Small Town Boy

Chapter 20

Winning is always a good feeling, but there is no better feeling than winning after a tough fight. 

"Come on boys!" Aiden cheered as we reentered the locker room. There was a chorus of cheers and hoots in response. 

"What a win!" Julian screamed, jumping on Matthew who almost fell over with the sudden weight. 

The room was elated, in stark contrast to the weeks preceding it. If we won next week, we made the playoffs. It was in our hands. The tension which had gripped the team, suffocating the spirit seemed to have eased. Even Reed, who had been looking like the Grinch at Christmas for the last few weeks cracked a smile. It had been a team performance. We had all played well. I'd thrown for two touchdowns and ran for another. It had been a tight first half, but in the second half, it was one-way traffic, only letting a pair of field goals onto the other team's score. 

Coach Hudson almost danced into the room, but he kept his cool, knowing that it was his job to make sure we didn't lose sight of the goal. He was followed by Coach Ramirez, who wore a sly grin as he entered, a clipboard slung under his arm. Like Coach Hudson, he wore a jacket emblazoned with the school's logo. Ms Nelson was last, and unlike the two men, she was full-on dancing. Perhaps it was because she wasn't strictly a coach, or perhaps it was because she was about twenty years younger than either of them. Either way, it didn't matter. The vibes were good. Owen joined a few minutes later. These days he didn't have to wear the sling, but he still had the cast. Last night he'd said he was getting it off soon, but he'd still miss the rest of the season. Even he, who was usually so stoic wore a confident smile. We had the momentum right when we needed it. It didn't matter how we had gotten it, all that mattered was that we had it. 

I sat down at my locker and began chatting with Ben as we waited for the coaches to address the team. Mateo was being picked on by some of the older members of the team. Not in a mean way, but in the same way an older sibling holds their younger sibling's favorite toy just out of reach.

"He's not going to give up, is he?" Ben shook his head slowly. 

"He isn't." I agreed, my head following him around the room. 

"So, are you sure you want to go to the party tonight?" Ben asked for what must have been the tenth time today. 

"If I didn't change my mind the first few times you asked me that, what makes you think asking again will get me to change my mind?" I asked.

"I don't know. I thought you might have gotten cold feet as it gets closer." He shrugged.

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't want to go."  I challenged him. He shook his head, but I noticed the hesitation in his face. 

"Ha! I was right." I declared. 

"No. What? I didn't say that." He stammered. 

"I can see it in you," I told him. "You know it's fine." 

"Wait. No." He spluttered. "It isn't that I don't want to go, I do."

"Then wait is it?" I asked, leaning forward. 

"Look. I know you would go even if you didn't want to because you know me and Mateo want to go. And part of me is not quite sure if you are telling me the truth about whether you want to go. I don't want to go if you don't want to be there. Do you get me? Or is that stupid? You tell me." He rambled. 

"We have been friends for so long, why would you doubt what I say?" I queried. "I would tell you if I didn't want to go. I promise I would." 

"You didn't tell me about Wyatt. Don't get me wrong, I get why you did that, and I don't hold it against you, but can you see why I might start questioning you?" He explained.