Page 87 of Escape Velocity
Mason looks at the man on the screen. He thinks of the formidable man behind him in the stands.
Mason can’t help but think about how traumatized Callum really is.
That he does all this just to keep his dad off his back.
There are surely parts of Callum that enjoys football, but in the end, it will always be him running away from his dad, and Mason aches for Callum, looking at the caricature he’s creating on the screen, wondering if it’s real or fake.
“He looks ridiculous in that video,” he hears Mr. Brown say, not even attempting to be subtle.
“Not now, Daniel,” Tammy says, almost trying to shush him.
“He’s my son. I can say whatever I want, whenever I want,” he retorts.
Mason wants to punch him. Callum was just doing promotional things.
Many of the other teammates do the same thing. It’s a part of the job.
The game begins and Mr. Brown seems to stay silent as it goes on. Mason watches in awe, and Jenna sometimes grabs Mason’s leg whenever the Hornets get close to a touchdown. He swears she gets more invested in the games than he does.
Callum scores a couple of touchdowns as the game goes on, and Mason and Jenna go crazy each time, along with the rest of the crowd.
Mason’s heart swells as he sees Callum do his typical dance when he scores a touchdown. It’s cheesy, but it’s endearing at the same time. He’s just happy he’s succeeding.
Mason looks as Joel just walks away back to the line, not even clapping or patting Callum on the back.
The game goes on, but the other team isn’t trailing far behind.
The Hornets are still winning, but the opposing team are only a couple points behind them, and it’s not the usual victory lap that each game seems to be for the Hornets.
At one point, Callum throws the ball, and his teammate doesn’t catch it.
“Come on, Callum. That was such an easy pass,” Mr. Brown says, not so quietly.
Jenna looks back at Mr. Brown, but he’s not looking at her. She opens her mouth, but Mason stops her.
“Don’t. Please. We can’t draw attention to ourselves,” Mason whispers.
The fire in her eyes doesn’t die, but she nods in understanding as she realizes not only is Mason’s safety at risk, but so is Callum’s. Making Callum’s dad angry will only make things worse.
In the third quarter, Callum messes up a throw into the end zone, and a player misses catching the ball.
The crowd sighs in defeat, but Mr. Brown stands up.
“What the hell! Get your shit together, Cal!” he screams.
Mason clenches his fists as he writes something down in his notebook. Jenna whips around and gets up.
“That’s your son, not a freaking show dog. Act like a decent father and getyourshit together,” Jenna hisses at him.
“Excuse me?” he retorts, but Mason is already grabbing at Jenna and pulling her down.
She’s right, but he’s furious with her.
Anxiety seethes through his bones and veins like he’s on fire.
He’s in trouble without even doing anything. He’s going to get exposed. Everyone’s going to find out.
She tries getting up again, but he pulls her down and gives a furtive glance at Mr. Brown, whose eyebrows perk up upon meeting eyes.
