Flying With Desire | Marcus Valentine's Tale
- Thread starter FutureIsHere
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you should, yes.
It was still dark outside and with the sun still working its way up, the September chill hung in the air. I looked around and didn't see a single soul missing. It was five in the morning and everyone made sure to be here early so not to risk the wrath of coach King.
Words weren't spoken between anyone as we stood out on the field for five, ten minutes, waiting for coach King to arrive. Then we heard a door closing and saw coach King making his way towards us from the school, clipboard and whistle in hand.
"LINE UP!" He barked as he strode across the parking lot.
He held out his clipboard as he stood in front of us, glancing between it and us. I was sure everyone was a little nervous and out of it as we stood in front of coach King. After all we were standing in front of the man who issued a very real threat to arrive here before the sun even peaked out. But I knew my mind was on another level, just completely shot. I waited until Stacy fell asleep before attempting to myself, managing maybe two hours at most.
Stacy's emotional exhaustion of being pregnant and being kicked out by her father helped her drift off to sleep for which I was thankful for. But I felt a constant roaring in the back of my mind from the news and found it difficult to silence it and find some peace for myself.
"Young, Potts, get your asses to the locker room and go suit up. Full pads. Now."
Again no words were said as Young and Potts turned and ran towards the school to follow coach King's orders.
"I meant it men," Coach King started. "If you don't care... why should I? It's only Good Counsel. It's only our season on the line. But what does that matter? As long as you "get yours" what does it matter? So today we're going to run. And tomorrow we're going to run. And all week long we're going to run. But today let's start with sprints. On my mark, down and back."
His whistle echoed loudly in the early morning and off we went. I was in the front along with Kyle, Jordan Mata, and Gregg. As soon as the four of us crossed the line coach King looked back at the rest of the team finishing off the sprint as he walked towards us.
"FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! GO!"
He looked at us expectantly and off the four of us went. And that's how it went for another six sprints. Coach King would countdown when any one of the four of us finished and off we went again. It didn't take long for the lineman to quickly fall behind us. I had to give credit to Zach, I think he was keeping up with the other skill guys, though it was hard to tell from the constant stream of bodies going up and down the practice field.
"Potts! Young! If you can catch Valentine, we'll stop running!" Coach King announced very loudly for all to hear. "Down and back! Valentine is on number twenty three."
I crossed the line and quickly threw my hands above my head as I tried to grab as many breaths as I could. Lucky for me my body was used to this kind of abuse. I had pushed myself hard in the offseason and remembered, maybe fondly, how coach King had punished me last season in a similar manner.
It continued like that for who knows how long. The sun had risen finally but everyone was already drenched in sweat. Our sprints turning into power walking, if you could even call it that. Potts and Young had thrown up at least twice, and so had some of the other players multiple times.
"Don't you let them catch you, Valentine," I was warned about five sprints ago.
Then finally came mercy. His whistle once more echoed out and some players immediately dropped to their knees, some all the way to the ground.
"Everyone get your ass inside to watch film. Potts! Young! You stay with me."
My breath was ragged and I could feel ice in my lungs. My legs felt like jelly and everyone was slowly inching closer to the school, equally spent. I could only imagine how Lamar and Potts felt having to do that in full gear. Jesus... would we have to do that ourselves all week?
I was the first one inside the classroom and saw the rest of the coaches huddled around the projector talking quietly amongst themselves. I sat behind coach Woods and held back a sigh of relief of now having the desk hold the weight of my body instead of my wobbly legs.
Once everyone else filed inside and sat down, coach Woods leaned over and hit a button and the screen lit up with a display graphic and a booming voice filling the room. It didn't take long to figure out this was the television broadcast of the state championship last season. The coaches didn't say a word and walked out once the announcers started talking about the players to watch which included Wes Brown, Stefon Diggs, and the return of Delonte Morton for "DeMatha, which should be a great boost to an already great rushing attack with senior Edwin Walters and junior Marcus Valentine."
And then we watched in silence as the minutes ticked on and the game got further and further away from us. The constant replays of a big play from Brown or Diggs to help the Falcons offense continue to run up the score on us. Their criticisms of everything our offense, defense, and special teams were doing, and praise for how efficient Good Counsel were in their gameplan. And the cherry on top were the post-game interviews, including the interview Sarah had pointed out to me months ago. That fucking smile...
A few minutes later the door opened and coach King flicked the lights on.
"That's who you are playing this week. That's who you don't seem to care about beating. And that is what's going to happen when we play them. Hope you guys don't mind losing like that in front of our fans. Go home and rest up, tomorrow we're going to run some more."
