Under the Lights

Chapter One

Iris - Present Day

For my whole life football has been the thing to bring my family together. Whether it was crowding together on the couch to watch the game every Sunday, or watching my brother Jase play, it has been the glue that kept us together.

Jase, my older brother, has been my role model for as long as I can remember. We may be six years apart in age, but we are still as close as ever, especially now that I've moved to Dallas with him to pursue my passion, photography. It has been a dream of mine to be a photographer for ten years. When Jase gave me the offer to come with him to Dallas and take pictures of him playing for the Devils, I couldn't refuse.

Preseason practices start today, and I just finished moving in with Jase yesterday. The team recommended he move into a condo building located in downtown Dallas because other teammates also live in the building and nearby. The prospect of moving across the country from my parents was the reason I agreed to move so easily.

I didn't go to college like most of my friends. The idea of going to school for at least four more years didn't appeal to me. Community college had the same effect. Nothing sounded interesting to me. I didn't want to be confined to an office job working nine to five every day. I want to travel the world and take pictures, and have my own creative freedom.

After graduating high school two years ago I have taken an abundance of photography classes online. I've perfected my techniques and made them unique and my own. Growing up in a small town in Virginia kept my clientele small. I crave having my big break, and what a better way to get it than by taking pictures of my famous reigning AFO Cup champion brother?

I grabbed my camera and checked my camera bag for all of my different lenses. Jase received a large signing bonus when he decided to sign with Dallas for the next three seasons and spoiled my family. He bought myself a new camera and any lens I could think of. He paid off the mortgage on mom and dad's house in Virginia and made sure they had a place here in Dallas should they ever want to stay here. Of course Jase didn't have to do any of this, he wanted to. He said we all deserved it. Maybe he did it because he felt guilty about being gone so often and for so long.

Before I left our condo, I made sure to grab the media pass Jase got me. Without it, I wouldn't have access to the field, and I wouldn't be able to get nearly as nice pictures. I'm lucky to have a brother like Jase who would do these nice things for me to see me succeed.

The Devil's stadium is a ten minute walk from our condo, and I enjoyed exploring my new city on my way there. The stadium is beautiful, sitting in the heart of the city. I flashed my field pass to the security guards and followed the noise of whistles blowing and helmets colliding. A sea of red and black uniforms filled the field as countless drills were being performed.

My eyes caught the red jersey with the number fifty-five, Jase. I smiled to myself and grabbed my camera from my bag and turned it on. I grabbed one of my lenses and snapped it on and got to work. Jase is a very expressive football player so snapping shots of him is always so fun. His facial expressions crack me up as I continue to take pictures of my big brother.

The late August heat warms me and I close my eyes and relish in the heat. A whistle blowing snaps me out of my daydreams and I continue to take pictures of Jase. He promised if I took a really nice one he would post it and tag my photography page to gain some attention and grow my account.

After a while of only taking pictures of Jase I find myself bored and looking around the field at the other action taking place. I find myself drawn to number thirteen, one of the quarterbacks. It dawned on me who the quarterback was. Noah Grey, the player who threw the perfect pick-six to my brother last season, securing the win for the Tornados. His eyes meet mine and my blood boils hot at the memory of his nasty words on Twitter after it was announced that Jase would be joining the Devils for the next three seasons. I frowned and broke eye contact first, not liking how his gaze sets my skin on fire.

Jase didn't deserve his hate towards him. Noah Grey only dislikes him so much because of what happened at the end of last season. How could he dislike someone for playing good football? The Tornados earned their championship win last season, and Noah is just bitter. I don't like his attitude towards my brother, but Jase just shakes it off. Leave it to him to be positive and nonchalant in these situations.

I take my attention away from Noah and his cloud of negative energy. I turn back and see my brother acting his usual goofy self and take a picture. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing my brother happy and doing what he loves.

Focusing my attention on Jase and not paying attention to the rest of my surroundings was a mistake. One second I'm lining up my camera to take a picture and the next I'm flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me. I sit up quickly and grab my camera which landed on the ground beside me. I quickly scan it for any damage and conclude that it survived the fall. I stand to my feet and finally notice the tall figure towering over me, the one responsible for my fall. Noah Grey. A drill gone wrong is the culprit for Noah even being over here, let alone plowing me over like I didn't exist.

"You need to watch where you're standing, you can't be here if you're going to be in the way." he sneered at me, his piercing blue eyes boring holes into my head. He didn't even ask if I was okay after he plowed me down like I was a football player myself.

I glare at him and show him the pass around my neck. "I'm a photographer, I have the right to be here. Maybe you should watch where you're going."

He scoffs at me before walking back out to the field. I wipe the turf beads off my pants and turn to see Jase staring at me. He shoots me a thumbs up as if to ask if I'm okay. I plaster a smile on my face and stick my thumb up in response.

I hang around the field until practice ends and Jase walks over and slings a sweaty arm over my shoulders. "How was the photography today Iris?"

"I think you'll be impressed with some of the ones I got." I beamed up at my brother.

He smiled down at me just as Noah walked past us. He gave us an up and down look before continuing on in the direction of the other players. I have no idea what his issue is, but he needs to lighten up a little bit. I frown at him, but he's already far away.

"I see you've met Noah judging by the way he tackled you earlier." Jace remarked at Noah's retreating figure.

"Yeah, I guess I just wasn't paying close enough attention to my surroundings." I shrugged. Of course it wasn't entirely my fault, but I should have been paying closer attention to the numerous drills happening at once.

"Be careful around him, he takes everything too seriously, and I doubt being related to me will help your case any, you know how he feels about me." Jase warns. He has always been protective over me, or at least as protective as he could have been with how he was always gone for football.

"I know Jase, anyone who has nothing nice to say about my brother has nothing to do with me." I squeezed him into my side and we walked into the stadium together, the promises of a good season for both of us hanging over us.