The Story of Tonight (lams)

2. Tryouts

Tuesday

When the last period bell rang, the students fled the building like there was a fire to get ready for athletic practices and games. I followed the crowd outside and stayed close behind Hercules (who was 'managing' the football team for athletic credit) to the football field. There was one other new boy who were planning to tryout.

I don't think I have any football experience, but Lafayette insisted that I tryout. "In middle school, I was kicker on my football team, but the ladies loved me." He said with a toss of his hair.

I knew they were right. Not only would being on the football team help me climb the social ladder, but it would also help cover up the fact that I'm gay. Even though I've seen multiple gay couples roaming the halls of the school, I assumed that it wasn't something that everyone was okay with, and certainly wouldn't help me not be eaten alive.

On one side of the field was football practice, and on the other side was cheerleading practice. I saw Eliza wave a pom-pom at me when she saw me, and I gave a smile and a wave back. I watched the team warm up and do drills for a while, and thought of millions of other things I could've been doing right then.

"Alright team! Gather 'round!" The coach, Phillip Schuyler said. From what I'd heard, he was filthy rich, and got away with whatever he wanted at this school. Eliza was his daughter, and Peggy/Stomp was also. As long as the valedictorian last year, Angelica. But she was in college now. "We still haven't got a kicker, and our first game is in a week. Luckily, we have two eager young boys here that wanna try out."

Great. I'd be the kicker, if I even managed to not trip on my face. "First up we have... Aaron Burr?"

"Sir!" The boy, who I assumed was Aaron said and stepped up from the crowd. "So, I just kick the ball through the goal post?"

"Pretty much. We don't run a complicated joint here. Just step right up and give it a good swing." Coach Schuyler was pretty old, and didn't have much experience in football. Maybe that was why the team ended the season last year 1-9. The only game they won is becuase the players on the other school's team were drunk(er that our players).

Aaron took a deep breath, took a couple steps back, and kicked the ball at the goal post. It flew barley over the horizontal bar slightly to the left, but went over.

"Good. Very good. Can I see Alexander Hamilton?"

I swallowed any fear I had and my mouth went dry. A player on the team placed a new ball on the little stand sticking out of the turf, and I stepped back. I ran forward, closed my eyes, and kicked the ball. When I opened them, the ball was spiraling over the center of the goal post.

The coach took off his hat and pointed it at the post. "Did you see that?" He threw his hat on the floor. "Did you see that?" His hands flew to cover his balding head, then he turned to me. "Can you kick like that again?"

I stopped a second to process what had happened. "I- I- I guess," I stuttered out.

"You're hired! I mean, welcome! I mean, boys, we've got ourselves a new kicker!"

I heard Herc and Lafayette cheering from the bench on the side of the field, and a couple other players gave a whoop. One of them being the boy from math class. I didn't know he was on the football team. Maybe joining was going to be a good idea after all.

"Alright team, hit the showers." The coach yelled.

The showers... the locker room... the sweat. Oh god. Being on the football team seemed like a negative once again. I followed the team towards the locker rooms. We ran into the cheerleaders on the way and I spotted Eliza. I walked in her general direction and saw a few other football players kissing their girlfriends. Eliza kept chatting with her friends, though, but as she passed me, I felt a light hand on my butt.