Ruining the Plan

Chapter 7 Scoreboards and Setbacks

Ashton's POV:

I've always been told to never look at the scoreboard during a game. Especially if you are already distracted and your head is not where it is supposed to be. Well, that's pretty much me right now because I'm looking at the scoreboard, distracted, and with my head no way near in this game tonight.

The score is 27-21, and we are losing. I should be more focused, especially on a night like tonight.

The announcer says, "The Liberty Lions currently have the six-point lead against the Willow Bridges Bulldogs after making a touchdown, but they're about to make a field goal attempt. If they make this the Bulldogs could have a tough time coming back from this. We are about halfway through the fourth quarter, and almost two weeks away from playoffs." He pauses. "Number 12 for the Lions sets up the field goal," Pause. "And the kick is good! Which means our current score is 28-21 with the Lions in the lead."

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath. It's going to be hard, but everyone on our team better put 110% on that field or there is no way we're making it to the playoffs.

I look over toward the bleachers towards the 'Loud Crowd' in the student section. William, Charlie, Jaiden, and Brayden are up front starting a cheer while everyone screams it as loud as they can. But, I find myself looking for her.

She isn't there.

I've been distracted since Nathanial and I saw her watching us getting ready for the game earlier. Which is exactly why I blew her off. I can't be distracted while playing, not today. Distracted is the wrong word to describe it, but I can't think of a better one right now.

This is the final game before the playoffs. If we win this game tonight, we will have only one loss and will qualify to go to the playoffs. I can't mess this up, not when most of the weight is on me and my QB1's shoulders. Someone yells my name, and I look back towards the field.

"Hey, Westwood! Get your head in the game, come on! It's time for the offensive line-up to get on the field, go!" My coach yells and motions for me to run out onto the field. I put my helmet on as I run out onto the field. Our QB1, Senior Christopher James, motions us over to him. We circle up.

Christopher and I grew close to each other and have been tight ever since I came here. He has been the starting Quarterback since his Freshman year, and he is an absolute beast on the field. In his Freshman year, we went to the State Championship and won. To say the least, every team we go against is basically terrified of him. There's never been a single time that he has missed throwing a pass to me.

"Alright guys, I'm going to make this quick, but you need to listen to what I'm going to say." We all nod. "We all have worked our asses off this entire season to get to this point and only had one loss the entire season. That's all well and good, but that's going to end tonight if we don't get our heads in this fucking game! Do you hear me?"

"Yeah!" We all shout.

Christopher starts again, "Alright then! Are we really going to lose against the Liberty Lions on our own damn field?! Are we going to let that happen?!" We all shake our heads and there's some scattered talking.

"No! We are not losing here tonight alright? Ashton, back me up here man." I nod

"Alright, everyone! I can tell you one thing for sure about how we've all been playing tonight, you all are not giving it everything out there! If we even want a chance at winning right now then we all have to give 110% on that field, alright?" I shout.

"Yeah!" The team yells back.

"Then, we need to get the hell out there and leave it all on that field. No regrets will be left on that field, you hear me!!"

"Hell yeah, Ashton!!" Christopher and Nathanial shout in unison.

I shout as loud as I can, "I do not care if you had a great day or a shitty day today! Now, some people on that team have some problems with us, alright? So we have to be there for every damn person on our team on our field! We are going to leave the Liberty Lions in the dust on this field! It is called The Bulldog Arena for a reason! Let's show them why fellas!!"

Christopher announces what plays we are going to be running for the remaining time left in this game, we mentally and physically prepare for what has to be done.

We all put our hands together as Christopher shouts, "Bulldogs on three, Bulldogs on me!! One, two, three!"

"Bulldogs!!" We all shout and then clap our hands together. We get into formation on the field. Sure enough, I'm right in front of Cameron, number 28 on the Liberty Lions.

"Sup, Ashton, you good man?" He says to me.

I scoff and shake my head, "Nah, man you betrayed this team and left us like it was nothing. You think you are too good for us now?" I ask and pause for a second to listen for Christopher to start the play, but nothing yet so I say, "You are going to wish you were still a Willow Bridges Bulldog and not a Liberty Lion when we beat all of y'all tonight, Cam."

He shakes his head, "Nah, you are going to wish you came with me, Ash. Then, you would be beating your old teammates like I'm about to do, and not to mention, you would have a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Y'all are the ones who are too cocky for your own good, someone has to show your asses who owns the field."

I dig my cleats into the field, "That supposed to be a threat, Cam?" I ask.

He laughs it off and shrugs, which makes me even more pissed. "You forget that I know all of y'all's plays?" Cameron says.

Christopher yells the play, and I get ready. "Set, hike!" Christopher shouts. I run down the line at the same time that Nathanial does. He fakes the pass to Nathanial before throwing it to me deep as I run down the field toward the end zone. I jump up to catch the ball and then start running toward the end zone.

"Number 47, Ashton Westwood Laurent, makes a phenomenal catch! He's at the 40!" The announcer says.

I run as fast as I can across the turf field, I pass the thirty-yard line. No one can stop me now, I think to myself. I hear fast footsteps running close behind me and then-

I get slammed onto the ground landing on my left arm to try and break the fall. The pain shot up my arm like it was on fire. I scream in agony and clutch onto my left arm with my right one. It exploded throughout me and inside my head. I turn myself up and look at him.

The ball gets fumbled out of my hands as Cam picks it up. "Remember your place, Westwood." He says to me before running off with the ball. His voice sounded foggy as the stadium lights seemed to get blurrier. I fight to keep the tears from falling down my cheeks and bite my cheek to keep myself from screaming again.

The refs blow their whistle and start running toward me. But, Nathanial gets here first and shouts "Are you okay? What the hell happened man? What did he do?"

All I can manage to yell out is, "My arm!! My arm!!" While clutching onto it. The piercing pain was spread throughout my left arm down to my left hand. "Agh!" I cried out.

"We need medics over here, now!! " I hear him shout faintly. Everything gets dimmer around me. Everyone was around me now, my coach, the refs, the medics, and Nathan was still there too.

"Nathan, listen to me," I say and he looks at me. "You have to win." Then, just like that, everything dissipated, and the world went black in an instant.