Principle of Determination. Winterwolf. 15/3/2000 This story contains adult language and some mild violence. If you need to say anything drop it at winterwolf25@hotmail.com ** Just a quick note, this story is about a wolf who is determin to come out on top in a athletic compition,earning a scholarship to college. Being an expert at sports he's more than optamistic that he'd be victorious but his confidents in his skills weaken as he is beaten continuously by his friend...who's an expert at the books. Overwhelmed with fustration he takes measures that would cost him more than he hopes to attain jepordizing.....ahh enough of my jabbering you read it and see :) During the normal warm ups, a tall dark wolf wearing a grey jersey and and dark loose sweat pants looked on as a couple of furs lined up at the 100 meter dash line. " Ready...set...", Bang!. A gun went off loudly echoing through the whole park as the runners moved off in a fury racing towards the finish. Almost as fast as it started it finished with a long cheetah passing the line first, then a silver wolf and then roo morph. And last was a slim well built fox. "Great lancer !" , the dark wolf said shaking the cheetah roughly which he gladly accepted knowing it was a sign of his aproval. "Thanks coach ", the cheetah replied. " 9.55 seconds ..good your improviing and you guys are getting there too, if we can get at least three powerful sprinters on the state team we're ready for the wolrd Games. Good work boys!" At the side of his view the wolf could see the fox walking off the field with his tail dragging behind him. "Man that fox sprints just about as good as my grandmother, he's a wast of time coach, we might as well use him as a towel boy or something", lancer said smirking with folded arms. Soon after the others joined in the laughter. "Ok you guys, take another round then hit the showers", the dark wolf said. As the others made there way back for another run the wolf jogged over to the fox as he was leaving the field. "Leaving already jase..you still have another...." "Please Mr Vio....look I know that I suck ok....i'm just not good at this and you dont have to pretend", the fox said frustratingly cutting off the wolf. "Jase you came fourth, big deal..11 runners were in this race, you just need to try harder." The fox shook his head in furhter fustration, " Look i've been practicing as hard as i can..but i... i just can't beat those guys..I mean look at lancer..six foot five ,185 lbs of muscle, the guy is like a bullet train..and if i cant even beat roger or nizmo..how in the hec can i compare with him" "Jase these are your team mates, not your opponents", the wolf said putting a paw on his shoulder. "Regardless coach I'm not as strong or as fast as them", the fox said holding his head down. The wolf smiled and jerked the fox's shoulder a bit. "Tell me jase, what do you think is your problem and what is the solution?" "Well...ahh..I need to work out more, train twice as hard, and give it all I got.. And I need soemthing to help push me." "Like?" "Well .. like some tablets, you know..those.." The wolf tilted his head and looked at the fox ,"steroids?" "Yeh!", the fox said lifting his head too look at the wolf. " You don't need that jase." "Why not??" "Look kid, you can accomplish all those things you said without steroids by just eating right, regular excercise and vitamins." " Look that is gona be to long...the finals are in two weeks..if I can get myself charged up now,I'll definitly make the team. I just want to get my body's full performance and it's only until i make the team anyway. After that I won't need it, I'll just keep practicing." "You think it's that easy ha?" "Yeh i do. No offense but you wouldn't be able to see it from my piont of view anyway. You were always a winner having three golds and two silvers from the world games, you don't know what it's like to be trying so hard and still loosing." " On the contrary I do..", the wolf said watching the other boys run throught the 100 meter dash again. "What?", the fox questiones looking confused. The wolf swung his head around and looked at the fox as he pulled his stealthy body to sit on the wall. " I have a little story to tell you." "Don't tell me it's one of those lectures on life my mom always gives me." "Hmmm?..oh sit your butt down!" "Ok ok", the fox said sitting on the bench. "Good, I'm goin to tell you a story about someone I knew who was alot like you and decided to he needed his body's full performance too." The fox curled himself up on the bench and looked directly at the dark wolf giving him his full attention. "The up comming kelwood games would be one of the biggest events Merlec High ever had for the students. Anyone comming out on top would make the state team, and earn a 4 year scholarship. To a certain wolf