Sighing

He talked to Prutz that day. It was just Aiko, Dayu, him and later Rowena. When it started he thought it was going to be a single sided debate and it kinda was.

"Wasn't gonna happen. Isn't happening. Will never happen." is what he said to the the whole idea of him being mentored by Andy. "We're like two lions in a den. When somebody throws some meat in there, only one lion gets it."

Novak wanted to shout, "But you're STEALING Andy's meat from the next den! It's not the same, you vulture!" but he knew that that would get him nowhere. They needed to start on a different path.

Dayu started off with the emotional stuff, followed quickly by a logical followup by Aiko, which was interupted in a most PE teacherly way. Eventually everybody got to express what they felt about the situation. What else did they have left? There really was no way around the union and the administration, and now it seemed that this otherwise nice guy was stealing their xcdaddy away from them. There were tears at times, but Prutz had expected it.

"All that's left for you to do is to move on and pick up the pieces." It was harsh, but they all knew that it might come to that.

"Don't you think it's wrong," asked Novak, "to take away somebody's job, somebody's LIFE, and just throw it to the wind because you want to do exactly what andy wants to do?" But Prutz just shook his head and referred back to the lions. "It's just morally WRONG for you to exchange one life for another. That's why we, why everybody, feels that Andy is getting jipped." But it was useless. It was as vicious as a cycle as the teammates hoped Prutz's removal would be.

Sometimes Rowena would go off topic about experience or training. Novak knew that this would get them nowhere, as experience can only be gained by trying, which is exactly what they didn't want Prutz to do. Why wouldn't he back down? Perhaps he needed some persuading.

"You do know that there will be resistance." Rowena started.

"Oh i know that. But that's the your choice. Sure, i dont appreciate it when people in my reg come up to me in reg or elsewhere wearing tshirts against my coaching the team, but that's your decision. Part about being young is that you get to be immature, and if you don't want to join my team next year, you dont have to. Even the varsity runners, it makes no difference to me if every single varsity runner quits. I'm going to be head coach, even though it's hard for you to understand. And of course it'll be a big knee-jerk at first, but that's to be expected in a major transition such as this. But you just got to move on and pick up the pieces."

They all sensed a pattern now. But there was really nothing they could do about it. So they all shook hands and left. To them there was no clear 'winner' of the discussion, but Prutz sure had held his ground. He was determined, and by any other circumstances, Novak would have liked him. But the fact was that they were all getting screwed. Their only available option, now struck down by some 5'9'' PE teacher.

Novak knew that whether or not Andy got his job back, or whether or not he liked it, he would eventually have to move on. But he knew there was hope. But if he ever had to pick up the pieces, he had love, support, and friendship backing him up at FALL RUNNING CLUB '05!