POWER BACK

Chapter 19: Crash Into Me

Crash Into Me

Jack November

Bree still hasn't been back to school. She texted that the flu culture was negative, but the Monospot was positive. I guess she'll have to finish the semester online because she's still contagious and hella tired all the time. Ma said I need to get tested too.

"Did y'all kiss?" she asked me when I told her.

I nodded. I don't love talking about this shit with my mother.

"Okay, well you know there's a reason Mono is called the kissing disease, right? Are you tired? Sore throat? Body aches?" She put her hand to my forehead to check for fever.

I shrugged. "I feel fine."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Then she took a deep breath and looked at me the way only a mom can. "If you have it, and you play football, your spleen could rupture. Hard to survive that. First swollen gland and we're going straight to the clinic."

It's weird, but knowing that she actually is sick makes me feel so much better, mostly because it explains her strange behavior over the past couple of weeks. And, to be honest, it's kind of a relief that she won't be around for a while. We have a lot of history, from the time we were kids until recently. I don't know why, but I feel responsible for her somehow. Like her highs and lows are tied to mine, and it's only gotten worse since the night we were together. I carry some guilt about that night. Because in my mind, it wasn't her I was with. The way it happened, that it happened at all, really bothers me.

*****

It's our last game of the season. Peyton has been back on the team for a couple of weeks. Even so, she's mentally checked out. I guess after everything she's been through, I don't blame her. After we run through the banner, she keeps looking up at the stands searching for something. Or somebody.

I jog up beside her. "Looking for someone?" I ask her.

She swallows and glances over at me. "My family is supposed to be here tonight. First game of the season."

That's strange. My parents and occasionally Jess or John have been to every game. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't come—it's embarrassing getting your ass handed to you week after week in front of your family. I put my arm around her and look up at the stands, not really knowing what I'm looking for because I've never met her parents.

I'd really like to meet her parents, to see who is responsible for this marvel of a girl.

"I don't see them." I can hear the heartbreak in her voice.

Then she peels away from me and jogs over to Murph who's calling us together for the pre-game pep-talk.

"Boys! Y'all got one last chance to prove what you got. Ozen ain't the hardest team to beat, but let's be honest...neither are we. You wanna end on a win, then you gotta leave everything out there on that field."

"Yessir!" we shout in unison.

"Tonight, I want Thomas to break the huddle. Okay, Thomas? Brothers on three."

She looks up at him with surprise in her eyes. Her mouth tightens a little, like she's trying to contain some emotion she doesn't want anyone to see. We put our hands in the middle, and she places hers on top.

"One, two, three, brothers!" she shouts.

We all bark "brothers!" in response.

I don't know why, but it chokes me up a little.

We're on defense first. The Panthers ram it up the gut, gaining four or five yards at a time. Our D-line is outsized, not enough power to hold them.

They score on short runs up the middle, and Coach Murphy's about to come unglued. We jog back to the sideline, and he starts tearing into the D-line. "Goddammit, would one of you McCallisters get your ass in their backfield! This is embarrassing! Plug up the middle, linemen! Number twenty-two is getting through that damn three hole every damn play! Shuck 'em and stick 'em. Goddammit!"