this would a the chance of a life time. As a matter of fact an oppertunity that he would go through great lenghts not to pass up, that cost him alot. **************************************************************************************** An early saturday morning the recreation grounds were filled with activity as the tryouts for the kelwood games began. Many different furs were all there to compete in the different events. A light brown wolf made his way over to the track loosining up himself and streaching when he felt a slap on his back. He turned around too look directly into the hazel brown eyes of a rain deer. " I see you made it, thought you'd be out, after last nigh and all", the deer said. " Come on rome a little party isn't goin to take everything out of me, what about you?" The deer smiled and rocked his head side to side. " I feel a little dizzy but not worried, no compitition here man." "You kidding..you see that cheetah over there, and that bob cat..they look like they're built for the 100 meter dash, they might be a problem." "No no jule..like i said....no compitition, mabe besides you", the rain deer said calmly with very little effort. "Man you are something else, you are most confident ,realxed guy i've ever known, I wish i was like you", the wolf said stepping up too the line. The rain deer smiled, with a sophistcated handsome expression , " It's just a matter of being focused on your goal, after you achieved that, the only thing is the limits of your expectations." The wolf smiled and raised an eyebrow, " Like you just said." "Runners to your marks!" , a voice shouted. Everyone stopped what they were doin and walked up to the lines. As jule approched the line he could feel a turning in his stomach, like it was being tied in knots and his heart was beating fast. "Ok jule..keep your head on, just relax, these guys are no compition", the wolf said silently to his self as he kneeled before the starting line. As he looked at the other runners some looked confident and some looked like they were goin to pass out from the anxiety. He looked at rome, his eyes on the ground, no expression what so ever. "Set!", the voice shouted again. Everyone heaped up thier abdomen with thier paws on the line looking foward. At this time jule's wolf paws were cold as ice and now his heart was beating like a drum set. He glimsed over at rome and his head was facing foward with the most focused and serious expression he ever saw. He looked foward and took a deep breath and just waited............Bang!! The gun went off and with a furious growl and strenght that momenterilly shook the ground all the runners were ripping there way down the track in a magnificent display of morph strenght and power. Huffing and puffing loudly jule moved his way up behind rome who was passing everyone like they were statues. Growling loudly and pushing his chest foward the wolf passed the finish line behind rome to take second place. All the spectators were in an up roar of appluase. Jule held his head down trying to catch his breath as he looked at the screen and saw his name under second place with time 8 seconds. "Dam ..", he thought to himself. "Rome was a good space infront of me..he must have been flying." When he looked he saw his friend's time 7.21 seconds his eyes open," dam he was flying!" The wolf walked over to the rain deer who was getting his breathing under control but still looked relaxed."Wow, who lit your afterburners man!" , the wolf said slapping rome on his shoulder. The deer smiled, "Like i said, no compitition...ha..but i'm suprise I beat you..you were still sleeping on that move off, you usually take off onfront of me." "Yeh I was bit tight on that take off..ah well were advancing now, come on I saw jack and the boys over at the cafiteria, lets go." The deer nodded and threw an arm round the wolf's neck, wrestling him until they got there. " Hay that was great, you guys looked real perfestional out there", a lion commented as the two apprched but soon realised they weren't paying attention to him as they contiued wresting and laughing. " Ahem! , you two finished?", the lion questioned snarling. The deer finally released jule laughing. " Sorry jack, just horsing around." "Well congrats, you actually beat jule.." " Come on, I was just lucky.. but thanks anyway", rome said. "Luck?...doesn't sound like something you'd say..you beat jule fair and round." "Square..", the deer said rolling his eyes. "Yeh i mean square." The wolf looked off with an almost sick look on his face. "Hay jule you ok?", rome asked. "Hmmm?..ah yeh I'm cool..hay lets get some drinks I'm dying here." " Yeh sure", the deer said wiping some sweat from his face. No sooner they sat down with some refreshments a group of furs came up. " Nice run rome..", a vixen said sitting near to