Chasing Home (NFL)

Taking a Stand

“Sometimes everything seems out of my reach
No matter how hard I try
Sometimes I feel like nothing at all inside
With everything that I try to hold onto
Just seems to slip away
And though I fall, it keeps calling me back again

But I keep looking
I'll sink or swim
I keep searching to find the real me”

– “Who Am I” by Tiffany Evans

Chapter 28: Taking a Stance

Peyton, Freya and I were ready to go to dinner at five o’clock. We stood in the living room chatting idly to each other when there was a knock on the door. A passing thought occurred that I should have asked Rob exactly who he invited, though I would soon find out. The others followed me as I strolled over to the door.

“Hello, Lauren,” Rob said brightly after I opened the door.

Instead of greeting him in return, I shot him a look, for standing next to him was Tom Brady. “Him? I said. Really?”

Rob blinked, obviously oblivious. “Did I do something wrong?”

“And here I thought we were getting along to well,” Brady said to me, and I could see amusement in his eyes.

“I just – What if-” I started to say, but I cut myself off.

“You’re not afraid of what people will think, are you?” Freya asked with a smirk.

“No,” I snapped. “I just would have liked to have been warned.”

“He was with me when you invited me,” Rob said. “I did not think you would care.”

“I do not mind,” Peyton said. He turned to Rob. “I’m Peyton Manning, by the way, Lauren’s brother.” He held out his hand.

“Rob Gronkwoski,” Rob said, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He looked at me almost worriedly. “Are you ok, Lauren?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I said. “Let’s go.” Maybe I was a little worried about what people would think. Well, it was not their thoughts that bothered me; it was the staring I knew would ensue. I should have been used to it with my family, but this somehow seemed different. I was going to have to hope for the best.

*

The waiter led us to a table that seated six people. Peyton chose the seat at the far left of one side. I sat down next to him, and Brady immediately took the seat next to me. Rob sat across from him, and Freya sat next to Rob and across from me. I could feel people staring at us, but I ignored them and picked up my menu.

There was no talking as we all tried to decide what to order. With Freya and Rob at the table, though, I knew it could not last long. Sure enough, after the waiter left with our orders, my roommate looked around at everyone with a broad smile. “This is nice,” she said. Her eyes landed on Peyton said. “Sorry you have to be surrounded by Patriots.”

My brother glanced at me, and I said, “I can keep y’all in line.” I knew Freya was trying to get at that I identified myself with the team, and I did not argue with this. I had not told Peyton about it yet, but it could not be that hard to figure out; I was not exactly trying to hide it anymore.

“We don’t need to be kept in line,” Rob said. “We’ll be good.” A curious look crossed his face as he stared at me. “You’ve been to a lot of Patriots/Colts games, right?”

I nodded. “I’ve been to every game since Brady’s first start as a Patriot – which was against the Colts – except for the second game that year.” That was really only because that was the last year the patriots and Colts were in the same division, and I had no need to go to both games.