POWER BACK

Chapter 6: Natural

Natural

Jack, September

I'm not really sure how this all happened, but somehow Bree is acting like my girlfriend. Mostly when we're in front of Cash. She's sitting with me at lunch today, hanging on my every word. She's constantly touching my arm or laughing at some lame thing I say. It's kind of annoying, but I think I understand vengeance about as good as anyone. And, hey, at least someone finds me attractive. Maybe not the someone I wanted, but, like I said, it's nice when a girl likes you. Or at least pretends to.

Speaking of that someone, she's storming through the cafeteria looking more pissed off than usual. She spears Bree with a death glare before continuing out the patio doors.

"What's her problem now?" I wonder out loud.

"Who?" Bree asks.

"Thomas. She seems upset."

Bree shrugs, smiling innocently at the rest of the guys.

"I think she's upset that someone shot her baby sis with a loaded coke," Lucas says and smiles at Bree.

"When did that happen?" I ask.

Darius nods at me. "Right before you came in."

That's a pretty shitty thing to do. She's just a kid. And she's new. I raise one eyebrow at Bree.

Bree just shrugs again. "Gotta establish my dominance. Can't let that chipmunk get away with making moves on my boyfriend, even if he is my ex."

It's things like this that give Bree the reputation of a mean girl. But when I look into her eyes, I see beyond her bravado. She puts on the role of bully like a mask, a disguise that hides her pain.

*****

Coaches are finally making changes on offense. I guess they're tired of losing. Coach told us that we looked like a herd of three-legged turtles in the last game against New Caney. 

He's not wrong. 

Part of the shift involves alternating me and Darius in the shot gun, running wildcat out of a single wing offense. This means Cash will handle the ball a lot less, since it'll be snapped directly to me or Darius. Maybe they've finally seen the light.

But honestly, I doubt that formation will ever make it to a game. Once Cash's daddy catches wind of it, he'll put on the kibosh. He routinely shows up to Thursday practices to "observe," our pre-game scrimmages, and usually meets with his brother to dictate which plays and personnel to run. Cash must always be the star.

Since today is Thursday, I'm not surprised that he's sitting over there with a disgusted look on his fat face. Part of that has to do with the fact that his kid has effectively been rendered neutral, and I think the other part is that Peyton always gets to play on Thursdays, since they need someone to fill in for Geno. Geno plays both ways, as a receiver and a safety, because he's the fastest guy on the team. Since he can't possibly be in two places at once, they put Peyton in as a sub on defense. She's nearly as fast as Geno, so she's the closest player we have to real-life simulation. Cain Carson doesn't like a girl on the team, period. Much less a girl who actually plays well.

The problem is, she's a natural. She can play, and I love watching her. Darius is in the gun, and he fakes a handoff to Geno. Meanwhile, I'm pushing through the line, clearing a path for Darius who's running a keeper. He breaks out into open field, heading for the end zone, but Peyton is downfield, following his trajectory, anticipating his movements. He runs straight at her like he's planning to bulldoze her, then he cuts right, but she doesn't take the bait. She buzzes her feet waiting for him to commit. Finally, she catches him at the sideline and hangs on for dear life as he continues to try and run with her hanging off him. Finally, she's able to get him down around the forty-yard line.

This is the second time she's made a touchdown-saving tackle in the same series. Everyone stands there in stunned silence except for Murph who's grumbling something at Coach C.

"I don't really care, Murph," he says. "We ain't gonna play 'er if we can help it."

I think they're arguing about Peyton. Murphy wants to put her in at safety to give Geno a breather. Playing both ways is hard on a body. But Coach Carson opposes that idea. Murph is the defensive coordinator, so when Coach C tries to run defense, Murph gets real territorial. But Coach C is head coach, and has the final say. It's a classic battle of the wills. But I think I know who will end up on top, and it won't be Murph.

*****

Okay, so I was wrong. I was so wrong! But I'm glad, and so happy for Peyton. Basically, they put her in the game against the Bulldogs on Friday for the last few minutes because Geno went out with an ankle injury.

She was awesome. She stuck to her guy so close that I'm pretty sure he wanted to pound her into the turf. I was on the sideline watching because we're still running with a three-man secondary, and I only go in on defense when we play four linebackers. Anyway, we were winning, which is pretty unbelievable given our strategies. Geno scored to put us ahead, but he did a little showboating in the end zone, which cost him an ankle. I don't really get the touchdown dances and taunting, but I know some of the guys really get into it. Anyway, they carted him off the field, and we needed a safety that could run fast enough to keep up with their receiver.

That's where Peyton comes in. She was amazing. Honestly, I get a little turned on just thinking about it.

We're talking clutch. Down to the wire. We were up by a touchdown, and the Bulldogs had the ball. In a desperate Hail Mary, they threw a pass to the receiver she was covering. He caught it, and I swear, everyone in that stadium was holding their breath as she wrapped up and tackled that big boy like a boss. It would have been bad, really bad, if he caught it since it would have given them the first down they needed to get in the red zone and score. But she was such a beast—such a beast!—that the receiver dropped the ball as a result of contact. Her contact.

It was magical.

We got the ball back in the last minute and won the game, all because of her. The funny thing is, she won't take credit. She insists that Geno had the game winning play.

But she's wrong. She is so wrong.

*****

So, anyway, that's why we have reporters here today, at a Monday practice. They've never come to a practice before, let alone a boring Monday practice. It's hilarious. And awesome.

Coaches aren't too excited about it though. Coach C is real grumpy, like we lost or something. So, they're making us run sprints. The reporters are taking notes, and they start writing furiously when Peyton wins the second sprint. I mean, she's fast, but she can't beat Darius. Nobody can beat Darius.

After practice, I watch them buzz around her like flies. But she's staying cool. She's good at that. I stand there near the field house watching her before heading to the lockers.

I'm not alone.

Cash is hanging out by the door, probably waiting to go join Coach C and Papa Carson for their strategy sesh. He's watching her too, and I can tell you that I don't like it one bit. The look in his eye borders on evil. Like he can't just be happy about someone else doing well. He always has to ponder how it makes him look lesser in comparison.

He sort of makes this weird sucking sound with his teeth and cracks his neck.

For so many reasons, I really want to kick that guy's ass.