Into His Love

Ten

Isaiah | Friday

    Thursday and Friday breeze by in a big blur. My mind has been so focused on the first game of the season that I can't concentrate on much of anything else.

I've been thinking about what Mrs. Dawson said about college and I just don't know. It's not that I don't want to go to college because believe me I do. It's just that I know that I can't afford it. I know that I could take out loans, but who wants to graduate with thousands of dollars in student loan debt. And scholarships - my grades and SAT scores are average. They're not the best, but they're not the worst either.

So if I do decide I want to attend a university, this season of football is my only shot.

    Kickoff for the first football game is only minutes away as we break the banner and run out into the field. The crowd is shouting, and the band echoes through the stadium. When we line up for the national anthem, I turn around to look at Kimberly. I spot her with the rest of the dancers in the bleachers. Damn, she looks good in that uniform. She looks good in anything really. I turn back around as the stadium is brought to complete silence, and the National Anthem begins to play loud and clearly.

    The Honor Guard marches across the field, slowly and soon the song lowered to an end and the stadium stayed still and silent as they exited the field.

    I look around at the smiles on my teammates' faces as some of them run onto the field at the fifty-yard line to begin the game. You can see the determination in their eyes as they watch coach call the play then proceeding to line along the fifty. The rest of us stand on the sideline clapping and encouraging them on the field.

    Kickoff.

    The game is over around 10:45 and we win 35 - 14. I rush home to get ready for the party tonight. My mom is sitting on the couch watching tv when I enter.

   "Hey!" She smiles.

   "Hey." I walk over and kiss her cheek. I hate the fact that she doesn't come to my games because she has a two-year-old to watch because his dick of a father can't take on responsibility. Yeah, she could take him with her but who wants distractions while trying to enjoy a game. 

    "Two touchdowns!" She stands up to hug me. "I'm proud of you, Isaiah."

    "Thanks. Are you sure you won't need anything tonight?"

    "Yes." She sighs. "You've asked me that like five times in the last two days." I laugh.

    "Kayden is sleeping. I'll be fine. Go and have fun with your friends." She smiles. I nod and head to my room to get ready. "But not too much fun."

    "Alright."

Kimberly

    We pull up to the party around a quarter to twelve and I am already annoyed at the number of people littered on the lot outside of the house. We haven't even made it inside yet and its already congested.

    We get out of my car and squeeze by a bunch of people to get into the house. When we get inside the smell of stale cigarettes and alcohol hits me and I want to throw up. Literally. There are plastic cups scattered over the floor and all I can think about is the person who will have to clean this disaster up. The music is blasting and I can barely hear Tavia and Nadia talking not even two feet away from me.

    "Come on! Let's go get something to drink!" Tavi yells loud enough for us to hear her.

     We follow her into the kitchen and getting there is like walking through the hallways at school. There are people everywhere and every step I take I am bumping into someone.