Chapter 10
10
Port Royal Academy had a lot of money. It was evident to Franny the second they pulled up to the scrimmage game in two charter buses decked out with the burgundy and white of their school colors. The boys exited the vehicles in single file, already sporting their pristine uniforms, trying their hardest to look as intimidating as a bunch of adolescent boys possibly could.
The second bus held their parents. Largely a ton of white people with coiffed hair, pearls, and Vineyard Vines’ finest.
Franny supposed this obvious showing of wealth and privilege was supposed to spook them. But as she stood off to the side while the coaches shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, she couldn’t help but take note of Greenbelt’s side of things. Just about every child on the team had a parent or family member there to support them. Team parents made sure the snack table was well stocked. Their buses may have been yellow and their cleats may have been well-worn, but they were in damn good spirits. This team reminded her of what she loved so much about sports at this level. When it was still kids and families and community coming together to create magic.
She wouldn’t knock Port Royal for what they had. But those cushy seats on the ride over didn’t mean anything for their chances of winning. Greenbelt had too much to lose this season, between Landry retiring and trying to get a championship in the process and Jade and her clawing their way toward their dream jobs, not to mention the kids working their asses off to win. They had it in the bag, Franny could feel it. And it made her feel so excited she could hardly keep the grin off her face.
“What are you over here smiling so big for?” Landry had approached her stealthily, with Dunn right on his tail.
“We’re going to win this one, Coach.” Her smile didn’t break. “I can feel it.”
“For once, I agree with her,” Dunn offered.
Franny bit back the urge to say something snarky about how the other woman had agreed with her enough to share her food the weekend before. But now wasn’t the time. They were on the same team, and solidarity was necessary in times like these, with the real enemy breathing down their necks.
“Their boys are looking good this year,” Landry said.
All three pairs of eyes cut across the field to where Port Royal was doing their stretches on the away side of the field.
“Hmmm.” Franny’s tone was noncommittal.
“They can’t beat us.” Jade’s words were so strong and sure, Franny had no choice but to believe her.
Landry’s mouth curved into the tiniest smile, his eyes fiery. “How do you figure?”
“They don’t want it like we want it,” Jade said. “They don’t need it.”
Franny nodded so much, her baseball cap almost popped off. “Look at them. This doesn’t mean shit to them. Their coach is over there sitting pretty. He’s got years left under his belt. There’s no fire in him. The kids know it.”
“And we’ve got fire in us?” Landry asked.
“Enough to tear all this shit up, sir,” Jade damn near snarled.
The words made Franny’s heart pound. Half because it was, un fortunately, wildly sexy to hear the other woman so worked up, and half because she was right. There was no way they were losing this. There was no convincing her otherwise.
Landry stared Franny down for a few moments before crossing his arms over his broad chest. For a second, she thought he was going to tell her to go home. Her breath hitched with anticipation.
“Why don’t you come over here with the other coaches on the sideline,” he said. “Let’s see how you interact with everybody in a game setting.”
Franny heard Jade suck in a breath of her own, but it was completely drowned out by the blood rushing to Franny’s head and making her ears feel fuzzy.
“S-sure,” she stuttered out, running to catch up as the duo walked away but making sure she walked on the other side of Landry instead of behind him.
The energy was even more palpable closer to the field. Franny was welcomed with a few kind smiles and nods, but her presence wasn’t treated like any kind of anomaly. All it did was bolster her. If she wouldn’t have felt so silly doing it, she might have puffed her chest out because of all the pride swelling up inside it.
Twenty minutes later, they were set to begin. Franny had watched Landry put together his starting lineup with precision. Eleven boys started on the field, a showing of all different types of players who served various purposes at various levels.
She eyed the boys on the bench and sidelines, not spotting a single angry or jealous expression. Most of them were homed in, ready to make magic happen. Jaxon Myers—the kicker—was near the watercooler having a conversation with Alonzo Holton, who played left tackle on the O-line. Whatever they were talking about seemed to be serious from the way Alonzo’s shoulders slumped more and more by the second. She couldn’t see his face, but his body language told her that someone needed to see what was up. All the actual coaches were busy elsewhere, so she made the executive decision to run over to them.
“Everything all right, boys? The game’s starting soon. Where are your heads at?”
Neither of them said a word, but Jaxon spared a long glance at Alonzo, who had his chin tucked into his chest.
