Axel's Daisy

19 • Axel

  This was my moment to prove I was my dad's son.

  As I took in the grandeur of the massive football stadium, I couldn't help but miss my dad. He used to be the loudest parent in the stands, always cheering me on with unparalleled enthusiasm. I wore my jersey and helmet, the wind whispering through my memories of playing chase on the field or the times he had placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and urged me to give it my all.

  Without my dad's belief in me, I wouldn't have played football since childhood.

  After dropping Destiny off, we exercised one last time and were as ready as ever. Coach Landon and the guys emerged from the locker room, and we gathered to discuss the Pistol Offense—a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single-back offenses.

  As the crowd began to form, we lined up and prepared to march to the center of the football field. Brady and Alex were behind me, exchanging fist bumps. Coach Landon and I had agreed that I would deliver the motivational speech to lift the team's spirits. I stepped out of the line and faced them all.

  "We have to be cohesive," I began. "We need to know what victory means for us. We are one team, and nothing can break us if we stick together." I looked at each of them in turn. "We are the Warriors. Each of us has a reason to win, so let's go out there and kick some ass." The team erupted in cheers, raising their hands together and tossing them in the air.

  The sports announcer introduced us: "Give it up for the Warriors, led by their superstar Coach Landon." The tension in the stadium was palpable as we stepped out to a roaring crowd. We formed a solid line as the commentator announced the opposing team.

  The Beavers had a history of poor performance under their short coach. They had lost every game they played and had even failed to cheat their way up the rankings the previous year.

  I lined up four yards behind the center, closer than the seven-yard setback in a traditional shotgun formation. The running back lined up three yards directly behind me, unlike the shotgun, where they are positioned beside each other.

  My position in the pistol formation offered an advantageous compromise: I was close enough to the line of scrimmage to read the defense, as with the I formation, but far enough back to provide extra time and better vision for passing plays, as in the shotgun.

  The pistol formation was highly versatile, especially if I was a threat to run the ball, making it hard for the defense to predict the play. This flexibility was further enhanced by the option, where I read one or more defenders' reactions to the snap and then made a quick decision to either hand off the ball to the running back or keep it and run. I chose to run, pushing through each opponent as the chants grew louder. We scored, leaving the Beavers trailing far behind.

  The Beavers muttered curses as Coach Landon continued to motivate us. Our fans went wild, creating waves in the bleachers. My gaze drifted to the girl in the right corner, who flashed me an electrifying smile that filled me with energy.

  "Rebellious move by the Warriors!" the commentator announced. "It's 1-0 with only ten minutes left." The Beavers appeared nervous as we got ready for the next play.

  Brady had the ball and darted through their defense before passing it to Reign, who then threw it to Alex. Despite the Beavers' attempts to tackle Alex, the ball ended up back with me, and I was close to their goal. I launched the ball towards the goal just as another Beaver shoved me to the ground.

  The game ended with the whistle, and our bear mascot danced around the field. We were out of breath, with Brady helping me up as the rest of the team celebrated. The Beavers shook hands with us, despite their obvious disappointment.

We erupted in celebration. Brady and I hugged tightly, laughing as we tumbled onto the grass. Our team danced and high-fived, the band played triumphantly, and the crowd's cheers filled the air.

The bear mascot danced around us, adding to the chaos and joy. I spotted Reign, pulled him into a hug, and felt pure happiness. It was a perfect end to the game, a moment of pure victory and camaraderie.

  After the team celebration, I noticed a shy auburn-haired girl on the sidelines, looking cute in a white skirt and pink shirt. I ran up to her, lifting her in a hug as she giggled. I didn't care about being sweaty or who saw us; I leaned my head on her neck and inhaled her sweet strawberry scent as her fingers gently combed through my hair. I spun us around until I heard a snapshot and saw Jade grinning at us with a Fujifilm camera.

  Destiny's cheeks flushed a warm, radiant pink, like the first light of dawn spreading across the horizon. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise and shyness, and a small, genuine smile played at her lips. It was as if her entire face was blushing in response to something incredibly sweet and unexpected, and it made her look breathtaking.

The fact that she was still in my arms made me feel the weirdest tingles in my chest.

  "I just had to," Jade said with a quirky smile before heading over to Brady to congratulate him.

  I kept my arms around the petite girl, who looked up at me with pride in her eyes. I must have looked like a lunatic with the grin on my face, but I felt whole as she praised me.

  "We did it," I corrected her softly and whispered in her ear, "You're going to wear my jersey for the next game."

  She blushed deeply as my team continued to dance around us. In that moment, I had never felt so complete.