Kiss of A Titan
Chapter 30

"So, that's what she told me", I replied apprehensively and folded my hands expecting a positive response from the coach whom I had earlier wanted to deliver the news to in person at his office in the morning.

Two hours after I got to school in the school bus but he was nowhere to be found in the entire school even when I searched everywhere for him and it was not until lunchtime that I found out from my two close friends and their schoolmates that the coach intently took the male athletes to the school stadium to practice sprint on the race tracks around the school field leaving out the females to practice with the rest of the apparatus that helped strengthen their skills to perform vaults indoors including the swimming and it became apparent when I went to the school stadium, accompanied by Chloe and Amanda who wanted to see for themselves how the boys were training, that I realized that the females in the athletic team were only allowed and trained to perform gymnastic vaults with the different sizes of the horizontal bars and the rings that I had seen in the gymnasium for the annual summer games.

But what the few girls had in common with the likes of Richard and his titans was that they had the same coach and were only permitted to take part in the swimming which was the only situation the girls were treated equally with the boys. Richard and the other athletes were already sprinting towards the far end of the relay track at the sound of the coach's whistling by the time we had reached the center arena after climbing down the lengthy stairs that separated a whole section of the empty seats reserved for the audience that was completely absent at this time of day since the season for the summer games haven't arrived yet.

"Sounds like she's indecisive but that'll be enough for you to train in the gymnasium...", He replied earnestly and raised his notepad to write on it with a pencil which he brought out of the left pocket of his shorts. I watched him as he wrote something I couldn't see on the notepad.

"I seemed to have forgotten your name", He said, still peering at the notepad. I looked around and saw the athletes returning back to whence they had started running to the end of the race track designated by the coach. "Rosalie Thomason", I retorted, still looking past him at the boys closing in on the finish line.

"Got it, welcome to the team and for now, you can start with the rest of the girls as soon as your gears are provided for", "Alright...", "Any questions before I go back to training the boys?", He inquired and raised his head to look at me. "I have none but there's something important I need to know first", "I'm all ears", He replied and folded his hands across his chest in anticipation of what I had to tell him, with his notepad in one hand.

"I thought the girls on the team should be sprinting with the boys right now but they aren't here...", "Your observation is absolutely correct. They aren't here just as you have said, so your point is?", "Aren't they supposed to be here with the male athletes instead of being sidelined out of the picture?", I asked not to be afraid of his funny smile and he chuckled before rubbing his lips in deep thought. Now it was my turn to fold my hands after seeing that he already knew I had noticed something peculiar about the training Richard and the others were currently undergoing but had stopped their routine to see what was going on between the coach and me.

"You got me there", He said, still rubbing his chin.

"And?", "Here in Houston High, the girls in the team are only allowed to perform vaults in the summer games as gymnasts and that excludes sprinting and other sports events for the Olympics which includes hurdles and pole vault", "You mean to say there's no running or hurdles for the ladies", "Except for swimming, yes, I say you catch on pretty quickly for a first year student and I believe you'll do greatly with the other gymnasts and that's if you aren't disappointed with your findings", I became silent for a moment at his response which almost made him think I was going to back out of my decision to join the team.

"Not at all, coach...", "Coach Robbins", "I'm just surprised that things are way different here than my former school", "Of course it is different. Don't sweat it by thinking much about it and come to practice at the gymnasium tomorrow. You never know you might be lucky to win a gold medal this year", He cheekily said and walked away when he saw that the runners had stopped their practice to wait for further instructions from him. They had seen me talking with the coach and had stood panting for breath beside the finish line on the race track awaiting his return.

I stole an angry glance at Richard standing in the midst of Clyde and the other sprinters with his hands akimbo as I walked back to meet Chloe and Amanda who had been waiting for me to finish the conversation with the coach the entire time I was discussing with him. Richard saw me walking back to meet my friends and I sensed that he was curious to know why I had come to meet the coach the second time.

I glanced back at him when he wasn't looking and saw that he was talking to the coach but I didn't wait behind soon enough to find out what they were saying and head back to class with my two friends as soon as I got to where they stood. The other athletes soon came to listen to what the coach had to say to Richard after I had left and all stood beside Richard to hear if the session for the training would be called off.

