Chapter 1
“Burke, Ryder, trade off,” Coach Jeff yelled at us from the sidelines as the Varsity football team gathered in a formation during practice on afternoon of our senior year.
I shared a glance with Aiden, my boyfriend, and he shrugged his padded shoulders. I snapped my gloves and traded spots with Aiden, who was the quarterback, and he took my position as a right wide receiver.
If you are wondering why I’m on the football field, speaking in football lingo, wearing football attire instead of being on the sidelines with the rest of the female population, then let me tell you that I’m a varsity football player at Miami High. Yes, I said it, “football player.” Moving from California to Miami had changed my life drastically, and instead of doing the splits and flips, I’m on the field getting tackled by big dudes and running with a football like my life depended on it.
“Burke!” I whipped my head and faced coach, who was looking at me a little desperately.
“Yes, coach?” I asked.
“Burke, you need to focus here. Aiden is still our first-string quarterback here, but you are our second quarterback, so I need you to practice being one,” he told me.
I looked at him in shock and faced the rest of my team, who were also look at coach in shock. Seriously? I being a quarterback was just a onetime thing, and that was when Aiden was injured. I was comfortable being a receiving, and a quarterback is a huge thing to put on a girl.
But then I look at Coach Jeff’s face, the man who was like our second father, and I relented. I nodded and he sagged in relief, like he thought I was going to go in a hissy fit or something. Really? He should know me better by now.
So I took my place in front of our fullback and behind of our center, and yelled, “ 26 red light. Hike.” The ball snapped into my gloved hands and everything felt into motion, and I reacted immediately. Seeing Aiden opened, I threw a spiral in his direction, which he jumped and caught, then sprinted for the touchdown line. The corner back, played my one of my close friends, Jake, grinned at Aiden before tried to tackle him to the ground. He missed my an inch as Aiden neatly dodge Jake, and made it safely towards the touchdown line.
I smiled, and Aiden ran to me and gave me a hug and kissed me on the forehead.
“Nice throw, Alex. It’s so hot seeing your move like that,” he grinned and I rolled my eyes.
“And it’s very hot seeing you running down there,” I smiled and kissed in quickly on the cheek before coach yelled at us to pay attention. After a few more runs, with me calling the shots, we all gathered to wear coach was and took a seat on the grass.
I poured down some blue Gatorade down my throat, and took off my gloves. Already, I can see the small calluses forming, even though I wear gloves.
“Alright, you guys. So, since some of you are seniors now, I am happy to tell you that this year, we will have college scouts from all over the states to watch you guys play. I’m happy to tell you boys, that they are all on the look-out for you, so play well,” he smiled.
I didn’t miss what he was implying, that college scouts are only aware of boys. They don’t want girls on their team, even if I am good now, it won’t matter because I’m a girl. I inwardly sighed and felt resigned. I look around at Aiden and the rest of my teammates, my brother’s, face and smiled when I saw how happy they were. Their goal was to make it to the big leagues, and their dreams are so close. Despite my bitterness over the no girl playing college ball issue, I felt happy for them.
“Okay, so we have a game coming up on Friday. We have three days to practice, and we will practice, got it?” he asked.
We all nodded, and then dismissed. I climb back to my feet and Aiden offered his hand to me. I smiled and was about to take it when coach said, “Burke, stay back, I need to talk to you.”
I nodded and said to Aiden, “Go, I’ll meet you at the parking lot.”
He gave me a smile and said, “I’ll see you there.”
I then turned back to Coach Jeff who was writing something on his clipboard.
“What’s up, Coach?” I asked him.
“Alex, college is coming up soon,” he told me and I nodded.
“What you do plan to be?” he asked me.
“Well, certainly not a football player,” I murmured to him.
He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why is that?”
I looked at him and said, “Because, Coach, I doubt these scouts are even going to look at me. There are no girls on the college or professional football team, and you know it.”
Coach Jeff looked at me for a moment, and asked, “How much you love football?”
I sighed and said, “A lot.”
He smiled, “Then as your coach, I want you to try. When these scouts come, try hard! No matter what they think, show them that you are good enough to play. Show them the Alex who can catch every ball, who can run faster than anyone, and who can throw like Peyton Manning, you hear?”
“What point would that make, coach?” I asked him.
He told me in a serious voice that can scare the biggest guy on the team, “It shows that you are just as good as the guys. It will show them that just because you’re a female, you can go far and beyond cheerleading to be on the football field.”
I breathed and nodded my head, “Will do, coach.”
He smiled, and said, “Go shower, Burke. I’ll see you here tomorrow, and you will train hard as any of the guys.”
I grinned and said, “As if you don’t do that already.”
“Burke, when you are on this field, you are a football player, regardless whether you’re female or male. Now, go!”
I snickered and jogged back to the locker room. I was about to enter the locker room when the 3 C’s walked out. Candace, Cassidy, and Cameron, the three bitches at Miami High, stood like a wall in front of me and I rolled my eyes.
“Well, we heard about the college scouts thing, morphodite,” Candace sneered, “And you are never going to get in.”
I looked at them and said in my acidic voice, “And I heard about how you slept with the entire soccer team. And you are never going to be loved, bitch.”
Candace hissed and leaned close, “Alex, you are never going to win this game, so give it up!”
“I’ll give it up when you become a virgin again, Candace,” I calmly said and smirked at her.
“You can never get into football, bitch, and you know it. Just live the rest your life as a loser, because the only way you’re touching the college’s football field is if you become a cheerleader. Which I doubt you know how to even be,” she sneered.
Candace doesn’t know I was a cheerleader and I forced down a smile.
“I probably don’t but, I bet I can still do a cheer routine much better than you,” I smiled.
She scoffed and said, “I like to see you try.”
“Fine, Friday, after the game,” I answered her.
Candace shook her head out of pity and said, “Done. You are going to get humiliated, bitch. I’m the best cheerleader in Miami.”
“Then prove it on Friday,” I smiled, and shouldered past her and the other 2 C’s and into the locker room.
Candace might be best in Miami, but she hasn’t seen California cheerleading yet. She’s about to get beat by this ex-cheerleader.
***So sorry for being gone for so long! I miss updating and reading my fans comments. I love you guys so much! Thanks for remembering me, and I will start updating daily from now on.***