“Hey,” Franny said softly, moving closer to the boy. “Alonzo, is everything okay? Has something happened? You aren’t hurt, are you?”
It was a lot of questions all at once, she knew, but their silence was making her worried. After the silence stretched on for a few more long moments, Jaxon finally spoke up.
“His dad is sick. He had to go to the hospital last night.”
“Jax, what the hell!” Alonzo was incensed.
“Hey! None of that language.” She slipped into her teacher tone instinctively. “Jaxon is just trying to help.”
“Well, he’s not.”
“Do you… want to tell me what happened?”
Alonzo heaved a big sigh, the pads under his uniform puffing out with his breath. “My pops had a heart attack last night.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry. Is he—”
“He’s alive.” The words were choked and garbled coming from the boy’s mouth. “But he could barely talk when I saw him this morning.”
“Alonzo, why are you here? You should be with your family.”
“I said the same thing!” Jaxon interjected. “He said he didn’t want to let the team down.”
“The scrimmage is important,” Alonzo said, finally looking up at her, his dark eyes glistening. “Coach Dunn always says that we can’t be part of the team if we don’t show up.”
Alonzo was taller than Franny, so there was no squatting down to try to get to his level. All she could do was put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen to me. There’s not a single person on this team who would want you putting this game before your family when you need to be with them instead. Do you understand me?”
The boy didn’t say anything, but he gave a small nod. Franny watched his face crumple in real time, his mouth turning down at the sides as his big eyes overflowed with tears until they started falling down his face.
She let out a sympathetic little coo. “Can I hug you?”
Alonzo nodded again, and she grabbed him up in her arms, holding him tightly as his body shook with sobs. She rubbed his back, encouraging him to let his emotions flow. Only when his sobs turned to sniffles and his frame stood mostly still again did she speak.
“I’ll tell you what… Jaxon?” The boy was still next to them, quiet concern written all over his reddened face. “Go grab Coach Dunn for me, will you? Tell her it’s very important.”
“Nooo…” Alonzo’s voice was muffled in the collar of Franny’s polo.
“It’ll be okay,” she said. “Trust me. I’ve got you.”
He stayed in her hold until Jaxon ran back over with Jade on his tail. Dunn eyed the scene in front of her with clear apprehension.
“What’s going on? We kick off in less than ten minutes, y’all.”
“I don’t think Alonzo is in any shape to play today, Coach.” Franny made sure to keep things professional in front of the kids.
Jade moved closer to inspect Alonzo. “Holton, talk to me.”
“I’m sorry, Coach Dunn.” The boy’s lips quivered. He looked close to crying again. “I… My…”
It became clear that he wasn’t in much of a state to communicate effectively either, so Franny pulled away from him so she could talk with Jade one-on-one. “His father had a heart attack last night. I don’t know everything, but he’s apparently still in the hospital.”
Dunn paused, then looked past Franny to Alonzo. “Does your mama know you’re here?”
She didn’t coo at him or seem overly sympathetic, just laser focused.
“I don’t know,” Alonzo said. “She sent me and Nia home with my auntie earlier today because we had been there all night. I know we were supposed to go back to see him tonight, though.”
“All right. You’re not playing today. I’m going to call your mama and tell her what’s going on, then I’m going to find somebody to take you home. Jaxon, take Alonzo over to the bench and sit with him until I get there.”
“Yes, Coach.” Jaxon nodded like a soldier who’d just been given marching orders.
“Holton,” Dunn called out before the boys left earshot. “This team is your family too. We love you. You’re not letting anybody down by taking care of yourself. Please remember that.”
“I will,” Alonzo croaked.
“And if anybody has anything to say about that, you let me know, and I’ll set them straight. Now go on, sit your butts down. I’ll be over in a minute.”
They watched the boys until they’d made it to their destination.
“Do you need me to go look in the team files for Alonzo’s mother’s number?” Franny asked.
Dunn shook her head. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve got it in my phone.”
There was an awkward silence between them. It was a bizarre thing too. The heaviness of the situation they’d suddenly found themselves in paired with the buzzing nature of competition in the air made it impossible for Franny not to get jittery.
Franny pulled at her earlobes a few times. “I barely knew what to do besides get you… It wasn’t weird that I hugged him, was it?”
“No, it’s all right to comfort them. But you can’t let that get in the way of solving the issue. These kids need help and guidance and stability. That means knowing when to be soft and when to at least put on the mask of somebody getting down to business. I may not be the one they come to for hugs, but they should always know they can come to me to get help when they need it.”
