Survival Of The Fittest

The trees were a blur as he flew past them.

To the right - to the left, he followed the path. It turned at this juncture, and then there would be the inevitable drop. The hardest part.

He always lost time on the drop.

The boy slowed up as the drop approached; if he timed it properly, he could descend while in mid-stride. He maintained... one step, two. The edge approached, and he went for it.

Nailed it. Game, set, match. Hillside trail? Connor Lorenzen is your master, now.

((Connor Lorenzen continued from Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown))

Landing the five-foot drop while still maintaining stride, Connor continued his run through the gorgeously maintained Heritage Military park, the sun breaking through the tops of the trees and only barely brushing the ground below. The air was cool, and the forest was green and full of life. As he continued on through the path, he upped his pace. Having skipped the stairs for the more direct route through the path, he was shaving several crucial seconds off his time, which was tremendous, because-

"Ten miles."

The female computerized voice reminded him of his progress within his headphones, and as he continued on down the pathway, he couldn't help but smile to himself. This would almost certainly be his best run yet. With barely a quarter of a mile left to go, he felt as though this particular day was leaving him faster, stronger, and more importantly, down one more athletic goal. As of late, he'd been knocking them off at a quicker pace than he expected, and as his decision day approached, he knew that more and more colleges would start leaning on him for a commitment. If they knew how tremendous his progress with his cardio had been lately, they'd probably give even more pressure.

But that was fine. He thrived under pressure, and the more someone wanted him, the more scholarship offers he might receive. Things were damn good in the world of Connor Lorenzen right now.

The path came to a sudden end, looking out towards a parking lot with one of the visitor centre/tourist shops in it. Connor had parked his car here when he'd arrived, his truck one of only four cars in the lot, easily dwarfing the other vehicles in sheer size. Continuing to jog until he reached the truck, he came to a stop beside it, and reached over to his left arm, pulling the arm-band to face him. The arm-band phone case had proven to be a masterful purchase, as Connor hated holding his phone to listen to music while he ran, and this particular one had a slot for car keys, credit cards, or whatever you needed in the back of it. Hitting the button to signal the end of his run, he glanced at his time and smiled. He'd been correct, this was easily his best time, and it looked as though it were time to start tackling the next hurdle: upping his mileage.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he unlatched the bed of the truck and reached in to where he'd tossed his gym bag, grabbing his water-bottle from within the open bag and uncorking the lid immediately. The sides of the bottle were damp with condensation, matching Connor's dampness from the sweat of his run.

It was a beautiful day.

As the cool liquid hit his lips and he felt it make its way down his throat, he shut his eyes and let the sun beat down on his face. Running outside was twenty-thousand times better than doing it inside of a gym, and any day he got to train outside was great by him. Taking another sip of the water bottle, he glanced at his Fitbit watch. Just before 1pm - that was great. He still had a whole lot of Saturday to go, and nowhere to be for at least another few hours. Maybe he'd drive over and check out one of the civil war monuments.

Connor always had a moment for history. You had to respect those who came before you. That way, when you made history yourself, others would follow in your footsteps. It was all a cycle, and Connor knew it better than anyone: some day, he would make history.

((Sierra Cook continued from Sketchy Behavior...))

She was approaching fast, nearing the park as she peddled her bicycle down the bike lane on the side of the road leading to the park.

The wind whipped at her hair that was still exposed despite the helmet she wore, flowing behind her as she sped by.

It was a beautiful day out today and in a spur of the moment decision Sierra decided that she wanted to go the park. She has no other real plans for the day and to her knowledge her friends all had things to do, so spending a few hours on a Saturday just chilling in the park was as good a plan as any. The park was a good distance from her house, so opting to ride her bike to the park was giving her quite the work out as she peddled her way across town.

She pulled into the parking lot, slowing down her speed as she approached the parked vehicles. She weaved between the parked cars and went onto the sidewalk before coming to a complete stop. She dismounted from her bike, panting heavily, and moved it over to the bike rake and locking it up. Once the bike was secured she removed her helmet and letting her hair down.

Looking at her phone she saw that it was a little before one so she had plenty of time to kill before going back home. She figured she'd walk around the park, maybe check out some of the monuments, find a good spot to sit and get a little bit of drawing in while she is at it. If time were to permit it perhaps a nice hike would also be the order oft he day. Sounded like a good waste of an afternoon just being outside, enjoying the fresh air.

