All Eyes On Me | All American

Chapter 4 (Revised)

                     Friday arrives, and it's game day. The anticipation in the air is palpable, the stands are packed, a sea of enthusiastic spectators dressed in Beverly's colors, with the occasional loud cheer. I always love game day, always felt like crowd were feeding me their energy. But this time around, Spencer and I aren't on the field, but sitting on the bench, watching the game unfold. It's clear that both teams are hungry for a win.

The game is intense, with both teams trading blows and showing off their skills. Beverly's offense is aggressive, making quick, decisive plays, which the defense works hard to counter every move. Every tackle, pass, and touchdown is met with cheers and groans from the crowd. Beverly is holding its own, though it's clear there's a lot of room for improvement.

Jordan's makes a few impressive throws, landing a couple key passes that advance the team down the field. The running back is fast, weaving through defenders with agility, but the opposing team's defense is strong, putting up a fierce fight. One moment it's in Beverly's favor, and the next, the opposing team makes a big play and shifts the momentum. The clock ticks down, each second feeling longer than the last.

"You see that?" Spencer nudges his head over to the opposing team player limping. "He's hurt."

"Yeah," I nod. "He's been pulling up on his right hamstring after every play. If Asher runs a pick on him, Jordan runs right, JJ and Mike can bring it in for the win."

"But can they take them?" Spencer questions. "That's the question."

"Do you think you can take them?" Billy questions, arms crossed and looking down at us.

Spencer looks at me with a smile before saying, "I know we can."

"Let's find out," Coach blows his whistle, stepping forward. "Ash! Mike!" Coach signals them over, pointing to the bench. "Good stuff. Good stuff. Spencer and Samantha's going in."

Securing my helmet over my head, Spencer and I jog onto the field to join the team in the huddle. "Is Coach crazy?" One of the guys says, I can never remember his name, something with a K, I think. Kyle? Kendrick? Kendall? Probably Kyle. "Why is he subbing Mike in for her?"

I love it when guys underestimate me, I always get the opportunity to shut them up.

"Her name is Samantha," Spencer tells him.

"It's not time for that right now," Jordan says. "Ex pick, TB rule, left on one, on one. Ready?"

We break the huddle and start to get into position, I turn to Spencer to ask, "What happens when a James touch a field?"

"It turns gold." Spencer answers, tapping his shoulder against mine before he gets into position.

"52. Watch 52. Here we go! Hut!" Jordan drops back and scrambles to the left, while Spencer and I take off to the right.

I sprint ahead, positioning myself to cut off any potential routes. As I close in, I spot Number 52 from the opposing team moving to intercept. I duck in front of Number 52, effectively blocking his path and creating an opening for Spencer. Spencer seizes the opportunity and charges in, delivering a powerful tackle that sends both him and Number 52 crashing to the ground.

The collision is so intense that I'm inadvertently caught up in the aftermath, getting dragged down in the scrum. We all tumble and roll on the grass, and as we hit the ground, I look up just in time to see Jordan break free and sprint into the end zone, scoring the touchdown.

"Maybe being defense isn't so bad." I tell Spencer got to his feet, he extends his hand to help me up. "But it has nothing against being a wide receiver."