“So, what you’re saying is both of our approaches were needed and we actually made a pretty good team.”
Jade rolled her eyes so far into the back of her head that Franny was afraid they might stay there. “I don’t have time for this foolishness tonight, Lim. Let me go call this boy’s mama before you get me started again.”
Alonzo’s auntie picked him up from the field within minutes, and the opening kickoff started without much fanfare shortly after. Port Royal won the coin toss and decided to kick off, and the entire field erupted in excitement.
It had been so long since she’d felt this—the rush of pure energy that only ever seemed to happen when everyone decided to make a game the center of their universe. Franny’s heart started to thud progressively louder, and her skin grew hot, sweat beading at her temples and along the back of her neck, the thrill of a big game day pulsing in her veins.
The first quarter of the game ended without either team scoring, but as the boys shuffled to the sidelines, sweaty and covered in dirt, the hopeful looks in their eyes hadn’t gone anywhere. She moved closer to the action so she could hear what Coach Landry was saying to them.
“You’re looking good out there, boys,” he said. “Strong stances, good hustle. We need to tighten up on defense, though, isn’t that right, Coach?” He looked straight at Jade.
She nodded, the ponytail sticking through the little hole in the back of her cap bouncing. “They’re spreading their offense wide, and it’s making us scramble to find an in. So, we’re going to run our version of a Tite front.” Jade began drawing x ’s and o ’s on the small whiteboard in her hand, showing each player where they’d be. “We’re going to do what’s called a spill and kill , taking up all that space on the inside. They won’t be expecting this, and by the time they figure it out, they’ll be scrambling. Monty and Trevor, you’ll be putting in work as linebackers with this play. You be patient, wait for that ball to get downhill, then I want you to get there before they do, and I want you to make sure there’s plenty of room for our quarterback to run that ball through.”
When she spoke, Dunn was clear and concise. There wasn’t an ounce of indecision in her voice. And it made everyone shut up and listen. She didn’t even need to yell.
The boys ran back into the next quarter hydrated and, after a few changes to the lineup, with a new play.
Franny cleared her throat. “Tite front was a good choice,” she said as they watched the players get into position on the field. “Heavy for a scrimmage, but it’ll be good for scoring in the second down.”
Franny half expected the other woman to hit her with something snarky, but Dunn seemed too enmeshed in the game to keep the rivalry up in the moment.
“What do you think of their offensive game?”
“What?” Franny couldn’t keep the shock out of her tone.
“Port Royal’s offense, what are your thoughts?” Jade’s expression was almost impassive. “I can’t focus on both when I’m in the middle of strategy. I’ve got to pick one, and it’s defense. So, I want to know what you think about their offensive strategy.”
“You want my opinion?”
Jade sniffed. “I could just go ask Coach Carr instead…”
“No!” Franny almost jumped, reaching a hand out to grasp Dunn’s upper arm. Immediately, it felt like she’d been seared by something hot. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I, uh—I think they’re good. They’re active out there, and they’re good at finding our weak spots. But they lag a bit, and their coach puts too much energy into the star players. They’re not so cohesive as a unit.”
Dunn nodded, considering this. “That’s their weakness, then. Their lack of unity.”
“It’s also our advantage,” Franny offered. “Look at how our boys are communicating with one another.” She gestured to the field. Obviously, they couldn’t tell what they were saying, but their boys were talking.
They moved in sync, almost rhythmically, across the field. They kept tight after the snap, so close to one another that every one of Port Royal’s players who tried to break through found themselves on their backs.
Franny kept one eye on the field and one eye to her left, where Jade stood with her arms crossed and eyes wide. Every now and then, Jade would put a pen to the little notepad she kept in the back pocket of her coaching khakis. Franny couldn’t see what Dunn was writing most of the time, but she caught a glimpse of a few words, like eagle front and radar . She was strategizing. It almost seemed like she was thinking about the current game but also all the future ones.
Dunn was a diligent onlooker. Nothing seemed to pass by her without notice or regard.
Suddenly, there was an eruption from the crowd, even bigger than the one that had happened at kickoff. Zion Perkins, their quarterback, had the football gripped tightly as he sprinted down the field toward Port Royal’s goal line.
He was yards ahead of the other players, but their opponents were gaining on him. Zion had two defensive tackles trailing and a tangling of thrown limbs and pileups behind him.