She pulled of her helmet and hung it on the handle bar of her bike, the sweat on her brow now exposed and glistening in the sun. She dropped her backpack to the ground then took off her jacket next then tied it around her waist, allowing the tank top beneath to be shown and the bare skin of her arms to be exposed to the cool air. Her arms stretched up into air, her face scrunching up as her back muscles tightened and a few bones popping during her stretch.

"Alright..." She muttered as she turned her head to the sides to pop it. "Now where to first?"

As Connor took another long gulp, letting the cool liquid splash against the inside of his mouth like a refreshing nectar, he opened his eyes to survey his station. As he stood beside his truck, not leaning so as to avoid burning himself on the shiny, heated black exterior, he exhaled with a sigh. His heart rate was starting to return to normal, and he allowed himself a moment to enjoy the euphoric rush of the runner's high as the endorphins coursed through his body. As he raised his arm to take another drink from his water bottle, a cyclist passed by on the other side of the truck, two car lengths from where he was standing. Squinting in the sunlight, he adjusted the headband around his forehead to keep a stray lock of hair from getting in his eyes.

The cyclist looked familiar, didn't she?

Eyes adjusting to the sun, they widened in recognition as he picked out her features, watching as she locked her bicycle up on the rack beside the visitor centre doors. She hadn't given Connor much of a second look as she'd sped by, but that wasn't much of a surprise to him. Much like himself, this girl was a frequent gym-goer, and they'd crossed paths many a time. In fact, the girl who'd just cycled into his world was one of the only other truly high-calibre athletes in the school, a fact that they'd had a few casual workout chats about. Dropping the hand carrying his water bottle from his face, he instead put up his other hand in a wave.

"Hey, Sierra!" His expression was barely a smile, but it was friendly enough, all he could muster after such an intense run. "Great minds think alike, huh? Hell of a day for a stroll, isn't it?"

A stroll, or a run, or a cycle: Connor believed that a day like this one shouldn't be wasted inside, not on his life.

Sierra heard her name get called and looked over her shoulder towards the direction of the voice. She saw a familiar face standing next to a truck she had just rode by, waving at her. It took her a moment to fully recognize the speaker but soon realized it was Conner to her surprise. For a moment she wondered just where he came from but then noticed that the truck he was standing next to was his. She realized that she must have past by it on her bike on the side he wasn't on and never noticed him as a result. Seems he was also out here enjoying the good weather they were having today.

Not that she was surprised. Who wouldn't want to take a visit to the park on a day like this?

"Hey, Conner." Sierra greeted, politely nodding to him. She picked up her backpack and headed over to Conner. "Yeah, figured I'd come out here and chill for a while."

She knew Conner somewhat from the times they've crossed paths but they weren't exactly close enough to consider him a friend. He was a friendly enough guy she supposed, much more so than his raging jackass of a teammate Wyatt Carter. They were on good enough terms that she was more than willing to engage with him in conversation whenever they crossed; which was often since they are both frequent gym-goers and athletes. Since they were both here she may as well talk with him for a time until they go their separate ways.

"So what's up with you?" She asked, tucking her hair behind her right ear as she slung her backpack over he left shoulder. "Out for a run today or something? I was thinking of doing the same thing but the bike ride over here was enough of a work out for me."

She chuckled a little, her posture relaxing as she spoke and folded her arms.

Connor nodded, looking at the bicycle in approval. The trails were great for running and biking, and this particular area was a hotspot for those who were masters of the outdoor arts. An athlete like Sierra undoubtedly knew this part of the city quite well. He momentarily wondered if he'd ever crossed paths with her on the trails - his mind tended to wander as he ran, and his focus usually prevented him from engaging while he was training. Before he answered, he took a long swig from his water bottle.

"You bet! I just got through with a ten mile run." He wiped some more of the sweat from his brow. "Tryin' to set a few personal bests before I commit anywhere, and where better than a good ol' fashioned trail run?"

Connor took another drink from the bottle, and sighed a little as the cool liquid coursed through his body. He felt the hydration slowly making its way back into him, and relished in the slight feeling of soreness that he had post-run. This was a feeling that he lived for, that he craved. Madison always gave him shit about the fact that he'd put his workouts before their plans, before school work, before a lot of things, and he'd always tried to explain it to her as best he could, but...

Sometimes a guy just needed to go for a run.

"It really is a beautiful day."