him. "Yeh, if it's not good that your the smartest kid in school now you're atheletically superior", a bear said. Rome began to blush a bit, "Thanks guys, but i'm not that good." " Well you beat jule, a top ranking athlete", the vixen said. There was a momentery silence as everyone's eyes were on jule. The wolf didn't look or respond in anyway to the vixen's statement. Then pretty much on announced a skunk entered the conversation. "Hay great run rome, looks like you're making the team over..." "Will all of you please give me a dam break!!", the wolf shouted. "Rome beat me today, fine, wonderful, big frigging deal, last time I checked there's still several other events! So why don't you clowns save your dam gloating for the finals!!! Everyone freezed and look at the wolf stunned and ashamed. Jule growled loudly and left. Soon afterwards as he was walking across the field the awareness of what he just did slowly began to sink in when he felt an paw on his shoulder. He looked around to see rome. "I'm sorry rome I..I flipped out totaly back there." "No I should apologize, I should have known all that gloating would have bothered you..hay still buds right?" The wolf smiled and shook his paw. " Oh yeh, well i'm really tired, better head home." " Ok pal, take care of yourself", the deer said turning to back to the building. The wolf sighed and continued in his way home. **************************************************************************************** When jule got home he went straight to his room, shed his clothes off and dropped in his bed. He took up a remote and put his set on to play some music to relax himself. He sighed again as the day's event started to run through his mind when he heard a rapping on his door. "Who is it?", he asked in a tired fustrated tone. " Don't talk to me like that jerk!", the vioce snapped back. The wolf dropped his head on the pillow and smiled,"Come on in micheal." Shortly a tall dalmation came thorught the door and closed it behind him. " Oh gods, why didn't you tell me you weren't wearing anything", the canine said removing his glasses. " You're acting like you've never seen me nude", jule responded staring at the roof. The dalmation chuckled a bit and pulled up a sliding chair from the computer desk. " You look a bit sick..say how was the run today?" The wolf sighed and frowned, " rome beat me today..he came first." "Really, hmmmm...does that bother you?" The wolf turned his head to the canine, " Ofcourse it does!...Rome is good at physics, chemistry, mathes...he's a smart kid, it's what makes him unique. I'm good at sports, track and field, soccer you name it, i'm good at it. That makes me unique. But rome is actually beating me at what i'm good at...the only thing i'm good at and everyone is rubbing it in man, how am i sappose to feel." The dalmation looked at his friend with much concern. " Well rome is a rain deer and he is athletic. But I know how you feel man..besides rome knows that was probly a lucky run and he cant compare to you generally in athletics." "Try telling everyone that", jule said turning away his face. The dalmation got up and sat next to jule and gripped his muzzle a bit roughly with his paw. "Hay since when you gave a dam what people think or say, make rome gloat if he wants." Jule laughed as much as he could while wrestling micheals paw off. "Hay rome wasn't bragging, he understood how I felt. Thats my best friend man." "Really!, though I was your best friend", the dalmation snapped throwing a pillow to jule's head. " Hay!..haha.. you are." "What ever, hay I got to go to the gym to pick up something from rick, get on some clothes and follow me", the dalmation said getting up. "Jule!", a voice shouted from behind the door. Before the wolf could respond a younger looking wolf came in. " Why don't you come in..", jule said sarcastically to his younger brother. "Wo!, sorry bro. I just wanted to tell you me and a few friends are goin to the mall", the younger wolf said. "OK cool.......what?", jule questioned noticing his brother was still there looking at him. "Ahh..well...big brother.." Jule snarled and rolled his eyes around as he pulled his wallet from his pants and handed 20 dollars to his brother. "Twenty dollars?...ah broo." Jule shook his head smiling and handed another 20 dollar bill to his brother. " YOu better make this last you for the week." "Oh thanks jule..and put on some clothes for gods sake", the wolf said running from the room knowing his brother would throw something. No sooner he ran out a pillow came out at full speed behind him. "Errr.. missed", jule growled laughing. " Hmmm..got a good relationship with your little brother..errrr the thought..my little brother would be giving me the money", micheal said smirking. "Naah..my little brother eric and me are best friends