Endgame: A Love Story

Chapter 2: Football Practice

[Shake It Off (Taylor's Version)- Taylor Swift]

*Tyler*

Coach Karlson blew the whistle loud and hard. We were almost halfway through practice and although we were high up in the standings, Coach never cut us any slack. He had us running laps, marching up and down the bleachers, and now push ups. With one hand. 

Austin, our newest player, leaned over to me, his face covered in sweat under his red and white helmet. "Please tell me it's over." He said panting. The sun bore down on us. It was a beautiful cloudless day.

I grinned. "Fat chance. And this is just the warm up. Don't let him catch you conversing during practice or he'll have you running laps again." I've taken Austin under my wing the past two days, showing him the ropes. As one of the senior members of the team, I was usually in charge of taking care of the newbies. And preventing him from getting hazed too much by the bigger guys.

"It's not the laps that are killing me, it's the push ups." He said, wiping the sweat from his brow. Austin was young and could benefit from some conditioning in the gym but he could be lightning fast when it mattered. And we needed that speed if we were going to make it all the way to the end. A great addition in my opinion.

"Let's do a gym session on Friday. Ethan and I'll take care of you." I said, patting him on the back. He shot me a grateful smile. I remembered what it was like being the new guy on the team. And also being roasted for not being as big as my famous brother. While my brother Tate had always been a six foot five muscular beast since high school, it took me a while to fill out.

Coach Karlson motioned for us to huddle around him as he broke down tomorrow's game notes. We were facing Austin's old team the Boston Bisons for the first time in the season so it was sure to be a spectacle. The rivalry was well known as we've been the top two teams vying for the Eastern division title in the past few years.

Chicago Kings fans always showed up. That's why it was so much fun playing at home. Everyone on the team was talented but the energy from the crowd made everyone even better.

"Listen up boys, tomorrow's game is going to be heated so I need you all to be ready. That means no drinking tonight, and no staying out late. Be in bed by 10 and be alert for tomorrow. I don't want to see any careless mistakes out there. That goes for everyone, even Mr. Quarterback." He said, giving Ethan a friendly slap on the shoulder. Ethan stood there with his arms crossed, his face serious as always when he was in game mode.

When Coach Karlson wasn't looking Ethan and I exchanged looks. We both knew there wouldn't be any errors. It wasn't coming from a place of arrogance but just hard-earned experience.

We've been playing together for almost seven years and we were more in sync than a pair of Olympic synchronized swimmers. It was almost as if we could sense each other's presence on the field without even looking at each other. Every throw he made somehow found me in the end zone. Ethan joked that I had Spidey senses. The commentators called it "great awareness on the field". I didn't care what people called it as long as Ethan and I got to play together and win championships. The media called us the most incredible duo they've ever seen in football history.

Coach turned to look at me. "And that message is for you too Tyler." I held back a smirk. Coach and I went way back and not in a great way. He was an assistant coach when I played at the college I got suspended from in the first year. The only reason I was able to play pro was because my big brother was able to beg them to take me back. He had a lot of pull at the school since he was their biggest sports star post-graduation and made yearly donations with his fat football salary.

When my one year suspension ended, someone had already replaced me for the quarterback position so I ended up playing as a tight end. I figured that I had to make the best of the situation. It wasn't the position I dreamt of playing growing up but it ended up being a blessing in disguise. I spent hours studying tapes and watching how others played my position and the work paid off. This year Ethan and I were predicted to be named the best players in the league and our team was one of the frontrunners to win the Super Bowl.

I nodded, trying not to laugh. Coach Karlson intimidated the heck out of me when I was a freshman at college but I've filled out since then, got even taller, and now was one of the most recognizable players in the league. The power dynamic had shifted and I knew he hated it. I loved getting a rise out of him but I was older now and knew how to pick my battles.

"Heard, Coach. I'll see you at home at 10pm." I replied, giving him a dainty wave. A couple of the players laughed and finally, he chuckled too, shaking his head. He smacked me on the shoulder, a wry smile on his face. "Riley, you're not my type. Now get back out there. Ethan, you're leading drills."