Playing the Game

Chapter 9: Bonfire

Chapter 9

"Garret, I swear on your momma's life, if you fumble that pass one more time, I'm going to skin your ass." I said harshly, my heart pounding in my ears. "We've got twenty three seconds left on the clock and we're still twenty yards out of field goal range. If we don't win this game by at least ten points, you know coach is gonna kill us."

"I got you, man." Garret reassured me.

"You promise?"

"I promise." Garret nodded as Reggie slapped the back of his helmet.

"Same play." I said confidently, sticking my fist into the middle of the huddle.

The other guys bumped my fist with theirs before backing up to take their positions.

I glanced up into the stands on instinct, scanning to find my parents.

But my attention was drawn to a little black dress and head of red curly hair at the top of the bleachers.

Elizabeth was sitting there all alone, her body poised and alert, her eyes scanning the field with an intensity that made my stomach flip.

She saw me looking at her and urgently pointed to the field, telling me to focus.

I gave her a little wave before taking my position behind where the ball was going to be snapped.

As long as my line gave me enough time to lay the pass off, we were in business.

And everything went beautifully.

The ball sailed right into Garret's cradle, and his spin around the defender was worthy of ESPN replays.

And low and behold, he didn't run it out of bounds like he was supposed to.

He literally hurtled over a defender and sailed right into the end zone, getting us six more points on the scoreboard.

As Kurt was taking the extra point and the clock ticked down, I glanced up at Elizabeth again.

She was still leaning forwards, blatantly engaged in the game with an intensity that I rarely saw on girls around here.

I couldn't look away from her.

Her face was focused, her hands balled into tight fists in her lap... She was muttering something to herself too and winced when Kurt took the kick.

I wonder if she saw the same thing that I did, the sloppy plant foot that caused the ball to sail way too far right.

Coach Turner swore loudly but didn't say anything to Kurt as he jogged off the field.

Kurt knew he messed up.

But he was the only kicker we had.

Coach Turner glanced up into the stands too and I could've sworn he was looking at Elizabeth too.

But I had to be imagining things.

The game was over, the cheerleaders and student section were running onto the field to congratulate us, but my attention was up in the stands where Elizabeth was no longer sitting.

"Hey QB." Jessa laughed, jumping up into my arms.

I took a sudden step back as she wrapped her legs around my waist.

"Good game out there." Jessa grinned, not-so-subtly pressing her hips against mine.

My body instantly reacted, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.

"Hey." I grinned, reaching up to pull her face down to mine.

Her lips tasted like cherry vodka but I wasn't even surprised she'd already been pregaming.