44 | Georgia
“OKAY, WE’VE GOT all the flyers in the bucket, right?” I ask Eleanor, sweat dripping from my forehead from anxiety.
“Yes, and I’ve got them divided up for each of the players. Georgia, we’ve got everything ready. You don’t need to panic!”
“But what if everyone takes a flyer and no one shows up to the actual event?”
Eleanor looks at me warily, eyebrows raised as if to say “Georgia, are you freaking serious?”
“That’s not gonna happen, Georgie,” she reassures as she gently moves my hair back from my shoulder. “It’ll all work out. Just watch.”
I smile at her, glancing towards the clock beside us, and immediately spring into a panic.
“Not if we’re late! The game starts in an hour!”
“Oh, fuck–”
We pull up to Mason Field twenty minutes later, scrambling to remove the boxes of flyers from Eleanor’s trunk as quickly as possible.
“Where have y’all been?” Danny calls, his breaths ragged as he jogs up to our parking spot.
“We lost track of time,” I explain, grabbing a box and pushing it into his open arms, “Where are Jonah and Henry?”
“They’re with the other players in the entrance tunnel, waiting for us. We’ve got to hurry… Eleanor, you look really nice.”
She smiles at him, her cheeks blushing bright red, and giggles.
Did Eleanor seriously just giggle? At a boy? What is going on?
I don’t have time to dwell on it, knowing that the game will be starting soon. Within a few minutes, the entire TU Titans football team has spread out across the entrances to Mason Field, handing out flyers to anyone who will take one.
“Glow in the Garden?” Jonah asks as he receives his stack, “I thought it was called ‘Fuck Coach Bryer.’”
“That was the working title,” I murmur, gesturing for him to keep his voice down.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” Henry envelopes me in a hug, his protective gear practically suffocating me as he does it.
“I’m proud of you,” I retort, unable to stop myself from smiling as I gaze up at him. “You made it to the Championships!”
“Not yet, babydoll,” he replies, his tousled hair falling in perfect tendrils across his forehead. “We’ve still gotta win this one. Then we can celebrate.”
He smiles in that boyish way, dimples carved into his tanned cheeks and lips rosy from the sun.
Ugh, he’s so pretty.
“We’ve gotta get to our seats, Georgie – Danny saved them for us!” Eleanor begins to pull me by the arm, away from Henry.
As we make our way through the stands of Mason Field, my heart flutters seeing the hundreds of people holding our flyers as they cheer for the Titans.
“This might actually work,” I whisper to Eleanor, my voice barely loud enough to be heard above the roaring crowd.
“Of course it will,” El remarks, shaking her head, “Ooh, here’s our seats.”
She plops down in a hard, scorching chair just a few rows back from the field. Even though it’s practically winter, the Texas sun still nearly blinds me and blazes with the heat of summertime.
“Quarterback and Captain Henry Anderson takes the field along with his team of fightin’ TUTitans!”
The announcer’s booming voice reverberates throughout the stadium, hitting us like a shockwave. Eleanor, Danny, and I all stand instinctively, cheering as the Titans take the field and get into their positions. Our rivals, the Mississippi State Mudcats, follow close behind them.
"The Texas Titans aren't going to back down, folks! They're here to snatch victory from the jaws of the Mudcats!”
The crowd roars as the Mississippi quarterback calls the first hike, officially starting the game that will decide who advances to the NCAA championships.
"And we're off! The Mudcats kick off the game with a powerful drive down the field, but the Titans' defense is holding strong!"
Jonah flies down the field towards the Mudcats’ wide receiver in a desperate attempt to tackle him, with Henry following close behind.
“McGee and Anderson following after number 85 and… touchdown, Mississippi Mudcats! What a play! Mudcats take an early lead against the TU Titans.”
The stadium erupts in a deafening chorus of boos as the rival team scores.
“Jesus, that was quick,” Eleanor remarks, sipping her drink and squinting towards the field.
I whisper under my breath – just loud enough to where only I can hear:
“Come on, Henry… take ‘em down.”
Both teams quickly line up for another play, this time with Henry holding the ball. He calls a hike and, in one fluid motion, soars the ball across the field towards a sprinting Todd Watson.
“But wait, the Titans aren’t giving up without a fight! They’re mounting a fierce comeback, driving deep into Mudcat territory! Watson catches the ball as he dashes towards the end zone… TOUCHDOWN, TU Titans!”
My ears immediately begin to ring from the sonic boom of cheers radiating through Mason Field. Eleanor and I hug each other, jumping up and down, screaming in support of the team.
“I didn’t know football was this—” Eleanor thinks for a moment. “—fun!”
“I know!” I reply, beaming. “We’ve been trapped in our nerd corner.”
“Hey! I like our nerd corner.”
She nudges me, a glowing smile on her lips, before resuming her chaotic cheering.
The game continues for a few more hours, with the lead constantly shifting between the Titans and the Mudcats, and it’s well past sunset when the last quarter finally nudges towards a close.
“Both teams are back on the field, ready to battle it out for victory. Each team only needs one more touchdown for the win. This is where champions are made, folks!”
The temperature has dropped under the beaming moonlight, and I shiver as the crowd falls silent, awaiting Henry’s call.
"Down. Green 43. Green 43. Set. Hike!"
My heart begins to pound as Henry rears his arm back, launching the ball across the field. Within a few seconds, Watson catches it, but is instantly tackled by the Mudcats’ cornerback.
“Receiver Todd Watson hits the field at the 20-yard line. It’s anyone’s game!”
There’s only seconds left, and Eleanor, Danny, and I all have our eyes, wide and anxious, glued to the field beneath us.
“They only need to make it past that 10, I think,” Eleanor whispers, without looking away from the players.
“Yeah, exactly. Do you think they’ll do it?” Danny looks at Eleanor, his lips curving into an infectious smile.
“Duh, it’s Henry,” she replies, glancing in my direction rapidly. “Of course they will.”
She’s right. Henry throws the ball down the field with the same enviable confidence he’s had throughout the game – well, throughout every moment I’ve known him. The football glides in a perfect spiral over the bright green turf before landing seamlessly in the palm of Todd Watson, just as he steps over the line into the end zone.
“What a game! The TU Titans are victorious over the Mississippi Mudcats and will be advancing to the NCAA Championships!”
Fans clad in maroon and white immediately flood the field, surrounding the players as they jump, cheer, and spill sports drinks over their heads. Eleanor and I break into laughter, unable to keep ourselves from screaming and cheering along with the crowd.
“One win down,” I yell to Eleanor and Danny, my voice straining over the roar of the fans. “One more to go!”