The Rules | ✅ Completed

Chapter 63

There was a new surge of energy as we warmed up after our few minutes in the locker room. The fans were on their feet as we entered the stadium again. The sharp clapping and crackling noise makers made my ears ring. The cheering and chants were still muffled as they tried to be heard over their neighbors own excited encouragement.

I thought that my brother's little speech was going to be enough to reignite our team. It hadn't been intended for the entire team to hear. He was working on firing up his defensive brothers. Inspiring them to give this second half their all. It had drawn the attention of the offensive players beside me and soon the locker room was filled with deep growls of agreements and promises of taking down any that stood in the way of that trophy.

Coach Gilly and Corey hadn't seemed phased by Lucas stealing us away from them. We hadn't finished going over the changes to the game plan when the roar of my brother's questions sent goosebumps rippling over my skin. I could see an exhausted grin working its way onto Shane's sweat coated face. Joseph's head was tilted back, a throaty response cutting off Corey. Finn looked down at me as he followed Joseph's booming answer.

Once a group of unruly boys, always a group of unruly boys.

My arm was stretched out across my chest as my other one trapped it and gently applied pressure to loosen the muscles. My waist twisted slightly with it as I tried to wake up my entire body. Shane dropped his arm on my shoulder pad and used me as a crutch as he studied the field. There had been a flicker of concern as he watched the team across the way doing their own warm ups.

"I need you to make me a promise, little Lester," he mumbled. He still hadn't bothered to look at me since we'd left the locker room.

"Is now really the best time for this?" I gestured lamely to the obvious surroundings and people. "Really?"

"Don't pull a Finn, or a Lucas, out there? If you get rocked, say something. You know they aren't holding back and they'll really be gunning for you now that you're in the pocket. We also don't need you going after anyone for saying something nasty."

"You make it sound like this is my first game."

"It might as well be, Laine." His serious stare was a strange sight on his otherwise perfect face. It was rare when Shane wasn't being a goof or flirting. Right now, he was making me more nervous than I had been in a while. "Those guys might have been playing fair on the surface and staying within the rules during the first half. They were in the lead then. They had control of the situation. That's not the case anymore."

"Do you really think they'll get that rough and dirty?"

I glanced back at the monsters who we had embarrassed countless times in the last quarter. One trick play after another. They bought every single one of them and even gave up their own blitz tactic. If I were two hundred pounds of pure muscle being yanked around by a girl, I'd be looking for that one play to end a season. Maybe even two if my ego was bruised enough. Judging by the hungry eyes honing in on me, I'd be lucky to get one pass in the air before I was laid out counting the stars circling my head.