

On go, Dominiqua took off like a cheetah, her long legs stretching out, left, right, left, right.

She just loved the adrenaline that came with the prospect of a race. It made her feel free.

She was glad to have someone as passionate as Marshall to do this with. It made things more exciting.

(Dominiqua Ashmore, continued elsewhere...)