Jacks Big Dream

• Sienna Burrows, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2021

Jack was an ordinary boy. He had an ordinary life, nothing overly good ever happened in his life but he managed to push through accepting the fact that this was his life. He never wanted any reasons for why things happened that way they just did, and he just accepted this fate.
One thing, however, that he did not have was money. He had no time to save, and his parents had no money to give either. Jack was very into his sport but could never go because they could not afford it. He had always wanted to achieve his dream of being in the big leagues becoming a line-backer. He never gave up on this dream, he knew it would one day happen.
Jack spent every afternoon working at a small café and then going home and practicing football in his small little backyard. He never really had any friends since no one wanted to be friends with the kid who never had any money. While everyone in his grade was going out shopping and sleeping over at each other’s houses he was working as much as he could to earn some extra money for his family.
One morning on his way past the football field on the way home from work the ball flew over the fence and rolled near his feet. Of course, he picked it up and kicked it as high as he could back over the fence. Impressed the coach called him over and said how would you like to be a line-backer for our team. Excited he sprinted home to tell his mom but, his mom said in a sad tone “No son you can’t because you will hurt yourself and I can’t afford that right now.” Jack then ran to his room and threw himself on his bed thinking… ‘this is my only opportunity if I do not do it, I may never get to play in the big leagues.’ The next day Jack went to work as always but after he went to see coach Davis and said he would play as a line-backer.
That afternoon Jack went home and told his mom that he was asked to work an extra hour a day. His mom believed him and said “Ok as long as you get home before 8’o clock.” Then she is ok with him working overtime. The next day he packed extra food and went to football practice with all the boys from his great. He was the best player ever to be on that team and they all knew that. Every day when he went to practice everyone would tease him and push him around but, he did not care. He was on the way to achieving his dream, what else could he ask?