Zach and I drove home in silence and when he pulled into the driveway I was actually a little surprised he didn't ask why Stacy's car was parked on the street. When we got inside Zach gave a half-hearted hello before crawling up to his room. I wouldn't be given the same freedom.
"Brutal practice?" Bryan asked.
The question caught me off guard after Bryan's stern warning last night.
"Yeah."
"Stacy hasn't left your room all morning. Jessica tried to talk to her this morning but she wouldn't answer the door."
I nodded my understatement, "I'll go check on her."
I climbed the stairs and looked at my door, unsure as to what I would find behind it. Last night was last night. Plenty of things change after a night to sleep on it.
"Stacy?" I asked softly as I opened the door.
"Close the door. Please."
I closed the door and walked over to my bed to see Stacy wrapped up like a cocoon in my blanket, clutching my pillow to her head and chest.
"Where have you been all morning?"
I crawled into bed and laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her.
"Practice."
"I can tell. You stink," Stacy commented with what almost seemed like a half chuckle.
"Sorry, do you want me to go shower?"
"No. Just stay."
I did as she commanded and we laid on my bed in silence for I don't know how long. Her breathing slowed and synced with mine over time and I wondered if she was sleeping.
"You okay?"
"No."
I decided to ask the second biggest question on my mind, "Did your father call?"
"No," Stacy spat out. "Why didn't he call?" Stacy asked with a whimper.
"I don't know," I said as I hugged her tighter. "But I'm here. And so are Jessica and Bryan. We can figure out-"
"I'm not sure I want to keep the baby," Stacy blurted out.
I pulled my arm away and sat up on the bed, staring at her in disbelief. She slowly followed suit, sitting up and backing up against the wall, now clutching the pillow against her stomach.
"Marcus, we're barely 18..."
"You can't be serious."
"I don't know! It's- it's a fucking BIG decision, Marcus."
"One we should make together," I fired back, emphasizing the "together" part.
"I'm the one that has to carry it for nine months!"
"It's my baby too!"
I saw Stacy grit her teeth and glare at me as our conversation quickly turned into an argument. Then just as quickly her anger waned and her jaw started trembling.
"Hey, hey, hey... I'm sorry. We shouldn't argue."
"I wish I had my daddy," Stacy whimpered, clutching the pillow closer.
"They'll call."
"Maybe if I abort it, they'll forgive me."
I held back my sudden urge to lash out at her for such a stupid decision and instead realized this was completely out of my league.
"Stacy? I'm going to go get Jessica, okay? She can help."
She didn't say a word and I leaned across the bed to kiss her cheek before leaving my room. I let out a rattled sigh as soon as I shut the door. Was she seriously considering aborting our child? I felt my hands shaking and gripped the banister as I walked downstairs.
"Jessica?"
Almost immediately Jessica appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"I think we need you. She's thinking about making this stupid- "
"No," Jessica barked as she started walking up to me. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. You have no idea what is going on in that little girl's mind and what she is feeling right now. What's stupid," Jessica spat, "to you is smart to her. This is her decision alone, Marcus, not yours."
I swallowed hard as Jessica laid into me before walking past me. I looked behind me and wondered if I should follow but decided the best course of action was to stay out of it. If this was her decision then I needed to remove myself from the equation. There was no way I'd be able to sit there in silence if she decided to actually go through with abortion.
Bryan was sitting on the couch and remained silent as I sat in the chair, keeping my eyes glued to the staircase.
"Shouldn't you be up there right now?" He finally asked.
"I don't trust myself."
"About what?"
I licked my lips before turning and facing Bryan, "Stacy is thinking about aborting the baby."
"Big decision."
"That's what she said."
"And you don't trust yourself to what?"
I recalled Jessica's tongue lashing and tried to find the right wording for how I felt about this huge decision that would effect the both of us and our futures.
"I can't lose any more family."
"Marcus..." Bryan moved down the couch to sit closer to me. "You listen to me. You know you are apart of our family, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," I muttered as I lowered my head.
"We love you. And we're not going anywhere. Parenting is a huge responsibility and you- "
"I'm ready!" I said in defiant anger.
"Marcus, you turned 18 a few months ago. I had Amber when I was 24 and didn't think I was ready. Your father? He was 19."
"I know."
"What I'm trying to say is you might be ready, but maybe she isn't. Put your trust and faith into God, Marcus. If you are meant to have a child now, then you will. Maybe you're meant to have a child a few years from now. But I know the kind of man your father raised and who I've seen grow in the past two years and know, without a doubt, that you will make a great father when the time comes."