Connor looked around the parking lot as he spoke. Trees formed a natural barrier to the east, marked by a slight pocket in them where the trail dipped in and around, out of sight. The visitor centre stood to the north of him, and the road in went due south, hooking off to the west after a few kilometers. A long field lay to the west, with a few signs pointing over towards the military monuments and historical area of the park. Connor gestured westward with his head.

"Y'all know the monuments over there? Sometimes I like to go for a little jog, check 'em out on my way out. I reckon it gives you some perspective. Plus, who wants to spend a day like this inside?" He studied Sierra for a moment. For someone who was ordinarily not one to call attention to her body, she did pretty well for herself. It was perhaps unsurprising for someone as athletically inclined as she, but when clad in only a tank-top as she was... it was almost jarring.

Hadn't Wyatt...?

He dismissed the thought from his mind as quickly as he moved his eyes back to her bicycle. What the rest of his classmates did in the comforts of their own bedrooms was none of his business, even though some of his friends decided to broadcast it loud and clear. He was always up for a good story between the boys - that was virtually 'Locker Room 101', but he wasn't the type to kiss and tell. It just wasn't his style.

"You know, if y'all wanted to come with, I've got lots of room in the back of the truck. Could throw the bike in and go check it out." He shrugged and smiled his practiced smile. Nothing wrong with a little company on a beautiful day.

Sierra nodded in understanding as she listened to Conner. She could understand wanting to get some historical perspective by checking out some monuments, especially if you come here to this specific park. She remembered when she was young and her mother would take her to the park to check out the monuments, telling her the history as to why these monuments were important. Perks of having a history teacher for a mother she guessed. Personally she never quite cared for her mom's history lessons as a kid (and sure as shit didn't care now), but she felt that someone like Conner would be more appreciative.

Speaking of being appreciative, she noticed that Conner was eyeing her up. She grimaced slightly but said nothing. She wasn't the type to get offended when others checked her out and call them out on it whenever she caught them. Unless it was someone she absolutely hated, then she'll get as indignant about it as much as she liked.

She heard his offer and mulled it over in her head. While she did initially came here to enjoy some peace and quiet at the park on this beautiful day, she didn't really mind having company. Besides, it wasn't like she disliked Conner or anything. The guy was nice so it wasn't like he was going to ruin the afternoon for her or anything.

"Sure. I'll tag along, I guess." she said with a shrugged. "I was thinking of checking them out while I was here anyway."

She turned around and walked back to the bike rack, unchaining it and rolling it over to Conner and his truck. She took her helmet off the handle bar and threw it into the back of the truck, her backpack soon following. She then looked to Conner and gestured to her bike.

"Mind giving me a hand putting this back there?"

"But of course."

Connor took one last swing from his water bottle. The liquid was still cool but he'd restored enough hydration that he no longer felt parched from his run. What he was starting to feel was that pleasurable ache in his calves from a workout that had done exactly what he'd wanted it to. If that had been the work, then this little trip down history lane would end up being the reward. Besides, Sierra was good enough company for a little jaunt like this.

Unlocking the back latch to the bed of the truck, he set the tailgate down gently, and took a quick inventory of the back of his truck. The Ford F-150 was perhaps not the flashiest of vehicles, but true to his means, Connor had decked the vehicle out with every addition under the sun. The black vehicle was a behemoth with a great deal of space for carrying football gear, furniture, or on more irresponsible nights - members of the football team. Right now, it barely held much of anything, save his running gear and now Sierra's helmet that she'd tossed in the truck bed.

"I like to take a walk around the grounds as a bit of a cool-down sometimes. Was gonna jog over today, but I overdid it a little bit."

Taking hold of the bicycle, Connor lifted it off the ground with ease. His tall frame made it rather easy for him to place things into the back of his truck, and the bicycle wasn't exceptionally heavy, either. Using the requisite care so as not to damage someone else's valuable property, Connor slid the bike into the bed, crossing around to the side of the truck to slide it all the way to the back, near the cab. Content with his work, he walked back around to the tailgate, and slammed it shut, the mechanism locking with a loud click.

"How is the archery practice goin', anyhow? Y'all been in any more competitions over the last few weeks?" As he inquired, he removed his armband phone case and unzipped the back of it, fishing his truck starter/key out of it. Holding the small device in his fingers, he made his way over to the driver's side of the truck, gesturing to Sierra towards the passenger side. As he did, he unlocked the vehicle with the small device in his hand, and pulled open the driver's side door, stepping up to the cab and sliding in with ease.

