Survival Of The Fittest

Sierra didn't really say anything in response to his explanation, simply nodding her head thoughtfully at Conner's explanation.

She understood where he was coming from and had to admit that he had a point. The word hero does get throw around a lot these days to the point where nearly anyone can be a "hero", which in a certain way devalues the word. If you sign a petition to save a rainforest from deforestation does that make you a hero? If she were to achieve her dream would people think of her as a hero? She doesn't think of herself as a hero just because she can hit a few targets, and Conner is basically saying he isn't one either just because he throws a ball around. They'd never make the same sacrifices as people who put their lives on the line for their country.

She looked from Conner to the monument before them. She never really thought about this stuff when she came here before. Her mother was only ever really concerned about was the history behind them, and her mother's way of thinking rubbed off on her. As much as she hated to admit it, history was pretty interesting in the way her mother taught her and she usually came to reflect upon history if the mood struck her. So hearing Conner's views on these monuments, it was an oddly refreshing and thought provoking.

Certainly not something she'd expect hear from someone on the football team, but she had to remind herself that Conner wasn't anything like that Humpty Dumpty motherfucker Wyatt Carter.

But soon he went back to the much lighter subject of prom. He seemed actually enthusiastic about prom, something that Sierra found genuinely charming and chuckled a little herself.

"As loose a definition of "party" can describe it." She reasoned, placing a hand on her hip. "Just saying, it isn't exactly one of Mikki Swift's or that one pink haired gremlin's parties. People show up, dressed in stiff uncomfortable clothes, drink some punch, maybe get a handjob behind the bleachers, enjoy some sweetly affirmative bullshit and then they take a fucking picture and they go back home." She chuckled a bit. "I'd still probably go. Like I said, ain't like I got much else goin' on."

As the two continued to walk through the monument, Connor found himself smirking at Sierra's definition of prom, and the after-parties that followed. It was fascinating how people saw the high school experience, and he sensed that Sierra had a bit of a lingering resentment regarding her own. It was such a dry, flat way to describe what had the potential to be a momentous experience, and Connor wondered what it had been that had caused her to take on such an outlook. To him, it was so much more - it was the pinnacle of this level; one last party before they all graduated to the next level and went on to bigger and better things.

Or at least, before he would. He couldn't speak for anyone else, but he knew that he was bound for greatness. Connor Lorenzen wouldn't accept anything less.

"Aww, I think y'all would be a little surprised. Folks act a whole different way when you put 'em in a monkey suit and force them to act nicely for an evening. It really tells you a lot about someone by how they act when you throw them in a suit, or a dress." He grinned. "Probably even more if you make 'em wear the one they weren't planning to wear."

The sun was still shining, and the sun was hot on his face. Taking a moment, he removed the headband that he had almost forgotten about, and shook out his hair, letting it fly around as he tried to reduce the sweat that continued to form upon his brow. Pulling the headband back on, he tucked his hair behind it. With any luck, that would soak up a little bit of the sweat and keep it from getting in his eyes.

"I'm sure someone will still find a way to get themselves into some trouble. When you stick enough kids in one place, you're bound to have debauchery all over the place. Drugs, sex, mischief and mayhem. I reckon you'll find all of the above at prom." He paused to look at another monument, leaning down to get a better look at some of the names on the side, before glancing back up at Sierra.

"Depends on what you're looking for. One last chance to make an impact before everyone heads away, maybe? Tell that boy how you feel before it's too late, or perhaps settle a score while you still can?"

He stopped speaking, momentarily lost in his own thoughts. Connor had always had a little bit of a romantic view of the various stages of life, brought on by his belief that he had to make the best of each stage in order to accomplish the most for himself. He hadn't realized that he was this enthusiastic about the final stages of high school, but...

"There's a lot to look forward to. Y'all know that we've got a lot of life ahead of us, and maybe I'm just excited about the next stage of it all. Probably sounds a little silly."

His expression was slightly wistful, almost even a little embarrassed. He was Connor Lorenzen: football team captain, star quarterback, his girlfriend was the most attractive cheerleader on the squad and he never wanted for anything. But here he was, like an excited child about a silly party.

Perhaps it all meant far more to him than he realized. He continued to kneel, studying the names on the monument - more as a cover for his own embarrassment.

