7. Alice #3
“Yes. I always loved cheerleading, but that day, something fundamentally shifted in me, and I knew that one day I would be standing in the end zone professionally because I was supposed to be there.”
“I love that story, and I love that you set a goal and achieved it. Let that be motivation for all of our younger viewers out there. Dreams can come true.”
I did make this dream come true.
It was a long road, but I’m proud of myself.
“So, do you know Ryder’s favorite moment?” she asks, switching gears.
“I do. The 13U national football Super Bowl was here in the Tarpons stadium since Camping World Stadium in Orlando was under construction. A lot of the Tarpons players were in the stands watching and cheering, and after Ryder’s team won, they came down to the field to meet everyone and take a group photo with the team.
Adam Hall was the quarterback at the time, and poor Ryder was fanboying hard. ”
“Fanboying! That’s a new word I’ll be adding to my vocabulary bank. Tell us, Ryder, were you fanboying over the QB and the players?”
He flips his board, and on it says, “13U Super Bowl.”
Danica laughs. “How do you know this?” She looks at me in complete amazement. “These answers were supposed to trick you up.”
“Because he kept that photo framed on his desk all through high school.”
There were also photos of us. I wonder what happened to them? Did he throw them out? Burn them? Or store them away in a box? All the memories of the two of us are packed in a box in my parents’ garage. As much as I wanted to, I’ve never been able to part with them.
“I love that there were players at your game. I know the team is always excited to be involved with local youth sports. All right we’re still tied. Who’s going to be our winner? Question number four, between the two of you, who can run up the stadium the fastest?”
I laugh out loud, and Ryder looks over at me. He also has a small smile on his face. This is an easy one. I know it, and he knows it, but we’ll see if he answers the way he should.
“By the looks of things, you two think this question is funny.”
“Let’s just say, running was a common challenge between us,” I tell her, as both of us write on our boards. Ryder flips his over on his lap, and I pull mine close to my chest.
“Ryder, who is faster?” Danica asks him.
He hesitates, glancing at me for a second before he turns his board, and on it is “Alice.”
My smile grows even wider.
“Really?” Danica asks, loving this. “Alice, who did you pick?”
I flip my board, and it says me.
Danica claps her hands together in delight.
“In all fairness,” I tell her, “he’s faster out of the gate than I am, but I can run fast longer. It doesn’t matter if it’s uphill, downhill, or on a flat surface. If distance is involved, I’ll win,” I tell her confidently.
He holds up both of his hands as he concedes to my explanation.
“She’s always had great endurance. She ran cross country and thinks half marathons are fun.”
I gasp dramatically for the camera. “They are fun! The Gasparilla Half Marathon is a great time. Up early with friends, you get to watch the sunrise, then run down Bayshore Boulevard. What’s not fun about that?”
“Um, blisters, knee pain, chaffing . . .”
“Amateur.” I scoff.
“Insane,” he banters back, and my heart thumps in my chest.
“Have the two of you ever run this stadium?” she asks.
It was the summer going into senior year, and we were in the stadium as volunteers for the half-day summer football camps.
These are weeklong camps where kids come to learn new skills, plays, and make new friends.
I don’t remember why we decided to challenge each other to a race to the top, but we did.
Loser bought lunch. It wasn’t even close, and I think my massive win surprised us both.
“We have. She was at the top before I had even made it halfway up. I might be competitive in most things, but I have no shame in giving her this win.”
“You didn’t give me that win. I won it fair and square, and as I recall, you had to foot the bill for lunch that day.”
“I did,” he says, almost begrudgingly.
Danica laughs. I’m pleased that she’s happy with how this required marketing event is going. I did worry that it would be awkward, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m going to need some time to decompress after it. My heart feels heavy. Too heavy.
“Speaking of a winner, we’re still tied at four to four, and we’ve reached our last question. It’s a tough one, so think long and hard . . . who do you think is going to win the Super Bowl this year?”
I grin with apparent glee, and Ryder chuckles.
No hesitation. We both write our answers and then flip the boards around at the same time. In all caps, we’ve written Tarpons.
“I love the optimism! The Tarpons are definitely going to bring home the trophy this year, and it seems we have a tie. Five to five and that only means one thing.” She hesitates. “You both win a set of Tarpons tickets to give away for our first home game.”
My face lights up. “That’s great! Thank you!”
“Thank you for joining me in the hot seat today. One last question . . . Ryder, who is she giving her tickets to?”
He smirks again. “Her parents.”
He’s not wrong.