Hope and Believe

It was a normal day at Apple Wood High, the football team was practicing, the cheerleaders were cheering, the mean girls were gossiping and Josh was talking away like he always did.

“Derek, are you listening to me,” he says. I nod, all I can think of is the long jump team. No one knows that I want to be an olympic long jumper, My parents want me to be some world’s best doctor. They put me in a junior doctors camp until I was in the seventh grade. I secretly wanted to be a long jumper since I was a little boy. I knew if I became a long jumper my parents would be disappointed.

 Josh was still talking about his own problems but I had a big problem coming, this year was the year we had to pick our career choice. Josh wants to be a dancer and has set everything to be one but now I am in trouble. We have to figure out where we are headed in less than six months. Im am a very good long jumper, I learned from school, my parents never put me in any sports so this was my only option. My friend Delilah is a long jumper, and is on the jr.long jumping team, and after school I stay and practice with her and her team . It is not like I am on the team or anything it is just so I can see if this is what I want to do.  

 The problem here is that I want to be a professional long jumper,  when you run so fast before jumping with that fierce determination and jump like it is life or death. The refreshment you breathe in that fresh skt air for a split second, then you charge full speed towards the other side of the sand pit. The adrenaline running through your body, your feet launching  up, your arms flailing in the wind. After that, the make or break landing at the end, that is what I want to do. 

 By this time I somehow managed to get to math class, Mrs.Smith looked mad, but I wasn’t late. I was actually a minute early. I sat down, most of the class was here except for Hanna, the suck up. I barely made it through math, the picking between long jumping or being a doctor was bugging me too much. 

 I knew the only way was if I got the best of both worlds. That meant I was going to volunteer at the hospital as a doctor's assistant and see how the doctors worked, and I would sign up for the long jumping team. This is the only way that I could see which one I liked better. My heart beating so fast I was afraid others could hear it, I went to the sign-up sheet for the long jumping  team tryouts. With shaking hands I wrote my name, “Derek Thomas”. Then I went to the hospital to see if they were hiring volunteers. I got lucky because there was one spot available. I took it and this plan was in action.

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 Today was my first day at the hospital. My straight blond hair was pulled back and smoothed, my blue eyes sparkled, my slim body looked good in the scrubs. Inside though I was empty, this wasn’t what I wanted to be, right when I was thinking that my mom walks in. “oh you look so handsome, you were meant to be a doctor,” she says. I smile, but inside I want to tell her that I am just doing this for her and that I don't want to do this.

 The day goes by awful, being a doctor is busy and stressful and chaotic and a complete mess.

I don’t want to come next week but I have to and four more times after that. I force myself to think that it will be fine and maybe it will get better.  Even though I know it won’t be “better”.

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  In two minutes I have my first practice with the team. I get ready in the change room, my blond hair is messy, my uniform makes me look a little chubby, my eyes don’t sparkle, they are ready and focused. Inside though I am feeling the best, I feel like I fit in. Josh  walks in. “good luck, you will do great!” he says. I punched him on the arm lightly and said thanks. I told Josh about what I was doing the day before, my terrible day at the hospital.

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Four dreadful weeks volunteering at the hospital, I knew I didn't want to become a doctor. It isn’t that easy, I have to tell my mom and dad that their son, who was raised to be a doctor, does not want to be one. My mom is an extraordinary surgeon, she is the sweetest person I know, she believes in me the most and she wanted me to follow in her footsteps but that dream will only be a dream. My dad is a plastic surgeon who is ranked in the “Top 5 extraordinary plastic surgeons.” There is another problem that Josh reminds me of while he rambles on. I have a long jump contest next Saturday and I need parents' consent to go. 

When I reach the door of my house, I take a deep breath and open the door. My mom and dad both don’t have work today. I go inside to clean up and sit down in the living room with my parents. I say “ I know you guys want me to be a doctor and you know I  have been  volunteering at the hospital.”  “Yes sweetheart we know this, what is wrong,” my mom says.

“I don’t want to be a doctor!” I blurted out. My mom and dad gasp. They look like I told them 

 Someone died. They look upset, sad, frustrated, angry, shocked, and disappointed. Oh why did I blurt that out, oh why, I think to myself.  My mom ignores what I say and says “ dinners ready.” We all get up and go to the dinner table. I set the table and we start to eat, it is dead silent. That is when I blurt out, “ I want to be a long jumper, I have been training at school and I have a contest next Saturday. I need you to sign a permission slip.” My dad stared at me and said “okay, after dinner I will sign it.” I smile and say “ Thank you so much. You can come if you want.” I look at my mom who is silently eating, looking down on her plate.

I sigh and put my plate in the sink and go up to my room.

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 It is saturday morning and I am headed for practice before the competition. Practice was tiring and very long. I got a new uniform for the competition, I put it on, it was fitting, the colours made my eyes stand out.

 I got to the competition. I knew Josh was going to come and I also knew my parents wouldn’t show, but that was okay. I got warmed up and got ready to start. I was ready to start running, when I took a glance at the audience and I saw my parents, I smiled and sprinted. I ran so fast that my legs burned, and then I jumped so high that I could almost see the birds eyes. I failed my arms and then landed,I looked up at the scoreboard, while catching my breath and I had won, I had won. I looked at the audience, my mom and dad were cheering for me. 

I got home and my parents were waiting for me. They gave me a big hug and said “we are very, very proud of you.” They also said that they are going to support me.  I was so happy, I smiled then said “Thank you.” I was happy and grateful. Now I am a world class long jumper, and I am headed to the Olympics.