Playing With The Boys

Chapter 2- Tryouts

The first day went by fast. Too fast. My schedule had me moving from one side of the building to the other all day long. My day went like this:

PE

English 2

Pre-Calculus

AP Statistics

AP American History

Spanish 3

Chemistry

I couldn't concentrate all through chem. I was too busy worrying about tryouts. What was everyone going to think of me? Would I do good? Would Coach be impressed? By the time the final bell rang my mind was whirling and my heart was racing.

As I left the building I was nothing but nerves. I could see the field from where I was standing. It lay at the bottom of the hill I was on. There was about seventy guys spotted across the field. I walked down the hill and stepped onto it, breathing in the smell of the freshly cut grass.

Suddenly a ball appeared to my right. I snapped my hand up and caught it with ease before it hit my face. As soon as the ball touched my hands the nerves left my body completely. I can do this. This is all me. I'm an amazing football player.

"Hey! Blondie!" Someone yelled from the same direction the ball had come from. This someone happened to be none other than last year's starting quarterback, Senior, Hunter Michaelson. And he was running straight towards me.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing here?" He asked while reaching out for the ball.

By now most of the guys had noticed there was a girl on their field and were circling around.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm trying out." I said, putting a hand on my hip.

"Cheerleading tryouts are in the gym sweetheart." He replied, receiving a few snickers from the crowd around us.

"Cheerleading? Ew, gross. I'm trying out for the football team." I said, making a disgusted face at the word 'cheerleading.'

The boys around us erupted into laughter, all but Hunter, who remained totally serious.

"Oh really? I bet you can't even throw a good spiral." He challenged, causing the others to laugh once again.

"Give me the ball." I said, holding my hand out for the ball he had wrapped tightly in his hand. I dropped my bags and waited until he placed it in my outstretched hand.

"Go out about sixty. " I said, pointing down the field.

Hunter scoffed. "Sixty? Yeah. Right. I can barely throw a fifty-five."

"Just do it." I sighed while tapping my foot impatiently.

I watched as Hunter ran out about sixty yards like I told him to. I walked over and lined up in the endzone, the crowd gathering behind me to give me space. They were still laughing at me. Well this would shut them up.

I took about four steps back and then launched the ball down the field. It took a perfect spiral and landed right in Hunter's arms. The entire field went silent. I turned to see all the boys staring at me, most with dropped jaws.

Someone clapped. It was slow and deliberate. Coach Burns appeared from behind the boys. He was the source of the clapping.

Coach Burns was a tall man, maybe in his mid thirties. He was wearing a red state championship shirt from last year and black basketball shorts. He had a clipboard with him and was staring at me with the same expression as everyone else.

"Alex, I didn't know you could play." He said to me.

"That's why I'm here." I replied with a bit more snap in my voice then I intended.