Always With Me

Part 8- Becca Lowrey

   We went to the concession stands and got dinner before heading back up to the stands. Dahlia, usually only eating a small amount to keep her weight down, was carrying a cheeseburger, frenchfries, and two different candies. I looked at her in astonishment, but decided that she had skipped lunch. She shrugged when she saw the confused looks on our faces as she ate her food.

        "I am just really hungry. I haven't eaten very much today," she said as she took a large bite of her cheeseburger. I dipped my chips in nacho cheese, but didn't really feel up to eating much. My stomach was in knots as I watched the team go out onto the field. Towards the middle was number forty-four, which was the number that I was looking for. I smiled in satisfaction as Zack lined up beside the seniors and walked to greet the other team. Dahlia had her eyes locked on Brent in excitement as he shook the hands of the other team.

        "How do you think they will do this year?" I asked my friends around me as the team took position on the field to play football. "I heard that they were going to do good this year. I'm ready to see how number forty-four does," Dahlia said, winking at me. I turned toward the field as the first kickoff took place.

        "You and me both."

        Around half-time, the score was twenty-one to seven. Amory was playing very well this year, and Zack played very well also. He was very fast, and he was very good at getting from one end of the field to the other. He was also amazing at catching the ball. Brent and Zack worked together very well, each playing off of each other's strengths as if they had been playing together their entire lives. Nathan and the defensive line also did very well at protecting Brent from the other team's giants. I watched in amazement as he did something that he was good at, unable to look away from the field the entire game. Dahlia and Ellie would occasionally talk to me, and the people around us were rowdy and yelling, but I wasn't very easily distracted. I was enjoying myself with too much to look away from the game.

         "I am going to get some chips or something. I need something salty," Dahlia said, getting up from her seat in the stands. After she left her seat, Ellie and I looked at each other, confused.

         "Dahlia never eats this much." I said, laughing. Ellie was looking at Dahlia's back as she walked away, and suddenly, she was laughing too.

        "I wish I could eat as much as Dahlia and still look like that," Ellie joked. "Same." We laughed for a few minutes about absolutely everything, and when Dahlia came back to sit with us, I could see by the look on her face that she was confused. It was the end of the third quarter by now and the crowd around us was on their feet cheering. There was a man sitting behind us with an old jersey on that was yelling at each of the players individually when they messed up or did a good job. His voice made me cringe, but soon even his yelling made me laugh. I was in too good of a mood out of excitement.

        When the game ended, the score was twenty-eight to fourteen. The team all ran to the center of the field and cheered excitedly. Soon, the new coach, Coach Dallas, had the team praying in the middle of the field. We walked around the gate and onto the field as they finished, and Brent ran over and picked Dahlia up into his arms as he kissed her excitedly. Ellie and I walked away to let them have some time alone, and I was just about to walk away when I felt someone grab my arm and pull me into a huge, sweaty hug. I hugged him back, feeling the excitement from their win transfer from Zack to me.

        "Great game! You played so good!" I said when he let go. He was grinning from ear to ear, showing the kind of smile that could make a glacier melt.