Page 46 of More Than A Game

He momentarily looks at me in stunned silence before growling, “Calm the fuck down, Murphy. I didn’t know it was like that. Now I do. Chill the fuck out, freshman.”

“Sorry, man. I’m not really used to feeling like this.” Fuck. If I grip my phone any tighter, it’s gonna shatter. I gotta get this shit under control.

“This girl means something to you.” It’s a statement, not a question.

Does she mean something to me?

Of course, she does.

Putting my phone down on the table so I don’t crack the damn thing, I look over at him. “I’ve known her most of my life, but she’s never really been in our circle. We grew up in the same town, but she went to a different school. She’s best friends with Brady’s little sister. She’s kinda crazy, but it’s a hot kinda crazy.”

“You willing to give up the easy ass that gets thrown at you for the same thing every day?”

“Look who’s talking. Like your girl isn’t waiting for you back home in Iowa?”

Jamie’s chest puffs up and a cocky smile looks back at me. “She is. She’s who’s been blowing up my phone. Stressing out about an accounting midterm. I’m gonna marry her as soon as I can too. You should come with me to pick up the ring this week.”

“Yeah. I can do that.”

Jamie smiles and types something out on his phone. “When you’ve got the one, you don’t let her go. You think this girl’s it?”

“I don’t know, man. Ask me again in a few months.”

The fucker smiles like I just let him in on the conspiracy to kill Kennedy or something.

“Alright, that’s enough of this shit. Grab your iPad, and let’s go over the scouting report one more time before we both get our periods or some shit.”

* * *

It’s third and three. Boston’s on their own forty-yard line, trying to cross midfield with a minute and a half on the clock. We’re up by one, and there are no timeouts left. It’s been an epic shit show of a game. A nor’easter came in early this morning, bringing with it a torrential downpour and frigid wind. Boston is one of the only teams we play this season with a grass field, so we’ve played in the mud the entire game.

You can hear the slurp of the suction as cleats get caught in the mud.

This kind of game is great for the offense but bad for the defense. The offense knows where they’re going and can go with their momentum. The defense has to react, and everything is slowed down due to the weather, the mud, and the beating our bodies have taken.

This is it.

We have to stop this drive.

When the play starts, I can see it’s a pass.

The quarterback drops back into the pocket, so I drop back into pass coverage.

Bash bull rushes the offensive left tackle, pushing him right into the quarterback as he’s drawn his arm back for the pass.

The ball pops out.

Bash recovers the ball and ends the game.

All that’s left now is for Brady to come back onto the field and take a knee after the snap, letting the clock run out.

Thank. Fucking. God.

This game is over.

We all herd into the locker room, and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a hot shower this badly before in my life.

Coach Barnett keeps his speech short and sweet. “You did good. You fought. You won. You came into another team’s house and beat ’em. I’m proud of you, men. Now get a shower, get in your suits, and let’s get the hell on the bus and get home to the U.”

The atmosphere in the locker room isn’t the crazy excitement that usually follows a winning game. Everyone’s exhausted, physically and mentally. Bash and I sit on the bench in front of the lockers, arms leaning on our knees, heads down, while everyone shuffles around us.

“I fucking love you, man,” I say, smiling, surprised my muscles have thawed enough to do that. “You won us this game. I don’t know that I could’ve made that play if the QB got that pass off. Good job, man.”

Bash turns his head to me. The exhaustion I feel is mirrored on his face. Then he surprises me by laughing. “I just wanted it to be over. I swear the thought that I could end this and get into the heat pushed me harder than any Coach ever has. I just want to go home and sleep for days.”

“Yeah, man. Me too.” I smile as I think about sleeping wrapped around Sabrina tonight and move a little faster than I did a minute ago. “Home sounds really good right now.”

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