AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I flip through the book a little, and the descriptions of some things are interesting. I decide to take it home with me when my eyes start crossing. I might as well get some rest tonight. It's my only night off this week with the homecoming game coming up.
I've been keeping a pretty full schedule of practice, classes, games, and study time while still making time to workout every night. At first, I was just doing it to see if Coach was going to come in, but now it's just habit. I've been busting my ass on the field and in my classes, and for the first time, maybe ever, I feel like I deserve the accolades that are being thrown at me. Coach was right. I could be a better player—a better person.
But right now, I'm just tired, more so than usual. I woke up tired, and for the first time since coming here, considered skipping a class. I figured skipping one might lead me back down the wrong path, though, so I made it, but dozed off while I was there. Luckily, my beginner's Calculus teacher is a big football fan and I've been doing pretty well in his class, so he didn't give me too hard of a time.
"You look like shit," Ryan, one of my teammates, says, thumping me on the back.
"Thanks," I say sarcastically. I might be coming down with something, but it's nothing I can't handle. We just have to kick ass tonight, which shouldn't be an issue. Texas A&M hasn't been near as good as us this year, so there's no reason this game shouldn't be a wash. Then we have a bye week before we go on the road for an away game, so if I need to recover from whatever this funk is, I'll have two full weeks to do it.
"You gonna make it to the party tonight?"
I glare at him. "We'll see." Nice of him to be concerned about my wellbeing. Ryan is one of the second-string players, and he’s a huge partier.
"Aniyah is coming for sure," Ryan mentions.
Well, that settles it. I'm definitely not going.
As we're getting ready to run out onto the field, Coach Nicks pulls me back. My lips twitch a little. "Not the time, Coach. Gotta go win us a Homecoming game."
"You're looking a bit pale."
"I'm good, Coach." Before he can question me further, I wink and run out onto the field, throwing my hands up to get the crowd pumped. Tonight, the whole student body is in the stands, decked out in green and grey, waving flags and signs. I see more than a handful of signs with my name or number on them, and I point to a few of them, hamming it up for the crowd.
Tired or not, I'm excited about tonight's game. I want to enjoy the fanfare, even if the noise of the crowd and the marching band music feels like it's reverberating in my head.
Coach corners me just outside the bathroom during halftime. I wipe my mouth and try to get around him, searching for some gum or something to wash the taste of vomit out of my mouth.
"Perry," he calls after me. "I think you should sit out this half."
"What? No. I'm in the zone, Coach. I'm fine."
In the fourth quarter, we're decimating our opponents; up forty-seven points and they've yet to put even one on the board. It's almost too easy, and I can't help but enjoy the way the other team is getting pissed off. My cocky grin isn't helping much, I'm sure. But they came into our house and started this game talking shit, saying shit like, "we're here to take you rich pussies down."
Well, now all my rich pussy friends and I are going to flat out embarrass them. As fired up as we are, their team can't get the ball more than a couple of yards. I laugh out loud as I see our defense shut them down one more time, giving us possession of the ball. I bend to pick up my helmet and the ground spins, but I right myself and secure it on my head.
"Perry!" Nicks calls out. "I saw that. You're sitting out before you hurt yourself."
I'm so tired, I consider listening to him, but we're halfway through the last quarter of the game. I want to help my team send these fucks home with nothing but shame.
"Game's almost over, Coach. I can make it."
"You look like a gust of wind could knock you over. Sit the fuck down, Jack."
The moment my ass touches the bench, the crowd boos and yells. I make a show out of shrugging my shoulders and pointing to Coach, and they start chanting.
"We want Jack! We want Jack!"
Coach Nicks looks up at the crowd, his eyes wide at the number of students, faculty, and fans that are shouting my name.
"Might as well give them what they want, Coach. It'll be over before we know it." I replace my helmet and tap his shoulder before running out to take my position, the stadium screaming and ready.
Our next play is beautiful. Lane fakes the pass to me and passes it to Grant instead, who takes it halfway down the field before running out of bounds to avoid a hit. We can easily make another touchdown on our next play. We huddle up and Lane calls the play. On his call, I fake a step to my right and launch left. I run through the middle of their defensive line and into the end zone. The ball flies, landing perfectly in my hands. It's a clean catch, and another touchdown! The crowd goes wild.
One moment I'm catching the ball and holding it up to celebrate; the next, all the wind is knocked out of me. The hit isn't even that hard, I've taken way worse. But the lights in the stadium blur as everything spins when I try to push myself off the ground.
I stumble, and blackness closes in.
CHAPTER 18