As an athlete of some renown, Connor made it a point to keep up with the other high-end athletes at the school, and Sierra's exploits with a bow were enough that he made a point to keep tabs. While he knew the reputation she'd gathered socially, he let a lot of that fall by the wayside. As he'd thought before - whatever mistakes or decisions someone made behind closed doors didn't really matter to him. If someone had natural gifts or talents, it made no difference to him.

If you were a part of the team, that was fine for Connor Lorenzen. Sierra may not have been a part of his team, but he saw her talent, and admired it, so in his books? She could do whatever - or whomever she wanted. Even, he thought with some amusement, his good buddy Wyatt.

Were the rumours true, he figured she probably wasn't proud of that one. He wouldn't ask... though perhaps he'd give Wyatt a ring later and get the real story, straight from the horse's mouth. Smiling to himself, he waited for Sierra to join him in the truck, pushing the starter button and bringing the vehicle to life.

Sierra stood back as she allowed Conner to lift her bike up, not wanting to get in his way as he carefully inserted her bicycle onto the truck bed. Once the bike was placed into the back of the truck, Conner brought up her archery before entering his vehicle.

"Not really." She said, shrugging her shoulders as she opened up the front passenger door, hopping into her seat and shutting the door once she had her seat belt on before continuing to explaination. "I've been checking to see if there are any new upcoming tournaments every so often but there aren't many going on this time of year. Hopefully by the time summer rolls around there will be more popping up around the state."

"Plus, I've been trying to earn some money lately, so that in of itself takes priority over going to a few competitions."

In true she hadn't been to a competition in a while. The last one she went to was around summer time last year in Nashville. It wasn't exactly a major tournament- it was a rather small event all things consider- but she had put quite a dent in her wallet just to go to it. Still she did really well all things considered, getting first place and getting a pretty neat medal out of it. She figured she would need to start focusing up on her finances, she was closing in on the end of her high school years and she needed the funds to live on her own.

Or at least she was trying to. Shelling out a few hundred dollars on a tramp stamp of a Chinese dragon the weekend after her birthday probably wasn't the wisest financial move. But that tattoo turned out goddamn amazing, so who cares?

"But don't think that means I haven't been keeping my skills sharp." She said, smiling cockily. "I've been practicing pretty much every day I've worked out on. So next time I enter a contest I'm in it to win it."

As the door slammed shut and he heard the telltale click of the seat belt snapping into place, Connor reached down and unlatched the parking brake, shifting his truck into gear and slowly making his way out of the parking lot. Nodding and throwing a knowing grin over to Sierra, he kept his eyes on the road, ensuring that the large truck was over enough on the smaller park roads so as not to run anyone else off the road.

"I'd expect nothing less. Practice is key, but y'all know that as well as anyone."

He took the sharp turn out of area with ease, and continued on down the small back-road that ran through the park. It was a bright and sunny day, and so people were out and about all over the place. As they passed by a field filled with children chasing a ball, an obvious family-gathering, complete with picnic-and-all, there was a part of Connor that felt a momentary profound sadness. He'd never grown up wanting much of anything, but all of his family events had been just that - events. It was a function to attend, an event to make an appearance at... even the times that he could remember being outside at a barbecue or a picnic, it had really been some sort of event put on by a city, or a fundraiser.

Connor couldn't remember ever just being out in a field, on a nice day, having sandwiches with his parents, playing with a friendly dog, or hucking a football around with some friends. That wasn't his life. It never had been - and never would be.

He brushed the thoughts away. It was nice to think about a simpler life, but there were more important things that took priority. He didn't hate the regimented, well-thought-through path that his parents had steered him on; it was exactly the opposite. He had a great life, and his path was such that he knew that he was destined for great things. It was just so exhausting sometimes. Greatness didn't come easy though, that was just how it had to be.

Glancing back over at Sierra, he resumed his practiced look of confidence. The monuments were only a five minute drive away, but to walk it would have been a lot longer. His father's Corvette was a wonderful piece of machinery to drive around, and something about it seemed to make Madison weak in the knees, but cruising around in his truck was perhaps Connor's favourite indulgence. With the windows down, music blaring, hair flying about the cabin in the wind, belting out the newest Luke Bryan tune? That was worth every second.

