Page 115 of Saving the Halfback

“We had review day yesterday.” The rain was coming down heavily outside as we pulled into the park parking lot. “Nolan, is your dad is forcing you—”

“No…no, he backed off.” He looked out the windshield. “I can’t even see through the rain.” Though I noticed the change in subject, I didn’t push him.

Chase’s car pulled up next to mine, with Ethan and Lachlan in it. Chase made a motion with his hands, and I rolled down the window as he leaned out his. “Ready?” he asked.

“Kind of.”

Meanwhile, Nolan’s exhaustion turned to excitement.

“We have to go over near the bridge.” Chase pointed across the field.

Nolan grabbed the hood of his raincoat and pulled it up. “Let’s do this.” I was going to keep my eye on him but followed his lead and stayed in the moment. We were here for Chase for his birthday.

As one, we all got out. Nolan was the only one wearing a raincoat. The farther out into the field we walked, the muddier it became. Chase stopped, taking his shoes and socks off. “This was so much easier when we were little kids.”

The rest of us followed suit, and Nolan took his jacket off, laying it over our shoes. Nolan opted to keep his boots on—his loss.

We ran out into the field. Lachlan had the football in hand.

“The rules are, there are no rules,” Chase shouted over the sound of pelting rain as he grinned. “No teams, just try to get away and get a touchdown. Everyone is running the same direction, and whoever carries the ball there gets the down. Pair up, go solo, but most importantly, get dirty.”

“It’s been so long.” Ethan rubbed his hands together, smiling more than I had seen him in years. “I almost forgot about this place.”

The pitt was deep, my foot getting swallowed in the muck. Nolan was already stuck and abandoned his boots. “This is crazy.” He laughed, his eyes lighting up.

“Blue forty-two, HUT!” Lachlan yelled in a voice I didn’t know he was capable of, and the others ran at him. He faked them out, practically shoving Chase face-first into the sopping mud, and that’s when shit got real. Ethan took him out just before he made it to the end, but it didn’t stop there. Next thingI knew, Ethan had the ball and was running to the other end of the pit.

“Go right!” Nolan yelled to Chase, and they teamed up, going for Ethan’s legs. With a battle cry meant for the days of Sparta, Ethan threw the ball up in the air, and I ran as fast as the thick mud allowed me, diving for the ball. I slid on my stomach, catching the ball in my outstretched hands.

I wasn’t one to be afraid of a little dirt. I cleaned horse shit from stalls twice a day, so clean mud was nothing. I wiggled back and forth, trying to hold the ball and get to my feet. Lachlan was closest as he came for me, and a squeal released from my lips as I ran from his grasp, just barely missing him. Chase was way too fast, though. He didn’t tackle me or go for the feet, like he had with Ethan; instead, he went right for the ball. When he learned pulling it out was useless, he snaked an arm around my waist and lifted me into the air. Quickly, I reacted by grabbing on to him, not wanting to fall. The ball left my hands, and Nolan was right there, scooping it up. The sneaky devil.

I was laughing as Chase set me down. “Happy?” he asked.

“It’s complete chaos.” The rain was now pouring so hard, it was difficult to see, but from Nolan’s victory screams, I knew he had made a touchdown.

Chase stared at me, a wide grin on his face. “Wanna go together?”

“What?”

His eyes went wide for the briefest of moments before he said, “Team up. We’ll take Lachlan down and make a touchdown. I’ll block, you run.”

“Definitely. But pinky promise you won’t turn on me, pinky promise you won’t leave me.” I laughed, trying to shout to be heard.

Through the rain, Chase held his pinky out to me, and I hooked mine around it. “Bailey McCormick, I pinky promise todo everything in my power to protect you.” He chuckled, and though I knew he meant he was going to protect me, as in block the others from getting me, his words went straight to my chest, and my heart gave a flutter. “Go!” he yelled, just as Lachlan was coming down, the ball tucked in his arms.

Ethan was on him, taking him down, and because Ethan was best at tackling and not jumping up quickly, Chase was there to scoop up the ball. “Who’s the grumpy ass now!” Chase yelled at Lachlan, then he spun around, handing it off to me before calling, “Run!”

“They’re teaming up!” Nolan yelled. He ran at me, but Chase was there, using Nolan’s momentum against him. He pushed him down, and Nolan fell headfirst into the soup of a ground. Chase stayed with me the whole way. Lachlan didn’t have a chance as Chase helped him join Nolan in the mud.

I squealed again as the end came into view, but then…Ethan squared up. Damn, how was he so fast? Chase took him head-on, and they locked arms, pushing back and forth. Taking a chance, I didn’t slow down. I kept my speed going, put all my strength in my legs, and jumped. It was the sloppiest of jumps, but it was enough for me to plant a bare foot on Chase’s back and jump up over him and Ethan, landing on my knees in the touchdown zone.

“TOUCHDOWN!” I screamed, lifting the ball above my head. I stood up, only for Chase to lift me higher in the air in victory. “Whoooooooohooooooo!!!”

The refreshing rain against my face, held high in Chase’s arms, the other guys all with a hand on me, my leg or back, yelling in excitement at my victory. This was it. This was happiness. I wanted to stay in this moment of bliss for eternity.

We played until our legs were ready to give out. Most times, I teamed up with Chase, since we had a silent communication thing going on. One look, and he knew which way I was going togo. But I also took turns, teaming up with Nolan and Lachlan. Not Ethan, though he once threw me over his shoulder while I held the ball and ran to the end zone, so it was hard to tell if that was his touchdown or mine.

We hit a point where we were all sitting in the mud, the rain coming down just as hard as it had before. “That was way more of a workout than any practice we’ve done,” I said.

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