Receiving

Chapter 26

 Thomas’s POV

 The college football final is in Texas this year. I couldn’t tell you exactly where but it is somewhere in Texas and that is enough for me. Alabama arrived the day before us but we haven’t been allowed to meet them. The game is on in two hours and we are travelling as team to the game. I really want to have a conversation with Luke and Riley.

 Alabama was already there and on the field but not much football was going on. Josh, Luke and Riley were with a couple of other guys. Riley was on Luke’s shoulders. She stood up and balanced on his shoulders for a minute and then flipped off.

 I headed into the changing rooms. The atmosphere could tell you that this isn’t like other games. This game is massive. When we head out to warm up Alabama are actually using a football but it still isn’t what you would usually see on a football field.

 They kicked off so we had the ball first. I am the second-string quarterback so I’m not on the field and probably won’t be all game. Their defence stopped us on the twenty yard line and we kicked a field go to up 3-0.

 Riley was part of their starting attack. They were on their twenty four yard line. The first play was a running and got them 11 yards. The next play was a long play. I noticed that Riley and the other receiver where both running in the same place, like they were both going to catch the ball but it was way too high for where they are.

 The receiver knees down and Riley jumps onto his shoulders. He stands up allowing her to catch the ball. With it under one arm she flips off the receivers shoulders. She lands past the defence. It takes them a second to realise that Riley is past them. By the time they have turned around to chase her she is half way to the end zone.

 No one has a chance of catching her. She reached the end zone seconds before the closest defender. She smirked and walked up to her team mates and high fived them. Their kicker easily kicked the extra point meaning they were up 7-3.

 Alabama were thrashing us. It wasn’t even close, as they were up 35-9. Riley really helped them and the skills that she brought were so different and we didn’t know how to defend against them. With two minutes left in the game they have the ball. Riley had help Alabama gain 58 yard in the last 3 plays. One of the defenders has had enough and when she starts to run at the start of the play he just picks her up and dumps her head first on the ground.

 The whole stadium is quiet. Everyone moves back except for Josh and Luke. One of the medical people runs up as she sits up. They start to have a discussion. I’m not close enough to hear. Riley pulls her helmet off and the medical person kneels down to look at her.

 She ends up standing up and pulling her helmet back on. Luke gives her a high five and they continue. The final score is 42-9. After the game finished Luke lifted Riley up onto his shoulders. She threw her helmet onto the ground and flipped off. The whole team crowded her.

 Our team was devastated. We thought that we had a good chance at beating Alabama but clearly not. The presentation came and went and then I headed over to talk to Luke and Riley. Luke had one arm draped across one of her shoulders and they both smiling broadly. Riley had been named final MVP.

 “What do you want?” Riley asked.

 “I want to talk to you, not responsible whatever,” I said.

 “You already have,” Luke laughed.

 “No I haven’t” I snapped.

 “Thomas, Responsible Incharge Leader of Electrical Yaks in an acronym for Riley,” Riley said laughing.