"I'm sure you'll probably find yourself a lot busier once the weather picks up a little. I reckon it'd be nicer if the rain would stay away for more than a couple days." He carefully made another turn, this one a left.

"Earnin' a couple of bucks, huh? What are y'all savin' up for? College fund," he paused, and grinned, "or somethin' a little more fun?"

Sierra gave Conner a sideways glance as she relaxed in her seat as he drove through the parking lot. Certainly full of questions today, isn't he? Not that she minded of course. If she didn't want him to keep asking questions she wouldn't have agreed to join him. She noted that he had this rather confident look about him, but that doesn't surprise her given that Conner is one of the top athletes at school. If there was anyone whose confidence was well earned it was him.

"Something fun?" She repeated, tilting her head somewhat. "Not particularly. As boring as it sounds I'm just sorta savin' money just to support myself after graduation, ya know? Probably won't go on any expensive vacation until well into the future when things are more stable income-wise."

She turned to look out her window, watching the scenery go. She saw various families walking along the tree lined paths, all out enjoying a nice day out at the park. In the distance she could spot other families simply relaxing in the grass, or sitting down at a bench to have a meal. How long had it been since she came to the park with her family she wondered? Feels like ages ago. She'd be willing to spend time with her parents if they weren't so caught up in their ways. Thinking about it made her bristle, staring darkly out into the distance.

She shook her head, trying to cast the thoughts away. She was out here to relax, not to angst about her shitty parents. Given that she had been on the receiving end of a lot of question she figured it would probably be good to ask her own. In all honesty she didn't know all that much about Conner outside of what was public knowledge, maybe just a little bit more if when they had talked previously when they ran into each other like today. He was a nice enough guy and she didn't see any harm in trying to get to know him better.

"So what about you?" She asked. "Got anything going on? Job stuff or whatever?"

"Mmm, right on." Connor nodded as the truck made its way down the back road that ran through the middle of the park. The windows were up, so the sounds of play and joyous expression from the outside were kept firmly on the exterior of the vehicle, the only sounds being the conversation and the barely audible radio that Connor had turned down earlier.

As Sierra posed her own question, Connor contemplated it silently for a moment as he made a left turn onto a more primary road, feeling the gravel beneath the truck leave off for pavement, making the drive a little smoother. Not that he would have minded driving on the gravel - he could take this baby anywhere and it would perform.

Sort of like how he viewed himself.

"Jobs... no, not really. Honestly the team takes up an awful lot of my time. Y'all know how it is, right? This is recruitin' season, so I've been trying to take meetings, talk to scouts, and figure out what school to commit to..." He trailed off. "... I reckon that a vacation would be lovely, but one of those isn't really in the cards. Not right now, anyhow."

On the paved road, Connor could keep the truck more in the centre of the lane, and as such he ramped his speed up a few miles per hour. Just to get that good driving feel. He could see the monument in the distance now. Having lowered his guard with the vacation comment, he didn't mind continuing the train of thought. Sierra was a nice enough girl.

"Since it looks like the football thing might actually be an option for me after all, I'm tryin' to take it seriously, y'know? A scholarship would be a real nice thing to have - would really help things out."

Connor's tone had softened, but there was a degree of insincerity beneath the surface. The football team's star quarterback had been talked up as a legitimate college prospect all year, and so that colleges were showing him a great deal of attention was not a surprise. It had in fact been a carefully crafted strategy by Connor and his parents to try and maximize the interest and obtain information about potential weaknesses in his game. Plus, while a scholarship was a wonderful thing for any student - the Lorenzen family was not hurting for money; far from it.

But while the sincere tone he took was practiced, it was not altogether false. When relating to fellow students, he knew that everyone had hopes and fears of their very own. Sometimes he had to look past his privilege and try not to see himself as someone at the top of the mountain, but as someone making his way there. Even if he happened to be armed with the latest in mountain-climbing apparel. Nobody liked a braggart, and if there was something that Connor Lorenzen was very good at, it was being liked. At the very least, Sierra could probably identify with the pressures of being a top-tier athlete.

"I think prom is really going to be my vacation for the next little while. That, and whatever wild parties get happenin' in the next few months. Sometimes it's nice to just put all that 'real-life' stuff behind and just hang out with all the gang, y'know?"

