Page 136 of Who's Playing You
I looked up to the Jumbotron again, the camera panned to Loving. He was standing on the sideline, looking like the epitome of calm. His hands were hooked into his shoulder pads, but only Papas and I knew the fire that was probably running through him.
“Ready?” I yelled as I lined my team up. I waved my hands around like a conductor, making small adjustments before I took my place at the helm.
I called the cadence, “Rawdon, bull rush, dark horse right, hut-hut, hike!” And moments after I clapped, the snap fired the ball right into my hands.
The Drillers defense snapped into action so fucking fast and were on my guys, trying to block any possible route. I stepped back in the pocket.
One breath.
Turning to my left, I looked for Micah Jones.Fuck, he’s being double-teamed.
A second breath.
Turning right, I looked for thedark horse. One of our rookies. An unexpected choice that the Drillers wouldn’t have anticipated.
A third breath.
The pressure kept building from the Drillers. My guys were hanging on by a thread to buy me every possible second. Then I see him, Tim DeGeorge is wide open.
Just then, a defender comes for me. I dance like the fucking ballerina that I am, cutting left and dodging him. I make eye contact with DeGeorge and launch it at him.
It’s of course a perfect spiral and it sails down the right side of the field. DeGeorge is going deep, down the sideline. He runs like he’s never run before, stretching every inch of himself to beat the throw.
My hands find my helmet as I try to hold myself together as every millisecond passes. That’s when I see the Drillers’ corner is right there, hot on DeGeorge’s heels.
They both jump up for the ball, fingers tangling as they collide mid air.
Oh-my-fucking-god!
The anxiety is almost too much. From my position I can’t tell if he tipped it, or does he have it?
The crowd is screaming, jumping up and down. The guys on the sideline are all running, screaming, and jumping too.
I stand frozen in place where I chucked the ball downfield in hopes of finding DeGeorge’s fingers. A true Hail Mary.
And then…
DeGeorge bobbles the ball, desperately trying to hold it tight to his chest, stumbling along the sideline, dancing just inside the white line until he hits the end zone. The Driller’s corner coming down on top of him.
From my vantage point I can’t tell if it’s good or not.
I snap my head to look at the ref.
One ref’s arms shoot up signifying a touchdown, while the second ref throws his sideways signifying no catch.
My team and every person in this stadium is literally about to lose their shit. The refs come together, quickly talking, before ducking under the hood to watch the angles on replay. The Rage and Drillers filter onto the field from both sidelines - arguing for a different outcome. Our coaches are pulling our guys back to the sideline, as I’m sure the Drillers are doing to their players.
It’s complete pandemonium.
I just stand there, barely registering anything as my teammates pass me and head to DeGeorge, in hopes they’ll be hoisting him up in celebration any minute. I stand in place from where I threw the ball, as if frozen in place and completely alone, waiting to learn our fates. I can’t take my eyes from the Jumbotron that’s showing the refs where they’re discussing the play.
A quiet hush then overtakes the thousands of people in the stadium as the head ref takes the field and turns his mic on. “After review…”
The confetti is already flying all around us like a January blizzard in New York even though a few seconds still remain on the clock. My knees hit the ground, my helmeted head hitting the grass next as I take in the ref’s words. Tears streaming from my eyes.
THE END
Want to know how the game ends? Then you’ll want to pick up book #2 in the In The Nick of Time series. Book 2 is “Who’s Loving You” by Ryan Marie followed by book 3, “Who’s Saving You” by Carolina Jax.