I ran my hands over my face before cupping them over my mouth. Over time my knee started bouncing as my eyes never left the staircase. Put my trust and faith into God.
I haven't asked for much in the past few years but please... don't take this away from me. Not again.
I stood up immediately when I saw Jessica coming down the stairs, Stacy following behind her. The two stood in front of the two of us and Stacy looked nervous, her eyes stained red.
"So," Stacy started with a shaky voice, "I've made a decision. I'm going to keep the baby." She looked right at me, "Are you mad?"
"Mad?" I asked in disbelief. I strode over and hugged her tight, "No, I'm not mad."
I quietly thanked God as Stacy hugged me back and I felt Jessica rubbing Stacy's back.
"We talked it over and if she doesn't feel comfortable with it that adoption is always an option," Jessica announced.
"But, only if I don't," Stacy added, clutching me tighter.
"And, obviously, I told Stacy she can feel free to stay here as long as she needs."
It was more of a command than question to Bryan, who only nodded in agreement.
"And I can drive you to Seton every day, Stacy."
"No worries, I have a car."
"You'll probably need to sell that sooner rather than later. For the baby."
"Oh."
I looked down and saw the dejection on her face at the news of having to sell her car. I gave her a reassuring squeeze and let out a relieved sigh. I wasn't going to lose anyone else.
Words weren't spoken between anyone as we stood out on the field for five, ten minutes, waiting for coach King to arrive. Then we heard a door closing and saw coach King making his way towards us from the school, clipboard and whistle in hand.
"LINE UP!" He barked as he strode across the parking lot.
He held out his clipboard as he stood in front of us, glancing between it and us. I was sure everyone was a little nervous and out of it as we stood in front of coach King. After all we were standing in front of the man who issued a very real threat to arrive here before the sun even peaked out. But I knew my mind was on another level, just completely shot. I waited until Stacy fell asleep before attempting to myself, managing maybe two hours at most.
Stacy's emotional exhaustion of being pregnant and being kicked out by her father helped her drift off to sleep for which I was thankful for. But I felt a constant roaring in the back of my mind from the news and found it difficult to silence it and find some peace for myself.
"Young, Potts, get your asses to the locker room and go suit up. Full pads. Now."
Again no words were said as Young and Potts turned and ran towards the school to follow coach King's orders.
"I meant it men," Coach King started. "If you don't care... why should I? It's only Good Counsel. It's only our season on the line. But what does that matter? As long as you "get yours" what does it matter? So today we're going to run. And tomorrow we're going to run. And all week long we're going to run. But today let's start with sprints. On my mark, down and back."
His whistle echoed loudly in the early morning and off we went. I was in the front along with Kyle, Jordan Mata, and Gregg. As soon as the four of us crossed the line coach King looked back at the rest of the team finishing off the sprint as he walked towards us.
"FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! GO!"
He looked at us expectantly and off the four of us went. And that's how it went for another six sprints. Coach King would countdown when any one of the four of us finished and off we went again. It didn't take long for the lineman to quickly fall behind us. I had to give credit to Zach, I think he was keeping up with the other skill guys, though it was hard to tell from the constant stream of bodies going up and down the practice field.
"Potts! Young! If you can catch Valentine, we'll stop running!" Coach King announced very loudly for all to hear. "Down and back! Valentine is on number twenty three."
I crossed the line and quickly threw my hands above my head as I tried to grab as many breaths as I could. Lucky for me my body was used to this kind of abuse. I had pushed myself hard in the offseason and remembered, maybe fondly, how coach King had punished me last season in a similar manner.
It continued like that for who knows how long. The sun had risen finally but everyone was already drenched in sweat. Our sprints turning into power walking, if you could even call it that. Potts and Young had thrown up at least twice, and so had some of the other players multiple times.
"Don't you let them catch you, Valentine," I was warned about five sprints ago.
Then finally came mercy. His whistle once more echoed out and some players immediately dropped to their knees, some all the way to the ground.
"Everyone get your ass inside to watch film. Potts! Young! You stay with me."
My breath was ragged and I could feel ice in my lungs. My legs felt like jelly and everyone was slowly inching closer to the school, equally spent. I could only imagine how Lamar and Potts felt having to do that in full gear. Jesus... would we have to do that ourselves all week?
I was the first one inside the classroom and saw the rest of the coaches huddled around the projector talking quietly amongst themselves. I sat behind coach Woods and held back a sigh of relief of now having the desk hold the weight of my body instead of my wobbly legs.
