Number 12

Chapter 21

Jake’s POV

I can’t pretend that I am happy for Sam. I also found out that Michael got the same offer and they both signed. I knew in my heart that this would be my last Football game this week. No one has taken interest in me and I don’t have the starting role anymore.

Sam was floating on cloud nine all week. On Thursday we have to leave as our game is in LA. I was assigned a seat next to Matthew and Bentley. The second we sat down Sam fell asleep on Michael’s shoulder. He didn’t care though. I didn’t notice how long that flight was.

We were playing the LA Mountain Goats. The weather when we landed was humid. Sam was the only person that was appropriately dressed. My bag was one of the first off the plane. We waited and waited but Sam’s didn’t come.

She scowled before heading off to find someone to help. She came back minutes later with it.

‘They found my medication and was inspecting it’ Sam sighed. Michael smiled and we left together. Sam had her own room but she refused it and slept with Michael instead. The Coaches don’t care. I’m rooming with Matthew. We had a light training and had the afternoon to go out.

I was going with Matthew and Bentley. We mostly went to different shops. I didn’t buy anything but it was nice to have the afternoon off. When we got back we found Michael and Sam in the pool. We arrived just in time to see her dive in. She had perfect form. Michael jumped in after her. We headed downstairs.

The crowd was amazing. The stadium was packed and there was noise everywhere when we started to warm up. I had lost the starting role to Sam again. Not surprising as this is the biggest game our school had ever faced. Michael came storming out the changing room.

‘Fuck, where is the medical tape?’ he yelled. One of the other players chucked him a roll and he sprinted off again. I followed him but I couldn’t keep up. I guessed he went into the changing rooms. I was right.

Sam was lying on the bench grasping at her ankle. Her face was twisted in pain and she was coughing up blood. Michael was taping her ankle. She sat up and stopped coughing. She stood up and winced when she put weight on ankle.

‘Will you be alright to play?’ Michael asked.

‘I’m not missing this game’ she said walking out.

Everyone else was warming up. Sam had started when I got there. She was keeping her face neutral but I could guess she was in pain.

The game started with us kicking off. You could clearly see that the Goats were a good team, better than the others we had played. They attacked us off the first play. They managed to get to halfway before Sam managed to tackle anyone. They moved faster than other’s and their plays were more complicated.

Sam had seen plays like this before, these were ones that they practised at the Jaguars. She could read the defence and at the moment was our most important player.

Sam finally managed to force a fumble and we got to attack. Sam had the explosiveness that Mountain Goats had but she didn’t have the other players to help her. Coach called a time out.