“I was gonna say...”
“Yeah?”
“If Ben’s stepping over a line out there, you should let him know. If you like the girl, that is. I’d rather he knew before he started to invest himself into something. I could say something to him if you’d like?”
“I...what? I...there’s nothing to worry about. We’re friends. Shifting partners.”
Me and Josephine? Now, that was funny.
But one question remained.
Why were we paired?
Chapter 19
You see pro football players get their butts kicked all the time. As a football fan, you might even love watching it happen. Once, I watched Ben Roethlisberger get his nose broken, let the blood drip onto the field, and continue playing as if nothing ever happened. This is the kind of thing football fans thrive on. Sure, it must hurt like hell, but this is a symbol of real dedication. In a sport where the players get paid millions and millions of dollars to play a game, you like to see your players really commit. Earn those big bucks.
There are no million-dollar salaries in high school football. The most you can hope for is hearing the crowd chant your name and a little on top of the clothes fun with your girlfriend between the post game meeting and after game party. So, when I got sacked for the sixth time, I can’t say I was loving football.
We were down by seven with only two minutes left. We had to win the next two games to make it to the playoffs. And this wasn’t like the football movies where the music swells, and the coach calls you over to give you some heartwarming speech about overcoming odds and perseverance. No. My coach was screaming at me to get my ass in gear. The band was playing one of the three drumbeats they knew, and the crowd had already given up.
Josephine and I had shifted before sunrise. I was still in the tent when it happened. I hadn’t been able to go back to sleep after Randall’s insane questions about Josephine and me. He didn’t ask me any more after that, but I kept trying to come up with reasons why we were paired. When I came to, I didn’t seek her out. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to talk to her. I did. I wanted to get her thoughts on everything we found out, and I wanted to warn her about Bentham. I hoped she wasn’t falling for his bad boy turned hero act.
But when I came to, I felt the need for action. The more I listened to Josephine and Bentham talk, the more I felt completely useless in future world. This world, the world of skipping classes and football Fridays, was the world where I could thrive. I couldn’t wait for the game. I rushed out of the bathroom and found coach, convincing him to sign me a pass so I could skip class and warm up my arm.
I was ready for the game. Despite being sore from my tussle with the survivor and feeling exhausted from lack of sleep, I craved the surge of control I felt as I moved my body down the football field. Apparently, my team wasn’t so ready. Maybe it was because they were pissed at me, or maybe they just got too cocky, but we were losing.
As the play clock began to wind down, I got pissed. We weren’t losing this game because of me. I ‘d shown up. I’d come to win. The team hadn’t. There was no way the defenders should have been able to break through the line and tackle me. If the team was trying to teach me something, it had backfired on them. We were going to damn well lose this game.
I was tired of my life being in other people’s hands. So, I hung out with Josephine? So what? My life. Not only were they determined to decide who I hung out with, they were going to lose me my chance of going to State during my senior year.
They could go to hell.
I wasn’t going to lose.
I was going to have to win this on my own.
After the snap, I pulled the ball to my chest. I didn’t care how many defenders were in my way; I was going to push through them. With a yell, I sprung from my position with as much speed as I could muster. My muscles screamed in protest, but it wasn’t enough to stop me. I felt every hit. I felt it in my bones. But I kept pushing through the sea of hands and shoulders. While I finally broke free, I searched out the end zone. I blocked out the sound of the crowd. I didn’t want their damn approval either.
I wanted this for me.
When I broke the plane, I fell on my knees. I could feel it all. Every moment of the shift come back on me.
I could win.
I could win.
I didn’t hang around on the field to lavish in the sounds of triumph. When the whistle blew to signal the end of the game, I picked up my helmet and started to head to the locker room. I stopped by where the cheerleaders stood and searched out Jenna. She ran to me, a bright smile gracing her face.
“You were amazing,” she beamed.
I kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s just do something me and you tonight.”