The Road To Glory

Superman and Mighty Mouse

Watson High School wasn't too far off from any other normal high school. About a thousand kids, decently staffed, good budget. A good place to get an education, I guess. Most importantly, though, the place I played football for. 

Game days were a great time for me because if there's one thing I've always loved, it's attention and when you're wearing your orange-and-black jersey with the little "C" in the upper right hand corner, you tend to get some attention.

On that particular day, I was wandering the hallways as I always did with my best friend, Brandon Tucker. We met in the sixth grade when he moved to Watson from Phoenix. We kind of got off on the wrong foot because he was a Cardinals fan, and I'm a Panthers fan. I've managed to forgive him for that since then, obviously. The one thing I will never forgive him for, however, is being 6'3. Just saying. 

Still, the guy was, and still is, a true bro. When I was initially kinda pissed about having to split out wide and touch the ball less, Tucker cheered me up because he pointed out it meant we had an excuse to hang out more and run through the route tree to get ready for the season. 

"Hey sailor," a voice called out, as a pair of arms wrapped around Tucker's midsection "How's it hanging?"

Adrianne Mott had been Tucker's girlfriend since the second week of ninth grade. It wasn't exactly the whole Quarterback-Head Cheerleader dynamic, though. Adrianne, I can't picture in a cheerleader's outfit.... unless I'm by myself in a dark room with some tissues handy, but let's not get into that. 

She was tall, for a girl... A half-inch shorter then me, to be exact. She was slim with waist-length bleach-blonde hair, green eyes and an affinity for both jeans and two-sizes-too-big T-shirts. She was, in her own words, pretty much a hippy. Aside from that, she cosplayed, she was into anime, aside from her looks she was pretty much every geek stereotype you can picture and man, did she own it. 

Aside from the looks, I think the confidence was what Tucker found so sexy about her. Most girls our age didn't have that. 

"Hey babe," Tucker replied with a goofy grin, turning around to wrap her in a bear-hug and kiss her "and if you wanna know, you could always go ask it."

"Charming," she replied, making a face "It's lucky you never think to use that charm on Weathers, isn't it? I'd be down a boyfriend and you'd be up one husband."

"Cute," I laughed, rolling my eyes "but this whole guy love-turned-gay love fantasy you have going is never gonna happen outside of when you get yourself some alone time."

"You're cute," she answered back with a wink and sarcasm dripping from her voice "It's a wonder that Princess Isobel hasn't taken the chastity belt off for you, yet."

Tucker laughed and took Adrianne's hand. "Oh come on, it's only been six months!" He joked "Everyone knows that date number ninety is the panty-dropping date."

"Oh is it?" Adrianne asked, casting him a faux-curious glance.

Tucker shut up, quickly. They'd had sex for the first time the summer before senior year, and Tucker had several times considered ending the relationship because he wasn't getting any. See, Tucker was a christian, but his level of devotion varied depending on the subject. 

Alcohol use? Mildly uncomfortable but no real issue. Drug use? 100% off-limits. Sex? Bring it on, sister.

Still, the subject of how long one should wait for sex was one he generally avoided around Adrianne. 

"Anyway," Tucker began, changing the subject awkwardly "You ready to go for tonight?"

"Always," I shot back with a grin "Taylorville is always a decent tune-up game, isn't it?"