God's Field |COMPLETED|

Chapter Twenty-Three- Last Easy Game

   

     I sat on the bench in the locker room, twirling Dimitri's bracelet between my fingers.  It was half-time and I had a fifteen minute break.  The Carolina Panthers were one goal ahead of us and playing well; they had a new coach come in over the summer and it has greatly improved their playing. 

     I didn't know if I wanted to win this game, but the bracelet I held reminded me I had to.  Dimitri would be ecstatic if we made it all the way and won.  "What's with the bracelet?"  I lifted my head to see Lucas standing in the doorway.

    I smiled at him, holding the bracelet up, "it's from Dimitri.  He said if I wore it on the field, then technically he was on the field too."  Lucas walked over to me and I handed him the bracelet. 

     He spun it around, so he could see all of it, "Jacob, I just had an idea, but I want to run it by you."  I nodded for him to continue.  He handed the bracelet back to me, "what if we made bracelets like this one for your friends?  As a way to honor them." 

     I looked down at Dimitri's bracelet, a string of warmth trailing within me, "I think that would be perfect, but I don't know if our guys would want that."  Lucas gave me a soft smile, "they will.  You're our captain, we'll stand behind you."  He walked over to me and offered a hand, I slipped Dimitri's bracelet on, and he pulled me up.

    We walked out into the hallway where most of the guys were drinking water.  They looked at me and quietened down.  "It's the last half guys, let's give them something to watch." 

     Cameron smiled, "Let's go boys!"  The team came to life with excitement, hyping each other up as we made our way to the field.  There was no question, we were going to win this. 

     We were all fired up and the audience fed off of our energy, shouting and hollering for us.  We had to delay the game a week due to Coach Sanders' injury and it ended up storming after we left the hospital.  Everyone was ready for this game. 

     I spotted my parents in the stands sitting beside Leo, Riley, and Kelsey.  Just beside them, resided the whole football team; everyone had come out to support us today. 

    We swapped field ends with the Carolina Panthers and the other team began the game with a kickoff.  Cameron was hooked onto the Panther with the ball as soon as the kid had gotten it. 

     He tried to shake Cameron, but even I knew it was pointless.  He was sharp, quick, and smart- sometimes even I couldn't get him off his game.  He hooked his foot around the ball and passed it to Lucas.  Lucas was smaller than all of us being a freshman on a junior team, but he was as quick as a fiddle. 

     He ran like lightning across the field, passing the ball to Jone.  I noticed a few Panthers starting to crowd around him, and I sprinted into action.  Jone kept the ball close, staying at a fast pace in hopes of creating some distance between him and the opposing team. 

     I was on the far side a bit behind him.  He looked up as the defense closed in and passed the ball to me.  I moved faster than usual, evading a center forward.  I needed someone in the other corner of the field, they would have a clear shot. 

    I smiled when I saw Lucas in the corner, waiting for me to send him the ball.  I reared my foot back and then let the ball soar.  Lucas swiftly secured it and sent a straight kick into the net with a shocked look on his face. 

     That was his first goal all season.  "Yeah, Squirt!!!"  Leo shouted, waving like a mad man at Lucas's bewildered expression.  I jogged over to Lucas and pulled him into a bro-hug, "yes, dude!"  His face had finally split into a wide grin, "I can't believe I made it in, Jacob, I made a goal!"