Literary Spotlight: Life Through Faded Eyes: Part 3

Monday, when I went back to school, all I could think about was what my dad had challenged me Friday night.  I’ve only got one week to join a club and a sport, two things I have never done in my life.  So I started thinking what might actually suit me.

First I thought about sports.  What about football?  No, definitely not.  What was I thinking?  Then I considered doing track or cross-country to tone it back, but I heard the coach is really strict, and the practices were really hard physically and mentally.  I wasn’t exactly in shape, so all of those were out of the question, and honestly I don’t need that kind of stress in my life.  It wasn’t until Tuesday when I was talking with my friend Theodore that I got an idea.

I asked him:  “Do you play any sports?”

“What about an academic sport?” he asked.  I didn’t even know academic sports even existed.

“I don’t think that would count, but what the heck, tell me about it.” I gave in.

“I’m the captain of the chess team!” Theodore said, eyes lighting up and bouncing up and down like he had to pee.  “I’ve led the chess team to a total of three tournament victories!”

“Three?” I asked, somewhat skeptical, “how many chess matches have you been to?”

“Let’s not talk about our losses,” Theodore said, on a more depressing note.

So after talking to Theodore, I joined the chess team, even if their number of losses were numerous and hidden by only three victories.  (Theodore called it being positive, but I just said it was deceptive.)  Great.  There is one thing checked off of my list.  Now I only needed to join a club.  I asked Mrs. Brandywine for a list of all the school’s clubs, because she likes keeping lists of everything.  You know about those teachers who have multiple cows when one paper isn’t filed correctly.

The list had Pep Club (too peppy), FBLA (What does that even stand for?), NHS (Don’t you have to be smart for that?), Anti-Bully club (Um, no.), Interact Club (I’m not good at helping people.), Debate Club (I laughed till I cried.), and Hug Club (what the crap?).  None even seemed remotely interesting.  I didn’t fit into anything, and honestly, I was beginning to wonder if the challenge was even doable.

Still yet, throughout the week, I kept thinking about the clubs.  I asked all my friends, and even my enemies, what clubs they were in.  Most people were in multiple clubs, and I came across at least thirty that were in Hug Club (what the crap?).

Before I knew it, it was Thursday, and I still hadn’t joined a club.  That night, my dad reminded me of our challenge.  Great.  He still remembered, and he was being serious.  Friday, when I went into history class, Mrs. Brandywine said:

“Charlie, sweetie, your father told me about your…” she paused to think of the correct word, “'deal.' So I signed you up for Mr. Trenton’s club.” She explained with her glasses sliding off her nose.

“And what club is that?” I asked.

“Interact Club,” she said.

“Oh, God,” I said to myself.

-Dylan Crigger