Dared

Chapter 13

The game that weekend is one hell of a match. The scoreboard is frozen at a draw ever since the first quarter.

With only minutes remaining on the clock, we need one winning touchdown. Everything goes silent when Dylan's eyes connect with mine over the field.

His arms bend at the perfect angle and the ball shoots in the air. My heart thumps with all the adrenaline in my system.

Before I know it, the ball lands in my hands, and everything fades into one blur of motion.

All I remember is dashing to the final line. Players fall around me like dominoes.

And finally, with the longest leap of my life, I throw myself on the line.

The final whistle solidifies everything. The bleachers erupt in roars, chanting loudly. Dylan rushes towards me, his helmet dangling beside him.

"That was a good one, man!" he shouts in my ear against all the thundering noise around us.

I pull my helmet off my face and give him a victorious whoop. He returns my enthusiasm with a broad grin and a fist bump. High on adrenaline, it feels like I am on top of the world.

The other teammates gather around me, patting my back.

The bleachers reach a climax in their chants and the whole stadium fills with cries of victory.

Not long after that, all hell breaks loose.

First a few, then many, then all - the whole ground fills with students, all rushing to the center.

I look around, spinning left and right. She has to be somewhere.

My eyes land on her in an instant. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes reflect off the bright lights in the stadium, and her grin makes my heart spark.

Kara slips past the crowd, pushing her way towards me.

"We won!" she screams, pouncing on me.

Her arms coil around my neck, as she pulls me in for a hug. Her frame seems delicate in my arms.

The drops of sweat spilling around my face make me hyper-aware of the fact that I am sticking badly. Nevertheless, I throw my arms around her waist and pull her off the ground twirling in a circle.

Her grin broadens as I set her down, her eyes dancing with excitement. "We won!" she says again, as she releases me from her hug.

"Yeah, we did," I say, grinning at her.

Her excitement is contagious as she hops excitedly on the spot, her hands clasped together.

"Do you realize what this means?" she asks me.

"Yeah," I say, a wave of excitement flowing through me, "We are in the finals."

"Yes! Isn't that awesome! This is the first time in over a decade."

"Yeah, it's awesome," I agree.

The weight of qualifying for the finals doesn't hit me, or any one of the guys on the team until after everyone has showered and settled down for Coach Harrison's speech.

His head is held high and he beams like a proud parent. It's the first time that the team has sat down to hear his victory speech - the special one he is rumored to save for the finals.

After Coach Harrison has arranged extra hours for practices, and the team has fist-bumped each other, I join Dylan and Noah as they make their way to the parking lot.

A few students linger, taking selfies before hopping onto vehicles, on their way to the after-party. This time it is at Wayne's place and he has left early to begin.