"Now, listen up, everyone, training this summer will get more intense and I need your commitment more than ever", "And why is that coach?", The question came from someone familiar standing behind Richard.

"Tyler, it's not yet time for asking question but to cut everything short...the summer games is fast approaching and I got official information that we are hosting the pre-season games before the main Olympics which will be held in Denver", "Now that's pretty messed up", Linder commented from behind and looked at his teammates who were also dumbfounded as he was.

"Yeah, it is and you guys gotta work real hard to keep the principal and the school happy, you understand that?", "We got your back, coach", "Very well then.... Now you guys gotta run one last lap and we'll call it a day", The coach ordered and watched his team quickly disassembled to position themselves on the race track but he prevented Richard from joining the rest of his teammates who had gone before him.

"Richard, can I have a word?", The coach said and Richard stopped in his tracks abruptly.

"Yes coach...What do you wanna tell me?", "As you already know, it's gonna be tough for our team to compete this year and Nationals is also around the corner", "Nationals? That means", "Yes and the principal gave me the chance to pick from the team and it's gonna be two slots for anyone who perform well at the summer games", "And who's on the list?" Richard questioned doubtfully.

"Huh...I have no one in mind yet and I am yet to tell team about this but I personally hope you'll meet up to expectations in the forthcoming games because I am planning on giving you the opportunity to compete alongside someone else from our school", Coach Robbins said expecting a smile to appear in Richard's face but was disappointed when Richard's countenance turned pale, way different from what he was expecting.

"What's the matter, Richard? Don't you want to go to Nationals?", "I do, it's just that I have a lot on my mind these past few days but don't worry...I'll give a thought about it and tell you my decision the soonest I can", "Fair enough and one more thing....". "Yes, coach", Richard replied scratching the back of his head nervously with the hope that he won't have to hear more surprising news than the one he already received from Coach Robbins.

He knew deep down within him that he was skeptical if it would be a good thing to accept the coach's offer. Engaging in athleticism had kept him a bit distant from his family, particularly his mom whom he didn't want to neglect at this critical time of her life bedridden by a fatal sickness that had confined his mother in the hospital for months now.

"Like you saw today, we got a rookie female intake without real experience and I want to focus on the main team for the season more than ever because of the games without having to be distracted with training a newbie to become an athlete...", "What are you implying, coach?", "For a fresh start, she needs to start swimming for the time being and I really need help getting her some skills right now", "You want me to help her train?", "Exactly and I promise that it's only gonna be for the season", "But the other girls on the team can help her do that", "I know that but we are lacking a good number of female swimmers on this team and I want to make a good impression during the summer games...", "I still can't see why I should help her", "Winning a silver medal won't be all that bad for a rookie and I know you are the best swimmer we have on our team. I just want to get her ready for the games as well in case we need more females to partake this year", the coach said cunningly and patted Richard on the back. From the look of things, Richard wasn't sure if getting involved with the likes of someone he knew would make things complicated for him was a good decision. He hadn't thought much about how surprised he and his teammates was to have seen me the first time I met the coach at the gymnasium even though it was apparent that he had won the bet we made at the library but accepting to be the one to teach me swimming skills was most likely too much for him to handle.

He felt reluctant about accepting the whole offer despite the inclination and logical persuasive words of the coach and felt as though every chance of him to get away from me were slipping right out of his fingers. He felt stuck with no other option but to comply with the directives of the coach and the weird smile on coach Robbins's face wasn't helping matters for him.

"So, what do you say? You gotta help me or not?" Coach Robbins said after a much prolonged silence. Richard was still undecided and was lost in deep thought but he had to give the coach a suitable answer that may likely save him the trouble of getting on Robbins' bad side.

"Um....sure, if that's what best for the team...I'll do it", he stuttered unsure of the words he uttered out of sheer inclination. Robbins slapped him on the back with his notepad as well as the side of his left biceps.

"Thanks. I owe you one but get this straight, you are doing this for the team not to have some fun with some new girl who barely know anything about swimming and I believe you know what I mean", "Yes, I do", Richard replied and the coach slapped his shoulder once again before leaving him to see how the other boys were getting along.