assistant coach • sam hubbard

017

november 5th, 2022

marley brown,

you may not coach in today's bengals game against the panthers.

we have been informed that you have special relations with defensive end, sam hubbard.

because of this, you shall not be allowed to coach. either you quit, or he quits.

if your decision is not announced within the next 48 hours, you both shall be suspended.

the only other option is if you both break up.

sincerely,
the nfl organization

marley couldn't believe it. she had to leave the job she had worked so hard to get. she wasn't going to let sam lose his job, this is the only option.

she, more than anything, didn't want to break up with him. she loves him more than anything in the world, but that's the exact reason she has to do this.

"hey, marley." sam asked. "i'm gonna head to the store to get some ice cream, i really want some."

"can i talk to you about something?" marley asked stopping him before he walked out the door.

"yeah, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing her worried expression. marley showed him the email. he read it, he became furious. "that's bull." he said.

"i only have one option, sam." marley said, biting back her tears. they both knew what the option was, they both didn't want that to happen.

"no, no, no." sam said shaking his head. "that's not happening." he said. they've been through too much together for this to happen.

"sam, read it." marley said, motioning towards her phone. "i'm going to get us both suspended. i have to quit. i need to text zach."

"no." sam said shaking his head holding her phone behind his back. "keep your job." he didn't want to let her go, he couldn't. this is a prime example of denial.

"sam, we have to break up." marley said. she hated the words as soon as they left her mouth.

"marley, don't do this." sam said. he didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. he would do anything to keep her.

"i'm sorry sam." she said. "i have no other choice." hasn't she given enough?

"marley, don't. please don't do this." sam said shaking his head. he didn't want her to go.

"sam, i love you, that's why i have to do this." marley said.

"so this is it then? we just break up?" sam said. marley nodded. his eyes began to fill with tears.

"i'm sorry." marley whispered, she walked over to him, hugged him one final time. "maybe if things were different."

then she left. that was it. he watched her car pull out of his driveway. he needed to figure something out, this couldn't be it for them.

• • •
november 6th, 2022

by the hour of game time, the entire country knew about this. but sam, the rest of the bengals, and the rest of the nfl were not going down without a fight.

they had a plan in place, that they were all ready to execute. all of the 1:00 games, the patriots and colts, packers and lions, chargers and falcons, bills and jets, vikings and commanders, and of course, the bengals and panthers would partake in this.

kickoff started, at each of the games, each team and coach member stood around the field, all holding hands with one another, like one big chained rectangle.

marley, who was watching the games at home today, saw this happening. she was beyond confused.

she was watching nfl red zone, and it showed each game, all the players, doing the same exact thing.

"players and coaches all join together in light of marley brown. they refuse to play the game until she gets her job back and is free in the sense of what she can do." the reporter spoke over the videos.

the nfl sent out a post. "we have decided to revoke the original email that we sent to coach marley brown. she may return to her position as assistant coach."

each stadium erupted in cheers. "it worked." sam said once they received the news. "it worked guys."

the games began, how they usually would. marley sat at home, she couldn't believe what had just happened. she was being flooded with dms from players telling her what happened.

she was so overwhelmed with all of this love from the league. she's never seen anything like it before. she started crying.

marley arrived at the stadium just as halftime started. "let the lady through!" jamar said as they made room for her to find sam.

she engulfed him in a big hug. "thank you so much, sam. i'm so sorry. i thought i didn't have a choice and i didn't want to do it and i," she said before same cut her off with his lips on hers.

the locker room erupted in cheers for the couple. marley looked around at the locker room of players and coaches, her friends. no, her family.

this family that they have built. this family showed her love when her blood family wouldn't.

she has a family that will always show her love, and an incredible boyfriend who would go to the lengths that he did for his girlfriend.

"speech! speech! speech! speech!" they all yelled.

"let up on them, guys. 35 to zip and halftime is a lot, give 'em a break." marley said. "also, three rushing tds? the game isn't even over yet! that's amazing joe mix." she said.

they all cheered for her. marley went back onto the field with the team after halftime, the stadium erupted in cheers and started cheering her name.

"that's all for you." sam said standing next to his girlfriend. she was in awe, watching everyone cheer her name. "we're gonna tell our kids this story someday." he said.

"i'm gonna tell how the crowds went wild." sam said.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

rollercoaster chapter