Against All Odds

Nathan Prescott, an 18 year old teen, lives a life just like any other boy in his city, Virginia. His performance in academics was average, he was quite good at sports, particularly track and field events, and he aims to be an athlete. The people living in Virginia had a different ideology about athleticism, but it didn’t affect Nathan’s dream. His parents expected him to pursue something else, but since he was working hard for his ambition, they didn’t mind it and never hesitated in encouraging him. He considered his friends as his lifeline, and trusted them like how one believes in his siblings.

One day, Nathan’s performance in the Interstate Track and Field Competition caught the eyes of a scout of a very popular sports institution. The scout told about Nathan to his master, Gordon Carnby, who was the head of the Carnby Sports Complex. Gordon was quite impressed by Nathan’s performance. He decided to visit St. Peter’s High School, the school where Nathan was studying. “Are you Nathan Prescott?” asked Gordon as he met Nathan outside the school campus. “Yes, I am Nathan Prescott, but may I know who you are?” replied Nathan. “I am Gordon Carnby, the head of the Carnby Sports Complex. I have seen your performance in the last few track and field events conducted here, and I’ll have to admit, I’m quite impressed. I’ll be straightforward; I want to recruit you in my institution. Tell me, do you want to join?” Nathan thought for a while. He did want to join, but not without the consent of his parents. He replied, “Can you please allot me some time? I want to discuss this with my parents and my principal too.” Gordon said, “Oh, don’t you worry about that. I’ll handle that situation too. You just focus on working hard. You know, the boys in my complex are tough as nails. I hope you’ll become like them too.” Nathan shook hands with Gordon and walked away.

That night, Nathan couldn’t sleep at all, not because he was tensed or anxious, but because he had a feeling that the dream he has been working for a long time is soon going to come true. The next morning, he got ready and went to the Carnby Sports Complex. Gordon stood at the gate entrance and welcomed him, saying, “I knew that you wouldn’t decline my offer. After all, who doesn’t want to join my complex, right?” Nathan smiled and nodded in agreement. He managed to mix up with the people there. It was tough at first, but now he had become one of them. A few months later, on the 29th of May, Nathan received word that the National Track and Field Championships are going to be held in Virginia. Surprisingly, he was selected as the representative for Virginia. Never had he been so happy in his life. Nathan didn’t delay a bit and started preparing for the championship.

While preparing, Gordon walked in his room. “Nathan, I want to talk to you in person,” said Gordon in a serious tone. Nathan replied, “Sure. What is it that you want to talk about?” Gordon did not say anything, but pulled out a packet from his pocket which was filled with a white powder. “What’s that? Is that heroin?” Gordon nodded. He said, “I give this to all my boys before the event.” “But… this is illegal! I can’t do this! There’s no way I’m going to take that drug.” Gordon got annoyed. He caught Nathan’s hand, and kept the packet on his palm, saying, “You have to take this, or else I’ll have to replace you.” Nathan didn’t want to consume the drug, but he didn’t want to give up this golden opportunity either. He agreed with Gordon and consumed it. “Ugh… That’s not so good,” he said to himself. During the track and field events, Nathan performed exceptionally well and lived up to Gordon’s expectations. However, after the events were over, Nathan started feeling dizzy and he fell on the ground unconscious.

The medics rushed in and put him on the stretcher. His blood sample was taken. After the blood tests, the doctor walked out and said, “His blood test shows positive results for heroin. Also, he might not be able to compete in any track and field event from now on, because some of his motor nerves have been ruptured. This could be the side-effect of consuming heroin.” Gordon was shocked. He told, “How is that possible? I’ve given the same drug to others too, but they didn’t meet the same fate. Then why did it affect Nathan?” At that moment, the Narcotics Department head officer walked in and handcuffed Gordon. “Aha! Now I’ve got you, Gordon Carnby. You are under arrest for supplying heroin to your students.” “Thank you, sir, thank you so much,” said a voice from behind the doctor. The doctor stepped aside to reveal Nathan, who was standing as if nothing had happened to him. Gordon was dumbstruck. “How did you recover? You were on the bed a moment ago!” said Gordon. Nathan replied, “That was all set up by me to get you arrested, Mr. Gordon. I never ate that heroin at all. And I’m glad that I didn’t. Now time to say goodbye to your institution and say hello to the bars of jail.” Gordon was taken away and Nathan went back to the place where the events were conducted. “To honor and reward Nathan Prescott, not only for his great performance in the event, but also for his bravery and courage, I award him with the Best Athlete Award,” said the event coordinator, with a smile on his face. Nathan received the prize from him and was happier than ever before. He addressed the audience, “You don’t need drugs like heroin to win; all you need is the skill and determination. Indeed, you will definitely stand against all odds.”

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