Chapter 28
Just doing my job
With my fingers laced behind my head, I paced the hotel room, unable to stay still for more than a few seconds.
“Please, stop.” Chase moved to stand before me and put his hands on my chest, stopping me in place.
“You’re making me dizzy. What’s going on with you, man?
We were supposed to meet the team ten minutes ago for our pre-game dinner, and you’re still walking across the room like this place is about to explode if you don’t cut the right wire and you can’t decide which one it is. ”
“I-I…” My throat was parched as if I had swallowed sawdust. I coughed, trying to ease my vocal cords. “Go. I’ll meet you there in a minute.”
He shook his head. “Nope. No way am I going without you. If our captain isn’t there, the guys will know something isn’t right, and the coaching staff will ask questions.
I’m a shitty liar. I don’t wanna be on the hot seat because I am sure to stutter, and it will be grade six all over again, where I tried to cover for you when you skipped school because you’d found a stray dog.
I don’t need a repeat performance. Lying makes me sweat. ”
“I’m not asking you to lie. Just tell them I’ve decided to go to bed early.”
“Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Going to bed early?”
I offered him a noncommittal shrug. “I’ll try.”
Chase studied me, a frown forming across his forehead. “Want me to bring you food?”
“Sure.”
“You swear you’re okay?”
I swallowed. How could I tell him it felt like the walls of our shared hotel room were closing in on me? “I just need a few minutes of rest and a hot shower, and I’ll be fine.”
My answer seemed to satisfy him because his grin returned.
“Good. I’ll bring you a plate when I’m back.
Can you believe we’re playing at State, man?
Tomorrow’s game will be epic. I can feel it.
” He slapped my shoulder, relief flashing in his eyes.
“See you later. I’ll keep a seat for you at the restaurant… just in case.”
“Thanks.”
The door clicked behind him, and finally alone, I relaxed a tiny bit.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I bent forward, my elbows propped up on my knees and my face buried in my hands, and my eyes closed, counting my breaths.
It’d been a while since I felt so much pressure on me hours before a game.
This wasn’t any game, but the last one my teammates and I would ever play together and our last chance to set a record as a team.
Never before in their history had the Elk River High Bears won two consecutive State championship titles.
I evened my breathing and pictured the field we would play on tomorrow.
When we arrived in town earlier, Coach had asked the bus driver to make a small detour so we could see where the game would take place this year.
We walked on the turf, admiring the vast green space that was so much bigger than our own field.
My heart rate decelerated. The knots tightening my back loosened as I saw my guys lining on the field, the referees, the supporters filling the bleachers in my mind.
We would kick butt tomorrow. We were more than ready. For once, no players were injured or sick.
A soft thud on the door snapped me out of my visualization process.
At first, I thought I had imagined it, but when a second and a third knock broke the silence surrounding me, I moved to the door, expecting Coach to be standing on the other side.
My eyes grew big when I took in Melinda standing on the carpeted floor, a paper bag in her hands, the aroma of jasmine rice and chicken encircling us and hitting my nostrils.
“Hey. I’ve brought you food. Thought you might be hungry.”
I stared at her, not sure if I was hallucinating or not.
“Mase? Is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I blinked and recovered from my state of shock. “What are you doing here? I feel like I am imagining things right now. Weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow?”
Her lips tilted into a soft smile. “Paige and I decided to drive early. We booked a room. We thought you guys would love to have supporters a day in advance, and we didn’t feel like arriving at the same time as the school buses and families.”
“Whoa. I’m hearing you, but it still feels like a dream.”
“It’s not.” She lifted the bag of food to just under my nose. “It is real, Mase. I grabbed this for you at the restaurant downstairs. Chicken breast, steamed broccoli and carrots, wild rice, a baked potato, and a green salad. Chase said it was your favorite meal the night before a big game.”
“Yeah.” I recovered from my daze and moved aside to let her in. “You brought food. I hope you’re staying.” I raised one eyebrow, waiting for her to answer while I kicked the door shut.
“Maybe.”
“You are.” I took the bag from her hands and placed it on the dresser. “Wanna share?”
“No. Paige and I grabbed takeout on our way here. We left later than we had planned for, so we decided to stop to eat. Do you have water, though? I’m thirsty.”