Once everyone else filed inside and sat down, coach Woods leaned over and hit a button and the screen lit up with a display graphic and a booming voice filling the room. It didn't take long to figure out this was the television broadcast of the state championship last season. The coaches didn't say a word and walked out once the announcers started talking about the players to watch which included Wes Brown, Stefon Diggs, and the return of Delonte Morton for "DeMatha, which should be a great boost to an already great rushing attack with senior Edwin Walters and junior Marcus Valentine."
And then we watched in silence as the minutes ticked on and the game got further and further away from us. The constant replays of a big play from Brown or Diggs to help the Falcons offense continue to run up the score on us. Their criticisms of everything our offense, defense, and special teams were doing, and praise for how efficient Good Counsel were in their gameplan. And the cherry on top were the post-game interviews, including the interview Sarah had pointed out to me months ago. That fucking smile...
A few minutes later the door opened and coach King flicked the lights on.
"That's who you are playing this week. That's who you don't seem to care about beating. And that is what's going to happen when we play them. Hope you guys don't mind losing like that in front of our fans. Go home and rest up, tomorrow we're going to run some more."
Zach and I drove home in silence and when he pulled into the driveway I was actually a little surprised he didn't ask why Stacy's car was parked on the street. When we got inside Zach gave a half-hearted hello before crawling up to his room. I wouldn't be given the same freedom.
"Brutal practice?" Bryan asked.
The question caught me off guard after Bryan's stern warning last night.
"Yeah."
"Stacy hasn't left your room all morning. Jessica tried to talk to her this morning but she wouldn't answer the door."
I nodded my understatement, "I'll go check on her."
I climbed the stairs and looked at my door, unsure as to what I would find behind it. Last night was last night. Plenty of things change after a night to sleep on it.
"Stacy?" I asked softly as I opened the door.
"Close the door. Please."
I closed the door and walked over to my bed to see Stacy wrapped up like a cocoon in my blanket, clutching my pillow to her head and chest.
"Where have you been all morning?"
I crawled into bed and laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her.
"Practice."
"I can tell. You stink," Stacy commented with what almost seemed like a half chuckle.
"Sorry, do you want me to go shower?"
"No. Just stay."
I did as she commanded and we laid on my bed in silence for I don't know how long. Her breathing slowed and synced with mine over time and I wondered if she was sleeping.
"You okay?"
"No."
I decided to ask the second biggest question on my mind, "Did your father call?"
"No," Stacy spat out. "Why didn't he call?" Stacy asked with a whimper.
"I don't know," I said as I hugged her tighter. "But I'm here. And so are Jessica and Bryan. We can figure out-"
"I'm not sure I want to keep the baby," Stacy blurted out.
I pulled my arm away and sat up on the bed, staring at her in disbelief. She slowly followed suit, sitting up and backing up against the wall, now clutching the pillow against her stomach.
"Marcus, we're barely 18..."
"You can't be serious."
"I don't know! It's- it's a fucking BIG decision, Marcus."
"One we should make together," I fired back, emphasizing the "together" part.
"I'm the one that has to carry it for nine months!"
"It's my baby too!"
I saw Stacy grit her teeth and glare at me as our conversation quickly turned into an argument. Then just as quickly her anger waned and her jaw started trembling.
"Hey, hey, hey... I'm sorry. We shouldn't argue."
"I wish I had my daddy," Stacy whimpered, clutching the pillow closer.
"They'll call."
"Maybe if I abort it, they'll forgive me."
I held back my sudden urge to lash out at her for such a stupid decision and instead realized this was completely out of my league.
"Stacy? I'm going to go get Jessica, okay? She can help."
She didn't say a word and I leaned across the bed to kiss her cheek before leaving my room. I let out a rattled sigh as soon as I shut the door. Was she seriously considering aborting our child? I felt my hands shaking and gripped the banister as I walked downstairs.
"Jessica?"
Almost immediately Jessica appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"I think we need you. She's thinking about making this stupid- "
"No," Jessica barked as she started walking up to me. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. You have no idea what is going on in that little girl's mind and what she is feeling right now. What's stupid," Jessica spat, "to you is smart to her. This is her decision alone, Marcus, not yours."
I swallowed hard as Jessica laid into me before walking past me. I looked behind me and wondered if I should follow but decided the best course of action was to stay out of it. If this was her decision then I needed to remove myself from the equation. There was no way I'd be able to sit there in silence if she decided to actually go through with abortion.
Bryan was sitting on the couch and remained silent as I sat in the chair, keeping my eyes glued to the staircase.
