6. Coraline
6
Coraline
Junior Year
“Touchdown, Scottsdale Eagles!” the sports commentator’s energetic voice booms throughout the stadium. “What an incredible catch by number twenty-three, Jesse Cooper! I’m telling ya folks, there aren't many young men with as much talent as that one.”
Fireworks explode in the endzone, and the football team's players are hyping up the crowd by raising their arms up and down in unison.
The crowd is absolutely electric. They’re going wild, ringing cowbells and waving posters of their favorite players.
You can practically feel the excitement in the air—it’s tangible.
Tonight is one of the biggest games of the year and it will determine if the Scottsdale Eagles go to the state championship. The football team hasn’t gone to state since my parents were in high school, almost twenty years ago.
I’m standing on the sidelines in my cheerleading uniform with my squad as we cheer our hearts out for the boys. There’s less than a minute on the clock and it’s the fourth quarter. We’re only down by a few points and we have a chance to win the game.
Shae is standing beside me. This is one of the few times we don’t get separated at a school event. I’m a flyer, and she’s my backspot, so we have to be close during our routines, which I love. We’re the two kids who cause the entire classroom to get a seating chart because we can’t stop talking to each other.
She looks at me and mouths, “It’s okay, he’s got this.” I give her a small, reassuring smile.
Shae knows how nervous I always get for Jesse, especially at games like this. He’s been so stressed out about it all week, and I’ve tried to help him as much as I can.
We turn around to face the crowd and begin one of our cheers. As we go through the motions, my eyes catch Jesse’s parents in the stands. His mom, Keri, is staring straight into my soul. I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s always had this thing against me.
I quickly break her gaze, forcing myself to focus on the rest of the cheer.
I spot my family in the stands cheering along with me and my heart warms. My sister and our grandparents are clapping to the beat of our cheer while the rest of the crowd is focused on the game. They've always been my biggest supporters.
We finish the cheer and turn back around to face the game. There's only ten seconds left on the clock. We have the ball, and this is our last chance.
I start jumping up and down, cheering for Jesse as loudly as I can. I know he can’t hear me, but I can’t stop myself.
The center snaps the ball to Jesse, and it feels like time slows down. I can hear and feel my own heartbeat in my chest.
“C’mon, Jess, you got this.”
He takes a few steps back, prepares to throw the ball to the running back, then pauses.
The clock is down to seven seconds now, and the crowd is roaring.
Suddenly, Jesse takes off, sprinting toward the end zone with everything he’s got. The opposing players chase him, but they’re falling behind. There’s only one second left, and he’s so close.
“TOUCHDOWN, SCOTTSDALE EAGLES!” The buzzer sounds, marking the end of the game. He did it! We won!
The team charges the field, and we follow close behind.
Jesse rips off his helmet, and the guys hoist him onto their shoulders, cheering and some even crying happy tears.
I stand to the side, letting him have his moment in the spotlight. He’s worked so hard to get here, and he deserves this recognition.
But then, through the sea of players and students, Jesse’s eyes lock onto mine. He practically leaps out of their arms and runs straight to me, scooping me up.
“We did it, baby!” He spins us around in a circle.
“I’m so proud of you, Jess!” His lips crash against mine, and in that moment, I don’t care who sees us or what anyone thinks. It feels like there’s no one else here but him and me. Nothing else matters but the feel of his lips on mine.
“Jesse Cooper! Put that girl down and come hug your mama!” Keri’s high-pitched, grating voice cuts through our moment, as it always does. She hardly ever refers to me by my name, even though we’ve been together for years.
Jesse sets me down and turns to his family. His mom hugs him so tightly that his face is turning red.
“Okay, Keri, that’s enough. You’re going to break him.” Lloyd, Jesse’s dad, jokes.
He gives me a side hug and a pat on the back. I’ve always liked Lloyd—he’s always been so kind to me, the complete opposite of Keri.
Shae appears through the crowd and congratulates Jesse on his big win.
“Let me grab a picture of you and Cora, and then you can take one of me and her.”
Keri rolls her eyes as Lloyd pulls her away, whispering something in her ear.
Seriously, I don’t understand what her problem is. She’s Jesse’s mom, but she acts like she’s in love with him. It’s getting weird.
Jesse stands beside me, his arm around me as Shae snaps a few pictures of us posing.
I stand on my tiptoes and plant a kiss on his cheek for the camera.