man." The wolf looked around to get another pillow in his face. " How many best friends do you have kid?!", micheal exclaimed laughing. " As much as it takes", the wolf replied throwing back the pillow. "Just get your butt up and lets get goin." Soon both furs arrived at the gym and went in. While in the gym jule saw a couple faces he recognised. " Larah whats up?", jule said approching the girl wolf. "Hi jule, where were you today? I wanted to congradulate you on your victory today", the girl said pulling jule into a hug. "I..didn't come first..i came second." The girl tilted her head and shrubbed her shoulders, " So..last time I checked first,second and third still meant you won the race..you were just the second fastest to win the race." Jule smiled deeply," I know i can depend on you to make me feel better." The girl smiled and pulled him into another big hug. " You were making that bother you. Rome is a good athlete but everyone knows he can't compare to you, c'mon." " Thanks suger, but everyone seems to think i'm loosing my edge", the wolf said. " Jule you know these people, everyone knows you're the top athlete and the fact that rome beat you they'll use it as something new to gossip about. Some of these furs won't keep thier traps shut if thier life depended on it..oh my set's comming up again", the girl said returning to the machine. " I think I might do a little work out too", jule said moving towards the leg machine.The wolf layed down on the machine and began squatting the wieghts. He felt a little better now, the best he's felt for the whole day. " You gona be long?" Jule looked up to see the form of a well built, poweful looking jaguar infront of him. "Ahh..i'm done anyway, you can go ahead", jule said getting up. The jaguar knodded and got on to the machine and set the wieghts to almost three times what jule had them at. " No way...he can't move that", the wolf thought to himself. To his suprise the jaguar moved the tons of weight with ease and more efficiently than he did with his small load. "Dam..you're really strong", the wolf commented. "Who me? naah..this is easy, actually I'm being to nice to myself just moving this much", the cat replied finishing his set. "Say..aren't you that kid that was in the 100 meter dash today?", the cat questioned. " Yeh thats me". jule responded. "Hmmmm..impressive kid, you really looked pro. out there...that guy shouldn't have beaten you." Jule blushed a bit then shrubbed his shoulders. " Yeh he shouldn't have, I got a bad start I guess." "Well your start was good enough, through out the race you just began slowing down which is why you couldn't pass that deer. You see in 100 meter dashes take offs are inportant, but they are not the deciding factor in winning the race. Top end is, I mean you can take off infront of everyone and half way through the race the whole lot passes you. But you have to maintain or increase your speed from take off to end if you want to win." The wolf knodded in acknowlegement. " Yeh that makes alot of sense." "Hay trust me kid, i was a sprinter myself, I know", the jaguar said moving to a next machine. "But I can't really hold a constant speed through the whole race and I'm sure i'd pass out if i tried", jule said watching the cat move the butterfly weights. "Heheh..that is were stamina comes in kid. That deer that beat you is tall and handels his wieght pretty well. And he has a very strong take off but his down fall is he looses power before he's even half way throught the race and begins to slow down. His move offs puts some space between him and everyone, but he has very little stamina, which is why you should have beaten him." "Well stamina is my problem too." The cat finished his set and looked at the wolf. "Just work out twice as hard and push yourself, get your bodies full performance." "Easy for you to say, when i come to the gym and work out for half an hour, i'm already tired." The cat placed a paw under his chin in contemplation. " What you need is a little booster, a little artificial adrenaline if you please." "adrenaline ?", the wolf questiones with a confused look. "Let me explane kid..did you ever get so scared that you felt this sudden rush of energy?, did you ever get into a fight and you had this sudden burst of strenght or when you heard that gun shot today to start the race, and got that explosive amount of power? that my boy is adrenaline." The cat got up and pulled a bottle out of his bag." These tablets can give you that adrenaline when you really need it everytime you take one." The wolf's eyes focused on the bottle then he shook his head briefly. "Thats a nice offer.. but I don't think i need those.." " Thats cool, these are light though, you know when you're working out and you need that little energy boost, thats what these guys are made