Always With Me

Part 4- Dahlia Parker

          After a few days of school, the weekend finally arrived. With one week left until the first football game of the season, everyone was raving. Everywhere we went, people were talking about how the season was going to turn out. Their hopes were high as the students of Amory High School congregated around the football field, taking part in the first PepRalley. I stood with Becca and Ellie as we listened to the students around us talking about the potential of each player.

"Nathan Washington was amazing his junior year. He was the top intercepter on the team. I'm sure he'll bring it this year. I'm feeling pretty confident about that," said a boy I recognized as a sophomore. I rolled my eyes as I waited for the players to walk through the doors. In the South, even a promising High School football team could give people something to talk about for months. I hadn't been to a single football game, rain or shine, that hadn't attracted the entire town of Amory. And with me dating the quarter back, I'd been to almost all of them.

"Naw, Brent Harwood is much more promising. I've heard that he already has college recruiters coming to watch him play. Nothing has been able to stop him from scoring the most touchdowns each season," the other boy standing beside him said. He sounded like more of an old man than a high schooler. He was a junior that used to be on the football team. During the first practice of the season, he tore his ACL. I could tell by the way that he talked about Brent that he would give anything to be out on the field with him again. Brent made it easy for anyone to play the game with him. He was quick and coordinated, and he hardly missed any ball that was thrown to him. He was easily the best player on the team, and I wasn't the only one that saw it. He was being watched by many of the SEC coaches around us to play on their teams since he was a junior. This season would be the best one yet.

"What about Zack Goodman? Have you seen the size of that guy? He's easily as tall as Hayden Yates and built to be a great wide receiver. I'm ready to see what he has to promise the team."

While I halfway listened to their evaluation of the players as I listened to Becca and Ellie's conversation. They were discussing their plans for the night.

"I really just don't want to go anywhere tonight. I've been up all week working on the Government project, so I just want to do something at home," Ellie was telling Becca. "Y'all want to have a movie night?"

"Yeah, I don't have any plans," Becca said, looking down at her perfectly manicured fingernails. She had obviously done them last night because she didn't usually keep her fingernails painted.

"I have plans with Brent this afternoon, but they have a scrimmage tonight that I don't really feel like going to. I'll be there," I told them just as the music began playing through the loud speakers around us. We all stopped talking as everyone turned their attention to the field house. One by on, the football players walked out. It began with the freshmen, and then finally made its way to the seniors. The applause grew louder with each grade, and when Brent, Nathan, Zack, and Hayden ended the line, everyone was beside themselves. All of them walked with such confidence that all of the girls around us were practically swooning. Brent turned to where I was and winked at me before he continued on through the crowd. I grinned back at him before he left. My heart fluttered as I watched him leave. I was the luckiest girl to have a guy like Brent Harwood to love. And to make it better, he was in love with me, too.

While watching Brent, I almost missed the exchange between Zack and Becca. He didn't wink or smirk as he walked past her. He almost didn't see her. He was so focused on the crowd around him that when his eyes landed on her, he stopped. Not long enough for anyone to notice, but just long enough to get a good look at her. And he smiled at what he saw. I raised my eyebrows in confusion as I watched their brief interaction. Did Zack Goodman like Becca? I turned to look at her face and she was watching the rest of the players gather around the goal post. The coach began to say some words about their achievements in practice this far and encourage the students to come to the scrimmage tonight against Lafayette High School. Then everyone sang the Panther Fight Song and we were free to leave.