Sierra studied Conner curiously, listening to him as he enthusiastically spoke of prom while he occasionally read the names listed on the monuments. She gave him an amused smile and folded her arms, finding it interesting to see this side of him. While he looked away looking embarrassed she couldn't help by find this all rather cute, to the point she found herself giggling. The sound of it caused her to stop and cover her mouth in embarrassment. She hated when she giggled, made her seem so... girly. She had an imagine to maintain, dammit! She hoped that he hadn't noticed and quickly she cleared her throat, regaining her composure and gave Conner a friendly smile.

"I didn't expect the star quarterback to be such a romantic." She said, crouching next to him. "You may have a point. You definitely make prom sound somewhat more interesting than just another school dance with a slightly higher budget, I'll give ya that. Whether I'll actually go with someone is another story all together."

She looked up towards the sky, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. It was getting warmer out lately, a sign of the approaching summer. Part of her was quite excited for it, summer was always a good time to go walk through the woods since animals tend seek shade in the forests during the hotter days or migrate towards sources of water like the river. If she was lucky she could spot something interesting and draw it before it wandered off. She always wanted the chance to draw a live black bear but in all her time she has never actually seen one in her wilderness treks.

"Okay, so maybe I'll be more inclined to show up now." She shrug, looking back to the monument he was reading. "Just don't expect to see my ass wearing a dress or anything. I might be willing to go to prom, but even I have standards."

Sierra found herself reading the names that were written on the monument, studying them just as Conner was. Oddly, she couldn't think of a time she actually stopped and really read them in previous excursions to the park. Not even her mother would actually make her read them when she was young unless she was pointing out the name of someone really important or something. Most of the time she came to this part of the park was usually to sketch the monuments themselves since they acted as good subjects to draw.

Well, there it was - he was busted. The giggle that snuck out of Sierra was a full indication that she'd caught on to his over-enthusiasm about prom and the embarrassment that had crept up thereafter. Was it really that bad to have a bit of a romanticized ideal of what the end of high school should be? As he ran his fingers across some of the names on the monument, Connor thought for a moment upon the image that he'd cultivated for himself over the past four years. Anyone who was anyone at George Hunter High had probably watched the senior football team play, and most home games were widely attended events that served as weekly social outings for the majority of the community serviced by the high school. Connor had been starting for basically the entirety of the last two seasons, and being the man playing the most visible position on the field afforded him a degree of minor celebrity around the school.

It was a position that he enjoyed - something that he'd almost sought out as a way to prepare himself for the rigors of the lifestyle that he was aiming to have. His parents had constantly reaffirmed the importance of keeping control of your public image, and he had done so almost masterfully throughout his high school career. He was the team captain, the quarterback, the boyfriend, the buddy. These moments, where his guard dropped, were a lot rarer than he cared to admit. Times like these where instead of playing that role, he was just able to sit back and be plain ol' Connor, who geeked out about history and romanticized the ending of one life stage and looked forward to the other. People weren't allowed in to see this side of him - hell, even Madison wasn't always privy to what he was really thinking.

Had his father been here, he would have chastised him for letting his guard down, for revealing too much, for risking the image that he'd allowed his peers to see. But for once, it was kind of nice to be caught in it, for someone to finally see the real McCoy. Connor brushed some dirt off of the plaque on the monument and rose to his feet. Still in silent contemplation, he turned around and smirked at Sierra, who was covering her own embarrassment for the giggle that had slipped out, but had at least admitted that his pitch had a bit of an impact.

"Well, shoot. You got me there. Maybe y'all can just keep that little revelation to yourself, yeah? Can't have anyone thinkin' I'm going all soft or anything." He winked at her, and gestured in the direction of the next set of stones, the breeze catching his hair a little bit as he took a step.

Looking out at the path in front of him, he slowed his pace and waited for her to join him. His naturally long legs meant that if he were so inclined, his quick walking pace was much faster than many of his peers, and so he made a point of moving at a far more leisurely pace when around people who were much shorter than him - like Sierra.

"It's like any party. It doesn't really matter who y'all show up with. It's all about who you leave with - and I don't mean in the romantic way. If you've got a few pals there to share the night with, that's the main thing, ain't it?" He paused, and grinned at her - more of the real Connor shining through. "Besides, maybe someone you've never noticed before starts lookin' real good all of a sudden! Y'all hear the stories all the time - cheerleader marries the president of the chess club, and where's it all start?"