The monument approached, and Connor slowed his speed as he pulled towards the parking lot. It was relatively full, but there were still a smattering of empty spaces. He pulled the truck around, and found one near to the back that wasn't occupied and had a bit of a buffer. Maneuvering a large vehicle through a crowded parking lot was not easy, and while he was a practiced driver, it still made him slightly anxious. Still, he easily guided the truck into the middle spot, managing to get right between the lines. Flashing Sierra a smile, he pushed the ignition switch, turning the truck off.

"There we go. Got us here in one piece!"

Sierra nodded in quiet contemplation as she listened to Conner's response, her vision still focused on the scrolling scenery and enjoying the smooth ride through the parking lot. She could definitely understand wanting to focus on one's athletic career, she had similar aspirations of becoming an Olympian one day. While she wasn't exactly a huge fan of the sport, she knew Conner worked hard for his team so she definitely felt that if anyone deserved to get scouted out for a scholarship it was him. More so than those twin cunts the Wyatt brothers. How Conner managed to get along with them she had no idea. If they were on the Archery team she wouldn't know how long she could go with them around her before they drove her into a homicidal rage.

"Speaking of prom, are you still seeing... uh, what's her name..."  Sierra snapped her fingers a few times as she tried to run the list of names through her head. "Madison!" She exclaimed as the name came to her, snapping her fingers one last time and raising her index finger. "Madison... You're still with her right? I guess you are pretty much obligated to take her to prom, yeah?"

Madison was one of those people she knew about but couldn't say she actually knew them personally. All she knew was that she was a cheerleader and kind of a bitch. So basically every cheerleader in the school. Or at least she assumed. The only cheerleader she could really say she knew was Ivy Langley and she was, like, the Alpha Bitch of the school. So between her and Madison it was probably a fair assessment that all the cheerleaders possess some level of bitchness.

She didn't have to linger on that particular train of thought for long as they soon reached their destination, with Conner pulling into an empty parking stop and coming to a complete stop.

"Good job." She said as she unbuckled her seat belt. "If the whole football thing doesn't work out you should consider being an Uber driver."

Sierra chuckled a bit at her teasing of Conner, then opened the door on her side of the character and stepping out of the vehicle. Shutting the door behind her Sierra lifted her hands high into the air as she performed the wake up stretch, a few bones in her arms and shoulders letting out satisfying pops. She inhaled deeply, taking that crisp spring air into her lungs then dropped her arms to her side and exhaling a satisfied sigh.

"This really is a good day to be out and about, ya know?"

Connor climbed out of the truck, and hopped down to the ground below. Sierra certainly had that right - the sun continued to beat down on them and a slight breeze had picked up at this side of the park; this an idyllic summer day in the minds of most. Taking care to grab the keys from the console as he climbed out, he waited for Sierra to open her door before he clicked the lock button. The car's doors would automatically lock once she'd left the vehicle. Crossing around the front of the truck, he laughed at her crack about him being an Uber driver. While he didn't let the remark phase him, his mind found the concept hysterical. As if football wasn't going to work out - that was ludicrous. In the small realm of possibility in which he didn't manage to play at least high-level college football, he would almost certainly slide in to a position within his father's company.

Driving an Uber was probably near the bottom of places one would find Connor Lorenzen within the next few years. Stretching his arms as he came around to the passenger side of the car to join Sierra, he nodded in acknowledgement of her earlier question as he gestured towards the monuments and started walking.

"Oh yeah, Madison and I are still goin' strong," he smiled, kicking a pebble down the walk and away from his foot, "and you're absolutely right. Prom should be one for the ages. Ain't a place to hide big enough for me if I managed to screw that one up. She'd have my head."

They would arrive in a large limousine, probably with several of the other guys on the football team and their respective dates. Probably mostly made up of people that Sierra didn't know, or didn't like. Of course, since she wasn't on the invitation list, that information didn't need to be shared. Instead, he glanced back at her and tilted his head.

"What about y'all? Anyone special you're taking, or hoping takes you?" Connor wasn't all that sure about Sierra's relationship status, or preference. His school took a lot more of a liberal bend than he surmised a lot of the surrounding area was comfortable with, but he'd never found himself having a qualm with the LGBTQ community in any fashion. Sure, it was something that he wasn't all that familiar with, but he knew that he had a few gay teammates on the football team, and it was always best practice to keep an open mind. It was, after all, 2018, and if Connor was going to fulfill his potential, he would need to learn how to bond with people of any race, credo, or orientation.