She and Jade were standing closest to Port Royal’s goal line, and Zion was coming up the middle. Coach Landry flew past them, gripping the belt of his khakis to keep them up. Jade took off running behind him, and Franny followed on instinct. When somebody suddenly took off running, it was almost always in your best interest to follow.
The three of them went wild, yelling encouragements and screaming instructions, fighting to be heard over the crowd. Every bit of blood in Franny’s body seemed to exist only between her ears. They rang with the force of her own screams, only growing louder as Zion crossed the line, throwing the football into the dirt and collapsing into it.
His teammates threw themselves on top of him once they made it. It was an incredible sight. All that joy and exhaustion combined into one.
“Your Tite front was a good call,” she heard Landry tell Jade as they made their way a few yards back, up to where the other coaches were greeting the boys as they stepped off the field.
“Any strategy is only as good as the team seeing it through, Coach,” Jade responded.
Franny trailed behind them. This down had been a win for Jade. Not just because they’d gotten themselves into the lead but because she was showing herself to be indispensable. Franny couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy that bubbled up in her chest—but she couldn’t deny the admiration that was there either.
Greenbelt won the scrimmage 7-3. During the actual season, putting up seven was small numbers. But for an early-summer scrimmage… things were looking up.
Hours after the game ended, after cleaning up and having a coaches’ debriefing that Franny had so thoughtfully been invited to, she finally made it to her car. It was close to 3:00 P.M. , the sun high and unobstructed by clouds. Franny was thoroughly exhausted. She felt like she was drenched in sweat, and all she wanted was to take a long, lukewarm shower and fall into bed for a few hours.
She was rearranging things in her trunk, looking for a reasonable spot to put her bag and a small case of Gatorade a team mom had pawned off on her.
“You did well out there today.” Jade’s sudden presence and voice made Franny jump, immediately causing her to hit her head hard on the open trunk lid.
“Fuck!” Her hands immediately went to her head, her eyes clenched shut as pain shot through her skull.
“Oh shit.” Jade ran over to her. “I’m so sorry. Oh my God.”
Franny groaned, her head suddenly aching. She felt Dunn’s hands on her hips, guiding her to sit down on the edge of her open trunk.
“How does it feel?” Jade asked. “Can you see? You’re not bleeding, are you?”
“Too many questions.”
Jade clicked her tongue. She squatted down between Franny’s thighs, reaching up to take her head in her hands. Franny blinked a few times, trying to make sure her eyes weren’t completely deceiving her.
Then Dunn was talking to her again. “You don’t feel nauseous, do you?”
“No,” Franny groaned, clenching her eyes shut again. Her head was starting to hurt more by the second.
“How about your ears? Are they ringing?”
“No,” she whined.
“Head still hurting?”
“Hold on,” Franny scoffed. “Please tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing…” Dunn went silent. “You are not giving me a freaking concussion assessment right now.”
“Well, I’m not a medic, so I couldn’t make that call anyway, but…”
“Jesus, Dunn. I don’t have a concussion.”
“You don’t know that! You just hit your head so hard they can probably hear your ears ringing in Orangeburg.”
Franny grumbled under her breath. Her eyes were still closed, but now all she wanted was to lie down even more than she had before. “Yeah, because you scared me.”
“I know.” Dunn’s tone was dripping with guilt. “Which is why you should let me take you to the hospital.”
“Oh, I—no, no, I don’t…” Franny tried to stand up, but those hands were immediately at her waist again, pulling her back down. “I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just… leave me here a minute and I’ll be ready to drive in no time.”
The hands fell away, and for a few long moments, everything was silent except for the light breeze in the trees and the distant sounds of voices. Franny began to feel like she was actually alone.
Her peace was interrupted by a heavy sigh. “You can’t even open your damn eyes, and you expect me to believe you can drive yourself home?” Jade said.
“Damnit, I thought you were finally gone,” Franny said, squinting at her.
“Isn’t that my line?” Jade stood up. “Give me your hand.”
“Why?” When had Franny turned into such a whiny little baby?
Jade huffed. “Because I said so. Let’s go. Give me your keys. I’ll drive you home.”
Franny clutched the keys in her hand, desperate with the need to stomp her foot in frustration. “Fine. Just don’t crash my car.”
“Oh, you mean your tiny little Barbie car that a child could probably legally drive? Yeah, don’t worry about that, babe.”
Babe.
Franny’s heart thumped.
Babe.