I uncapped two bottles from the sixteen-pack I’d brought with me and offered Melinda one.
We sat cross-legged on the bed, and I attacked my food, hungrier now than I was minutes ago.
“Chase told me you felt off…”
I swallowed a mouthful of chicken. “He said that?” I hated the idea my best friend was telling everyone I was on the verge of a panic attack earlier.
“Don’t worry. He told me in confidence when he took me aside after I asked why you weren’t eating with the team.”
I pushed my plate away, a new set of knots tying my stomach. Closing my eyes, I counted my breaths.
“Mase?” Melinda’s fingers grazed my hand, and I relaxed. “Wanna tell me what is happening? Is it your shoulder that is bothering you? You haven’t said a word about it since you confided in me about hurting it last summer?”
“Nah. My shoulder is fine. I think… Remember when I told you that sometimes I freak out and let other people’s expectations get to me?”
She nodded.
“Tonight is one of those times. I keep replaying everyone’s words of encouragement in my head—Coach, the guys, my parents, Principal Ross.
Even though they all meant well, they also told me to bring my A-game.
Principal Ross and Coach want us to make history by winning State a second time in a row.
The thing is… I know we can, and we have what it takes, but my brain is having trouble right now shutting down the voices in my head.
It will be okay. I just need a little more time to get in the zone. And some peace and quiet.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No. Please. Stay.” I returned to my food. “This is freaking good. Where are you sleeping?”
“Second floor. Room two-twenty-two.”
“Twenty-two…my favorite number…”
“And your jersey.”
“Mel, you know what it means, right? You’re my lucky charm.” I pulled her hand and rested it on my knee, drawing circles on the back with my thumb.
“I am not.”
“You are. Did you…did you bring the jersey I left at your place? Your dad told me he would give it to you.”
“Yes. It’s in my bag.”
I exhaled my relief. “Tomorrow will be a great game.”
“You think?”
“I’m sure.”
Retreating a step, I extended my arm back, adjusted my grip on the pigskin, pivoted, and then voiced a prayer as I threw a Hail Mary.
With my eyes half-closed, I followed the ball and hoped my brother was in sync with me to catch it.
It was a long shot, but with seconds to go and over thirty yards to cover for the win, it was all or nothing.
Seconds felt like hours.
My heart jumped in my chest.
If Craig caught it, we would set a new record for the longest pass in high school football history.
I perused the field. Playing here felt like a dream, and I tried to burn as much of this moment to memory as I could.
We’d almost lost in the semi-finals, but we pushed through, even though two of the guys were hurt.
Today was the pinnacle of my high school football career.
The one day that would cement the efforts of the last four years of my life.
Silence fell upon the stadium.
All eyes were on the ball slicing through the air in a perfect spiral.
My heart lodged in my throat. I had given the game my all today, and the fate of our victory resided in this one pass.
Time slowed.
I watched the space all around me. The coaches were waiting with bated breath, following the trajectory of the ball spinning above our heads.
The entire crowd stood, most of the people wearing our colors with their hands folded in prayer.
Sweat pearled on my forehead, a drop rolling into my eye.
I found my girl with my number displayed on her chest, and our gazes collided. She nodded at me, and it filled me with a new surge of confidence.
I turned my head to watch Craig, running with his arms stretched above his head, never losing speed, his gaze trained on the ball while he avoided the guys after him with twists of his body and jumps.
Time resumed its speed.
My brother was the fastest guy I knew. He was a force to be reckoned with on the field. One hell of a badass football player.
All his movements screamed confidence and precision.
The ball rotated in a perfect curve, its brown shade a contrast to the early December ice-blue sky, landing between his hands, milli-seconds before he crossed the end zone.
Touchdown.
The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer. Helmets were thrown in the air.
Two players emptied the sports drink cooler over Coach Roberts’s head.
A wave of navy-blue surrounded us, our supporters screaming and clapping.
Running as fast as I could, I reached Craig as he was being shoved around in celebration by our teammates.
Unable to hold back the grin forming on my face, I lifted him into my arms and twirled him around.
“Man, I knew you were the greatest, but I’m still impressed you caught that pass.
” He was, without a doubt, the best wide receiver in Michigan and had just proved it once again.
Big time. Yeah, raw talent ran in our bloodstream.