for. Here take it and try one when you work out, I mean there was a point in time i used them myself. Just try it and see." Jule couldn't help finding the jaguar's offer to be tempting. " Ok sure, why not", the wolf replied and took the bottle. " And remember, between you and me...say whats your name again?", the cat asked. " Jule", the wolf responded. " Ok mines is Gregory, and if you need anything, you know where to find me", the cat said smiling and shook jule's paw. Later that night jule met up micheal and they both went home. While in his bed jule took the bottle that was giving to him and looked at it for a while. " Do I really need this....I need that scholarship.. I know I can't get it depending on my academics...ahh man..", jule silently said to himself and sighed. The wolf dropped his head flat on his bed and fell asleep. **************************************************************************************** The next couple of days would be the worst the wolf has ever had. On three straight days rome beat jule in every competition. The long jump, the relays, disk throw and again in the 100 and 200 meter runs. Jule was bearly making it to the finals and there was a situation where jule almost came last, just holding on to third. And things began to change for him. Everyone was at the line for the deciding 100 meter dash to go to the finals. Jule was on his line and was a nervous reck. You could clearly see him sweating and trembling. "Set!", the voice shouted. Jule began shaking like a leaf, all of a sudden he's lost all faith in himself and couldn't concentrate. His breathing became restrained and his vision out of focus. He knew he had to come at least second if he wanted to advance. It was torture for him waiting for the gun to go off, every second seeming to be eternity. Bang!!! The gun went off and everyone moved off infront of jule. Micheal and larah got up from there seats in shock that he was the last to leave the line. "Come on man, come on..please", the dalmation begged as he saw jule moving up. One after one the wolf passed everyone till he was behind a lion who was holding second place. Everyone was screaming as the race almost came to a finish. Jule was still behind the lion and he knew he just had to pass him. Giving it all he had he just passed him before they finished the race. After goin through jule stopped to get back his breath and looked at the screen in dispair. After seeing his name in second place the wolf just collasped to the ground. Micheal sighed deeply and fell back in his seat. Shortly afterwards his friends came to meet him still on the ground. "Jule!, are you alright??", micheal asked helping him up. " I..I need to get the hell out of here", the wolf said roughly and pulled himself away from micheal. Everyone just stood there with empty looks on there faces. Jule got home and threw all his clothes off and sat down with his head in his lap. Soon afterwards micheal came in. "Hay what was that all about?", the canine asked angrily. "Look, if it's not obviuos to you i'm having a real bad week ok, I don't need a dam argument now", jule said roughly. "Ever since you started this competition you've been freaking out man, what is the big frigging deal, you're advancing to the finals and for what? a dum ass trophy! you been acting like a jerk and treating us like trash lately, why are you taking your anger out on us?!" The wolf got up and looked at micheal hard. " You don't have anything to worry about..you got your high sat scores and your letter of acceptance to a good college..you don't have anything else to worry about. I got back my scores and they were full of shit ! I'm not a wize kid or even average like you...sports man! sports is the only thing i'm good at! It's the only thing that gives me great results when I try..and it is my only way into a college and you know that..but i'm loosing it! I'm being beaten in every dam event by a fucking nerd! How am I sappose to feel dam it!" "Sat's??, scholarship??..Thats why.. Jule you aren't stupid, I told you that. You're one of the most clever guys i know..but you get discouraged too easy and give up. You were a nervous reck in that sat exam, like you were in all the compititons this week, thats why you're not performing. The wolf growled loudly and looked off. " You still don't get it.. sports is what i'm good at...I don't care about any dam sat exam.. you are good at academics, i'm good at sports, your skill in academics got you into a good college, my skills in sports isn't getting me anywhere!" " Just try harder....", the canine said turning away at his friends tone. Micheal left the room not saying anything or looking back. Jule just stood there and shook his head and pulled out the tablets. " Try harder...", the wolf said silently to himself. (Part 1)...