Page 31 of Chasing Football Dreams

“I am fine. I hate hospitals,”

“We have to get you checked out. You could have a concussion,”

I rolled my eyes. “I am not going,”

“What if I tell you that you will be benched if you don’t go?” Coach Shane wasn’t standing down.

“Damn coach,” I heard the guys mutter.

I glared at him. “That’s not fair. I worked my butt off for the finals,”

He nodded his head. “Yeah, I know. Are you really going to throw it away because of stubbornness?”

“I am not stubborn,” I caught the way Duncan and a few of the team dipped their head as if they were disagreeing.

“We’ll be there with you, QB,” I looked at my team and how everyone was pleading with me to get checked out.

“Fine, I will go to the damn hospital but I am not taking the ambulance,”

Chapter Fifteen

The hospital cleared me, I only suffered an ugly bump to the head. There were no signs of having a concussion and I was released. I couldn’t fall asleep after we arrived at Duncan’s home. The suppressed memories of my childhood kept my mind awake. I wasn’t sure if I put faces to the people who I’d come to believe were my parents. Everything was getting too much for me to handle at this point.

Everyone expected me to mess up this weekend while the little support I have, expected me to win my first championship. I wasn’t sure if I wanted this for me anymore. Maybe I loved not being someone—just be the friendly face who greets you before taking your order and making sure your order is to your needs. Maybe even dropping my tips into a jar with the hopes that it would save me up a trip around the world didn’t sound so bad right now.

Duncan pulled up in front of the gridiron to see that news reporters were blocking the entrance. Andrew, Freddie and Xander came up to the window looking as lost of ambition as I did. “Both entrances are blocked,” Xander said to Duncan.

“I guess they want to see me in full uniform,” I muttered, glancing at the backseat. “That’s what they are going to get,” Iclimbed over the seats to get to the back to pull on my gear while the boys covered the windows.

I got out, my helmet in hand and paused when I saw Duncan standing in front of me looking worried. We haven’t spoken about what happened to me during the interview and I don’t know if I was ready to talk about the fresh cut of memories that slashed through my brain. I was afraid if I talked about it that I would finally grasp the reality and I don’t know if I was ready for it.

“Let’s go,” I said, slipping on the helmet not waiting for his reply.

He and the guys followed in pursuit. All of them dressed in their gear as we made our way towards the entrance. The boys covered me from all sides as we pushed through the quarrel of mics, cameras flashing and people screaming questions at me.

All I ever wanted was for people just to see my talent but all they saw was an orphan whom was sympathize with.

The rest of the squad waited for us at the field. None of them looked thrilled with what was going on. “I would say that the interview was a goddamn bust,” Wesley grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Who thought that Ian could be such a dirtbag?”

I just shrugged my shoulders not wanting to talk about it. Coach Shane joined us only later on for practice and pushed us to the point that I was sure no one was able to walk. I avoided talking to him or anybody for that matter.

I took a shower longer than needed as I stood there under the spray of water, kind of wishing that it could wash away every bad glimpse.

I shut the taps when I heard voices and got dressed. I was putting my stuff into my bags when Monique walked up to me, and I wished that she would at least just stop for one day.

“How was your live interview, Diner Girl? It seems like the whole world believes you are just the waste of this earth,”

“Monique, can you just stop?” Denise intervened, trying to get her to stand down but she ignored her and came at me.

“What’s your problem?” I growled—my voice harsher than I intended. I barely recognized myself.

“Isn’t it obvious? You are,” Her snarky remark did nothing but anger me.

“What have I ever done to you?”

“You interfered when things were going well,”

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