He paused - more for effect than anything.

"Course, you don't have to wear a dress. I heard last year some girl made her outfit out of Starburst wrappers." His grin fell, and he shook his head in a bit of disbelief. That particular story had made zero sense to him. He'd pick from one of his many suits and clean up as well as he ever did for the event, much like he was sure Madison would, like Bret and Wyatt would - heck, even "El Presidante" Nathan Coleman would probably be dressed in his Sunday best.

"So there y'all go. Maybe you get to be the one who makes an impact this year, huh? Sky's the limit for it."

"Secret's safe with me." Sierra chuckled as she stood back up.

Sierra was quick to join Connor, walking beside him with her hands folded behind her back as they made their down the path. She quietly listened to Connor continue to try and sell the concept of prom to her, at this point she was more or less on board with going but she wasn't going to say anything. She did wonder who the heck would wear a dress made of candy wrappers, though. She wasn't one to question people's fashion sense, but that just seem so... odd. Good for them for recycling she guessed but still, weird.

"Yeah, yeah, sky's the limit." She said, sounding just a little unconvinced as she shrugged her shoulders in response.. "You are hopelessly optimistic, ya know that?" She looked down the path, humming in thought as they walked the path laid out before them. "Not that's a bad thing or anything. I'm just looking forward to after high school, ya know. First thing I'm gonna do is put as much distance between me and this town as possible. Maybe I'll leave the state or somethin', I dunno."

Connor nodded as he listened to Sierra's ruminations on her own future, while simultaneously allowing his mind to wander to the road he looked ahead to. Scholarships, visits from various colleges, recruiters... he could identify her desire to put Chattanooga far behind her, but for a very different reason. Where Sierra was probably ready to reinvent herself in another city, allowing all of her high school baggage to remain here, Connor was ready to continue in the next phase of his evolution, playing for the football team of whatever college he ended up going to, in the hopes of excelling and making the NFL.

Wait. In the hope? No.

He would excel. He would be drafted. He would play.

He was Connor Lorenzen, and he wasn't going to be denied his destiny. Sometimes he needed to remind himself of that.

Inward affirmations aside, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face Sierra. 'Hopelessly optimistic' wasn't a phrase he'd heard himself described as before, but he supposed that his idealism could come off like that. It was a perception that he wasn't going to diminish. "Well come now, Sierra. What's life without having a little bit of hope, hmm? Y'all know that the road ahead is probably going to be a lot more interesting than the one behind us."

The same could not necessarily be said for the monuments they were walking towards. As far as the military memorial went, the stones ahead were relatively similar to the ones behind them, and the heat was starting to take its toll on both of them, judging by the sweat that didn't seem to go away.

"Speaking of the paths ahead - I don't know about y'all, but I think it might be time to call it a day on the sight-seeing. I could go for a frosty or an ice cream - how about we take a beat from this heat and hit up a Circle K while I drive you back?"

The sun kept on pounding down upon the occupants of the Military Park.

"The road ahead is probably going to be a lot more interesting than the one behind us," huh? She supposed there was more than a little truth to that statement. She, for one, felt that the path she needed to take to achieve her dream would be far more interesting than her entire life in this hick town. Not that she predict it to be too difficult, there was a reason she's the captain of the school's archery team. If people don't recognize her skills, then clearly they just don't know talent when they goddamn see it.

Still she knew she wasn't perfect... not yet, anyway.

She supposed the same applied for Conner. He was one of the better athletes at the school and if got looked over then she would be the first to call bullshit. The two of them both put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their respective sports, and there was no doubt in her mind they would exceed where others have failed.

Speaking of sweat, she was rather sweaty right now herself from the sun baring down on them. She wiped the sweat from her brow, a bang of blue hair that was sticking to her forehead being brushed aside. It was certainly very warm out, but it was a nice day out so it wasn't unexpected.

Conner brought up going to Circle K and that idea piqued her interest.

"Circle K?" She said, folding her hands behind her head. Getting something cold to snack on a warm day like today sounded actually kinda nice. "Yeah, sure why not? I could go for a Drumstick, myself."

