45. Lockheart
LOCKHEART
Adrenaline is coursing through my veins. This is it. The final whistle went a few seconds ago and I’m running toward the celebration spot. The team has already gathered there, Brady has a laptop set up on the sideline, and I spot Penny, Jameson, and Jenson’s grinning faces on it.
To everyone else, it looks like a normal team celebrating a win over their rivals and getting revenge for letting them steal the league from us at our own ground last season.
A declaration to the fans that we’re back and prepared to fight for the wins.
No one knows the real reason for the elaborate scheme.
Well, no one but the team and my family.
The boys jump on top of each other and jump around in a circle.
The words of The Contours ‘Do You Love Me?’ blare out through the stadium speakers and Antony starts to dance.
Followed by Charlie, Jaxson, and Luis. The rest of the team look on as if they have no idea what’s going on.
I stand to the side with them and watch as my teammates make complete fools of themselves on my behalf.
Slowly, each member of the team starts to join in, just like we planned, until I’m the only one not participating. The crowd is roaring, eating up seeing this side of us. United, together and making fools of ourselves as a team.
Brady shimmies toward me and motions as if he’s throwing a dance move my way, but I fold my arms over my chest and frown at him. The crowd boos and I fight the smile from my lips, not wanting to ruin it with a happy Lockheart when they expect the grump.
He nudges Marcello, who grins wildly and grabs my arm. He pulls me into the middle of the circle and I stand with my arms folded still. But after a few moments, I take a deep breath, the nerves disappearing as I picture Nico’s face, and lower my arms.
As I mash potato and do the twist like the Brady siblings taught me, I keep my eyes firmly closed.
I let the steps I’ve studied rigorously happen.
The cheers from the crowd are unbelievable, louder than anything I’ve heard before, and I smile wider than I ever have as well.
I know Jenson is on the screen shaking his booty—his words not mine—at this part, but I refuse.
I let go of most of my fears and apprehension and let the words of the song hit home.
Does she love me? Does she like me like this?
I trust her and I love her more than anything.
I want her to know I’m willing to humiliate myself to show her just how much she means to me, to make her mine forever in a proposal that will go down in Heath Hampstead history.
When Coach storms over to me and pushes me in the chest, the crowd gasps in shock.
He looks furious, his eyes wild and his mouth set in a tight line.
He motions to the sideline and we mimic an argument.
The crowd is silent. And then out of nowhere, he turns around, smashes his fists together, and twists his arse off at the crowd.
Laughter erupts around us, the crowd’s going ballistic.
Marcello jumps up and down excitedly with his hands in the air, he’s happier now than when we scored our goals.
Jaxson throws himself on the floor and wiggles about as he does the worm, and then out of nowhere pops back up again and pretends to slap Coach’s arse while the boys continue to dance around them.
I take that as my cue to step to the back so the crowd can’t see me anymore, grab the small green box from Coach’s hand, and get down on one knee.
As the song ends, the team steps to the side to reveal me holding up a ring box for all to see.
Jaxson, Antony, and Charlie grab signs from the sidelines and run behind me.
They hold the signs up as I wait for my answer.
It feels like the whole stadium holds its breath with me, and I hope to God that we get the right answer, or we may have a riot on our hands.