Bronze Medallion
By LaRae Gilliard

“Man that was so intense, I can’t wait til our next meet!” I said with such excitement.

“Who do you think Coach is going to choose for the finals?” I think Charles just asked me this to see what I was going to say as a friend.
So my response was “I don’t know man, but we have to promise each other whoever Coach Bernard chooses we can’t get mad. Cause we boys man.”

“I know, I know. I wish we both could swim in this one.”
“If he choose me, you can wear the medal.” I said this meaning no harm but Charles snapped!
“What makes you so sure he gonna choose you? Huh!”
“Chill man I was just saying”
“Nah man sound like you was throwing a hint! Now if he choose me I would have let you wore mine, but now I’m not!”
“You gotta win first! And I don’t wanna wear your stupid medal anyway!”
The boys stormed their separate ways. The next day in Health class Charles was sleeping, but Roy was wide awake for the CPR lesson. Roy and the ten other kids that were awake got to practice CPR on a dummy doll. They had just enough time for each of them to get one turn, then the bell rang. Usually Roy would wake Charles up, but instead he just went on to his next class.
After school the boys had swim practice but Charles came late, just on time to race Roy to see who coach was going to put in the finals. POW! Coach Bernard’s cap gun shot off as the two boys dived in and swam like there was no tomorrow. They were neck and neck when Charles sneakily snagged Roy’s foot to slow him down. Coach didn’t see it and Roy didn’t say anything about until after the fact that Coach pronounced Charles was taking them to the finals.
“Hey man, why you had to kick me? You cheated! You lucky I ain’t say nothing to Coach Bernard.”
“You wouldn’t!” Charles’s voice began to get a little shaky because he knew Roy would tell. But it got to late Roy’s mom came to pick him up. Roy gave his former friend a nasty look and walked out of the pool area. A week went by and the boys said nothing to each other. Finals are here, the whole team is suited up and ready to go, even the members who weren’t swimming. The tension was in the air soon as the announcer called up Cromwillz High vs. Bermington High Charles was in Ready position with his bright red Cromwillz High uniform. POW! Charles and his opponent flew into the water they had 4 laps Charles was in the lead, but he was going too fast for his own good and ran out of breath. He came to a sudden stop and began to sink under. Everyone in the crowd just stood there in Aghast, Roy hopped up. He had to put all their differences aside. That was still his friend.
“Someone do something, where is the paramedic?!” Roy shouted as he ran over to the pool. He hopped in before anyone could tell him to slow down on the deck. Roy tried with all his strength to pull his friend out of the water, when Charles’s father gave him a hand bringing the unconscious boy out of the pool. They laid him on the deck and Roy used his knowledge from health class. Charles started coughing up pool water and bits of the pizza he knows he wasn’t suppose to eat before the meet. Charles opened his heavy eyes and saw his friend breaking sweat trying to help him.
“I’m alive man, calm down.” Charles says with humor.
“Thank goodness!” Charles mom shouted from the croud
The boys began to laugh so hard that more water pumped up out of Charles.
“I’m sorry that I was mad at you for something so stupid, and cheated to be in a race I didn’t even win.”
“It’s okay man, I told you we boys. I knew no medal wasn’t about to keep us apart.”
Bermington High celebrated as Roy extended his hand and helped Charles up and the two boys left the meet with the victory of having a great friendship.