Page 43 of Chess Not Checkers
“Shepherd, how did it feel to play up north versus down in Georgia? Did the weather affect your throwing arm at all?” A woman in a black dress stands at the front of the room with a microphone.
“After training in the heat, this felt like a vacation,” I answer, earning a few laughs. “It wasn’t cold enough to affect my arm, no.”
“Kinglsey,” a different reporter calls out, getting my attention. “Pennsylvania is known for their defense. Did you do anything particular to prepare for going up against it?”
“They were tough to go against. Pennsylvania in general is a great team, but so are we. My guys have put in the work, and they did great handling every situation that came their way.Shout-out to my boy Zion who caught that incredible pass before halftime. That gave us a lot of momentum.” I smile, happy to give my friends the recognition they deserve.
“Great game out there, Shepherd. The Thrashers have played against Pennsylvania many times over the years. The rivalry is always fun to see. Your brother, Jason, holds the record of passing yards in Pennsylvania’s stadium. You came a yard short tonight. How do you think Thanksgiving is going to go this year?” The reporter laughs at the end of the question, and I fight to keep my smile from dropping.
My jaw clenches. Why does everything go back to Jason? I wish I could just have a second to recognize the hard work my team and I put in. Even if they never complimented me, that would be okay. I just hate that Jason gets brought up in every postgame interview.
“Jason is a great player,” I say, “and of course we like to compete, but he’s always been a great support for me. If he’s not playing on Thanksgiving, maybe we’ll play a little backyard ball so I can show him who’s boss.”
The joke sounds flat and canned to me, but everyone in the room eats it up, laughing like I’m a famous stand-up comedian. My phone buzzes in my pocket, making me think of Jasmine. If I didn’t think Coach would wring my neck, I’d check my notifications under the table.
“Jack Gordon, you guys played a lot of man coverage tonight against some talented wide receivers. How were you able to handle that and keep their catches to a minimum?”
I breathe a little easier with the attention off me. Coach looks over and gives me a nod to dismiss me. I nod back, then get up and head out the room with measured steps so that I don’t look nervous or annoyed.
Once I’m free, I pull out my phone.
Jasmine: The press are all idiots. What was the point of that last question? You did great tonight, Captain. Don’t let them steal that away from you.
A smile stretches my lips.
Shepherd: Thanks. Though I don’t know how to feel about you calling them idiots when you called me one the other day.
I head down the hall, looking up occasionally to make sure I don’t run into anyone. People congratulate me as I pass by, but my focus is on the three little dots that tell me Jasmine is typing back.
Jasmine: You know I was just messing with you.
My grin widens.
Shepherd: Finally! She admits it! Should I go back in and alert the press?
Jasmine: Haha, very funny. This is why I’m not nice to you. It goes to your head.
I chuckle and look up just in time to not miss the door to the locker room. Instead of heading in to grab my duffel, though, I lean against the wall and text back. I don’t want the guys trying to snatch my phone or ask who I’m talking to.
Shepherd: It goes to my head because the occurrence is so rare.
Jasmine: Touché.
The door opens, and a couple of the guys walk up to me .
“There’s the man of the hour! You coming to the bus?” Pete asks.
I push off the wall. “Yeah, I’m coming. Just let me grab my bag.”
Though I want to keep texting, I slide my phone back into my pocket and head inside. Maybe we’ll have more time to talk later. Not that I should be looking forward to that. I sigh as I heave my duffel bag onto my shoulder. Spending all this timewith Jasmine is like playing without a helmet. Seems like fun until something goes wrong. And I can’t afford for anything to go wrong.
However, I’ve also hung onto the phrase Coach Bash coined years ago.Worth the risk. And right now? Jasmine seems more than worth it.
Chapter twenty-three
Tightrope
Jasmine Chamberlain