So he left the question open-ended. Even if he had heard Wyatt boasting about 'taking her down'. One could never be too sure what to believe (particularly in regard to Wyatt and his conquests), and he'd heard rumours to the contrary as well.

"You'll never catch me complainin' about a chance to get outside."

Sierra followed alongside Conner as he  lead the way towards the monuments. So he was still together with that Madison girl, which was fine she guessed. Who others dated was none of her concern, but she wondered what Conner saw in her. Maybe she was nicer in private than in public, or maybe it was because Madison was hot. Sierra couldn't blame Conner if his reasons for being with her was the latter since she'd admit that Madison was pretty hot. But speaking of relationships, it was his turn to ask her about her plans for prom.

"Eh, not really." she shrugged. "Or at least, I don't have anyone in mind right now given that I am single currently. I might go anyway and just chill with friends who are also there to be wallflowers or whatever."

She flipped her hair back behind shoulder as they approached the monuments. "Of course, it isn't like I've been putting myself out there looking for someone lately." She paused for a moment then added, with a cynical chuckle, "But maybe it is just no one is interesting in a girl still fighting with her parents."

With that little bit of self-deprecation out of the way Sierra focused her attention on the monuments as they finally reached them. Sierra held her hands together behind her back as she stood and stared at them, taking in the details. She remembered how her mother would take her to the park and educate her on the history behind the monuments. She couldn't really remember details off the top off her head, but she was sure that someone like Conner would be interested.

"So you said these give ya perspective?" She asked, tilting her head to the side and giving Conner a side glance.

As they slowed to a more casual pace and approached the set of monuments that stood solemnly within the Heritage Military Park, Connor Lorenzen nodded, but took more than a moment to answer.

Perspective, indeed.

Connor would often select this park, among the many, to do his outdoor workouts in. While he had the freedom of being able to drive outside of the city for a workout were he so inclined, the runs here had the benefit of allowing him to take in the sights and reflect as he cooled down. So much of his life was regimented, and strictly calculated. Every piece of food he ate, every weekend outing, every workout was all done to ensure that he could finely tune his body and mind. So to come here; to walk through the statues and the reminders of what real sacrifice was? This gave Connor a heavy reminder that what he was doing wasn't truly a sacrifice, at all.

He wasn't going to war. He wasn't going to risk life and limb to protect his country, or his fellow Americans. No, instead, he was simply going to play professional football.

Play.

That word was all the difference.

Sure, Connor knew that he'd do anything for his teammates, and the concept of team unity was one that as captain of the football team, was a key tenant in a lot of his ideology, but being all for the team was a far cry from dying for one's country. Too many people tried to equate the notion of being a hero in a sporting event with that of what the Military, the Navy, or other members of the Armed Forces did.

But he knew better. His parents had taught him well about what true sacrifice was.

To Sierra, instead he just smiled, and gestured at the closest statue with his hand.

"Perspective, sure. Y'all know the things we get to enjoy, living in the 21st century. We have the freedom to choose so much, we have the ability to decide where to go. Back fifty or sixty-some years, that wasn't the case. You'd be limited based on your skin colour, or by how much money you have in your pockets."

He looked around, eyes resting at the next statue.

"But that didn't stop people of all kinds from risin' up and coming to the aid of the country. Didn't matter much if you were black, or white. Straight, gay, whatever. They all knew their country was in danger, and they came together to protect it." He wiped some sweat from his brow. "Y'all know how everyone throws around the word 'hero' today so often. 'Oh, that quarterback, he was the hero of the game', or 'look at that actor, he's my hero'... I think that's all bullshit."

Connor stepped towards the statue and wiped some dust - likely some pollen, off the plaque of the statue.

"These folks? They're the ones we should reserve that word for. True heroes put their lives up for other people, an' that's what we need to remember. I like to come here whenever I get too big for my britches, you understand?"

He stopped, and turned to face Sierra once more.

"Like I said. Perspective."

His serious expression was broken by a small chuckle, as he realized how serious he'd gotten talking about the statues and what they meant to him, so he moved back to a lighter topic.

"As far as prom, y'all should definitely make an effort to come. Going solo ain't so bad, I'm sure half the class is probably doing it. Just means y'all get to dance with whomever y'all want." He grinned, and winked at Sierra. "It's the last hurrah, so no one's gonna care if you just slapped your momma in the face and stole her car. One last big ol' party. I can't wait."