Of course she had to remember she was trying to save some money, so she tilted her head slightly to the side, smiling at him. "I'm a little hard up on cash right now. Mind being a gentleman and paying for me?"

A gentleman.

Connor brought his head back and laughed out loud, the hearty sound letting a minor echo jump back at them from the stones that towered over the both of them. Yes, that was on-brand for him, wasn't it? Even better - Sierra knew it. He shot a warm look at her, nodding as he chuckled a little.

"Absolutely. Everyone know that the best way to eat a Drumstick is with a pal, and I'm not about to leave y'all out here in the scorching heat." Money was no object for Connor Lorenzen, and he was fairly certain that she knew that too.

While he knew that many of the opportunities afforded to him were because of his parents wealth and status, he never felt all that comfortable lording his wealth over his friends or classmates. With the public status that he enjoyed as the football team's quarterback, many could have accused Connor of flaunting his wealth through any number of ways. His clothes, his parties, his vehicles... all would be fair game for anyone looking to take Connor down a peg, but the fact remained that his wealth wasn't something that he looked at as a status symbol. Perhaps it was learned altruism, or maybe even his hyper-focus upon his image, but the first instinct that he had when someone around him was low on money was to take care of it himself.

Things like buying an extra plate of onion rings, or a drumstick on a hot day? These were things that were nothing in the grand scheme of things to Connor Lorenzen. But to someone else? It was a gesture, a small token that might leave an impact. He knew that as the years fell by, and as he achieved the goals that had been set out for him, people might forget the small gestures, but they would remember how he made them feel.

That, in his eyes, was the mark of a true winner.

As the two approached the truck, Connor glanced back at Sierra once more. He knew full well what the weight of aspiration and accomplishment felt like, and this was a girl who knew it too, but fought for it under a very different set of circumstances. He respected it - she had a tougher road than he did, but didn't put in any less effort. That she was here was evidence enough of that.

"You know what'll be real funny?" He remarked, as he grasped the door of the truck and hopped in, flicking the switch to unlock the passenger side at the same time. "Some day, when the journey is over, and we've managed to pull off whatever crazy dreams we've been livin'?"

He reached over and flicked the ignition switch, waiting for Sierra to enter the vehicle, but continuing as the door opened on the other side.

"These'll be the times we'll look back on and say 'remember that hot day in the military park'? Wasn't that a great day?" The door shut on the other side, and he started to take the car out of the lot and back towards Chattanooga.

"Real funny, ain't it? We look forward to all that's comin' now, and in the future we'll probably look back on now and wish it were here, all over again." He shrugged. No one could tell the future for any of them, and he was sure that the coming years would hold all kinds of trials and tribulations for Connor, Sierra, and the rest of the George Hunter High School student body.

But in the immediate future, in the here and now? At least the two of them would have ice cream.

On that fact, he was certain.

((Connor Lorenzen and his truck are heading off down the road for ice cream, and he will be continued at the party of the year.))

Sierra smiled in satisfaction as she and Connor walked back to his truck, pleased that he was very much willing to pay for her frozen treat. She pegged him down correctly: a real gentleman. Admittedly she didn't get to do the work out that she wanted, but she rationalized that the bike ride to the park was a workout enough on its own. Plus, with a hot day like this she was okay with cheating on her workout routine a little to get a free snack with a friend.

As they approached the car and entered it, Connor talked about how in the future, after the two of them have achieve their dreams, that the two of them will look back on this day fondly. It was something that made her smile - not a cynical or teasing smile, but actually genuine smile as she looked to Connor. He had the sort of optimism that Sierra didn't really have much these days and was just so sincere in what he was saying that one couldn't help but to smile. She just quietly listened, didn't make any sarcastic remark or roll her eyes. She just sat there in her seat and listened to him.

The truck pulled out of the lot, and Connor began their drive back into Chattanooga proper.

"Real funny, ain't it? We look forward to all that's comin' now, and in the future we'll probably look back on now and wish it were here, all over again."

Sierra softly chuckled, leaning back into her seat and looking out her window, thinking on all this in contemplative silence. There was a certain artistry to all this. It was her and a friend, driving down a road away from a park meant to honor the past, discussing the future and how they'll look back on this day.

"If that day ever comes, Connor, then maybe we should do this again."

((Sierra Cook goes with Connor in pursuit of ice cream, and continues in Peace...))