Only Us (Justin Fields)

|4| Making Plans

Justin

My path to OSU was not a straight one. In high school I played both football and baseball. Either one I could have specifically trained and eventually done professionally. Back in the day I often times wondered which one would take precedence when I graduated from high school. Then I won the title of Mr. Georgia Football even after missing a few games with a broken finger and was MVP of the Elite 11 quarterback camp I went to my senior year. It became clear to me that the path was narrowing to one destination. Originally I committed to Penn State to play football before deciding to stay home in Georgia to compete for a quarterback spot. And my first year in Georgia wasn't awful. As a true freshman any game action is a blessing. I saw action in a total of 12 games as a backup which isn't bad at all and I had pretty good stats. But an incident involving another athlete opened my eyes to see that Georgia was home, but it wasn't meant to always be where I belong. I could do more, maybe even be more, elsewhere. So I had to go.

After Georgia lost in the SEC Championship game at the beginning of December I announced my transfer here. I've had a few teams in mind and the Big Ten was always a place I know a quarterback like me could shine both through the air and on the ground. That's why I originally had Penn State in mind. Given my situation the NCAA agreed to let me be eligible immediately instead of taking a year off like many transfers had to. And I wanted to waste no time coming right on over.

I was never expecting my first day on campus I would run into her. Or that I would be saving her life. I was just trying to figure out where my classes were for next semester, get ahead of the game. See more to this campus than most athletes see. Then I saw her sitting on that railing. Her intentions as plain as day. Every bone in my body wouldn't allow me to leave. Without even realizing it I was walking back into the room to sit as close to her I could get that wouldn't push her over the edge.

Now I can't seem to let her go. Not in my mind or in my heart. Needed her as much as she needed me. I don't know why, or how, but our paths have converged and I am determined to make her want to stay.

I prayed that I was enough to stay.

"Why do you think people spend so much time doing things they don't like" she asks me as we sit in the library. She was finishing up finals for the first semester and I was trying to get ahead for the next. Like most things it just seemed to work out with the both of us.

"I'm not sure. I guess I see it this way: Are we expected to do certain things and we force ourselves to like them even though we know we don't? Or do we seek things we like simply because we don't have them? For example, do I like school because if I don't I still have to do it, or do I like it because I seek it out and it challenges me" I explain.

"That's a good way to put it. There are many things in this world we like because if we didn't, living would be insufferable. School or work or cooking or cleaning. Whether we enjoy these things or tolerate them is debatable. Then there are many things we enjoy because we're good at it or simply because it was convenient to. No other reason. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes, between what we like because we want it or what we like because we have to have it. In the end I'm not sure it matters as long as you actually like it" she insists.

"I guess so. I've never really taken the time to see if I like these things I do because I have to or because it's something I really enjoy" I confess.

"So if you had a choice in what you were going to do with your life what would it be? If football wasn't really what you wanted to continue with. What would you do" she asks me.

I just smile as I put my book down. So much for being quiet in the library. "My dad is a police officer and I wanted to do what he does. He tries to help people, despite what most people think. He loves his family, his city and his community. And he always taught me to do what is morally right even if it's not what is legally right. Crazy coming from a cop, I know. But sometimes the right thing to do isn't what is best for the majority. We shouldn't be doing bad things to keep others comfortable. 90% of the time the majority isn't the one who needs the help anyway. If you help the minority you can help everyone. People don't want to admit that though" I shrug.

"Don't I know it" she sighs.

She was so complex. I can't imagine what her life was like up until now. She had beautiful hazel eyes, but they were so tired. They had seen too many horrible acts for one person to see.

"Are you going home for Christmas" I wonder trying to change the subject.

"I don't have a home really. I was just going to stay on campus, maybe hang up decorations and drop off toys at the toys for tots drives around the city" she shrugs.

"Why don't you come home with me? Just for the holiday. I can set you up at my moms place and everything" I assure her.

"Oh I couldn't possibly..." she tries.

"I insist! Then I won't have to drive to and from Georgia alone and you don't have to be by yourself for the holiday" I try.

"Don't you think people will ask questions" she defends.

"Maybe. I mean I've known you for just a few weeks so having you over for a family Christmas might seem like a reach. And I don't know a lot about what brought you here. Or us together. So there's no real answer to the questions they will inevitably ask. But you asked earlier why people spend so much time doing things they do not like. I want to spend my time doing something I do like, and that's spending time with you. And that's going to have to be a good enough answer" I smile.

She looks at me for a second before picking up her book again.

"Alright. I'll come with you" she agrees making me smile even bigger.