"Shouldn't you be up there right now?" He finally asked.
"I don't trust myself."
"About what?"
I licked my lips before turning and facing Bryan, "Stacy is thinking about aborting the baby."
"Big decision."
"That's what she said."
"And you don't trust yourself to what?"
I recalled Jessica's tongue lashing and tried to find the right wording for how I felt about this huge decision that would effect the both of us and our futures.
"I can't lose any more family."
"Marcus..." Bryan moved down the couch to sit closer to me. "You listen to me. You know you are apart of our family, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," I muttered as I lowered my head.
"We love you. And we're not going anywhere. Parenting is a huge responsibility and you- "
"I'm ready!" I said in defiant anger.
"Marcus, you turned 18 a few months ago. I had Amber when I was 24 and didn't think I was ready. Your father? He was 19."
"I know."
"What I'm trying to say is you might be ready, but maybe she isn't. Put your trust and faith into God, Marcus. If you are meant to have a child now, then you will. Maybe you're meant to have a child a few years from now. But I know the kind of man your father raised and who I've seen grow in the past two years and know, without a doubt, that you will make a great father when the time comes."
I ran my hands over my face before cupping them over my mouth. Over time my knee started bouncing as my eyes never left the staircase. Put my trust and faith into God.
I haven't asked for much in the past few years but please... don't take this away from me. Not again.
I stood up immediately when I saw Jessica coming down the stairs, Stacy following behind her. The two stood in front of the two of us and Stacy looked nervous, her eyes stained red.
"So," Stacy started with a shaky voice, "I've made a decision. I'm going to keep the baby." She looked right at me, "Are you mad?"
"Mad?" I asked in disbelief. I strode over and hugged her tight, "No, I'm not mad."
I quietly thanked God as Stacy hugged me back and I felt Jessica rubbing Stacy's back.
"We talked it over and if she doesn't feel comfortable with it that adoption is always an option," Jessica announced.
"But, only if I don't," Stacy added, clutching me tighter.
"And, obviously, I told Stacy she can feel free to stay here as long as she needs."
It was more of a command than question to Bryan, who only nodded in agreement.
"And I can drive you to Seton every day, Stacy."
"No worries, I have a car."
"You'll probably need to sell that sooner rather than later. For the baby."
"Oh."
I looked down and saw the dejection on her face at the news of having to sell her car. I gave her a reassuring squeeze and let out a relieved sigh. I wasn't going to lose anyone else.
Whatever nerves I had about writing about Mr. Hopkins and my time in his "home" evaporated once I sat down in front of a blank Word document and started typing. It was even easier the second time around when Mr. Lipton said the second short story had to elaborate on the first.
My first story received high marks when I put Mr. Hopkins in an empty room, forced to face the demons he had created throughout his life. It gave me mild satisfaction to write this fictional justice, but not as much as when I dealt my own to him.
"Very good, Mr. Valentine," Mr. Lipton commented as he handed back the second assignment.
I smiled as I looked at the perfect score. Writing about a person that was the exact opposite of our first character immediately brought one person to mind. How she put up with him before I got there... I had no idea. As I read the comments Mr. Lipton had left behind, I knew I would have to visit Katherine soon and show her. I know she'd love it.
"Dude, a perfect score? Damn..." Jeremy commented as he looked over at my desk.
"Yeah."
"Impressive... want to write my next one?" He asked with a wide grin.
"No thanks."
"Ah that's okay, I'm sure Sarah can help me out with my next one."
"Oh yeah?" I asked half-interested.
"If an inspiring writer can't get me an A on an assignment then I give up."
"Yeah."
Jeremy cleared his throat, "Speaking of... What you think?"
"About?"
"Sarah. I think we really click. You were there! What do you think?"
I chewed on my cheek as I thought about the two of them together. I laughed to myself, there was no way I could imagine Sarah actually agreeing to go out with him. He just seemed way below her standards.
"Yeah, maybe."
"I'd give her a solid 7.5."
"What?"
"I mean, she doesn't have big tits, that's for sure. But I'm more of an ass man myself so that's not a huge deal."
I arched my eyebrows in amusement at where the conversation had gone. I actually wanted to be there when Jeremy had the balls to ask Sarah out on a date.
"Right."
"Plus, I'm a sucker for blondes. And she just seems like she'd ride a mean- "
"Yeah, I get it," I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
"Oh come on, Marcus. You know you've thought about it."
"She's cool."
He was right, but I wasn't about to swap stories with him and encourage him. The thought had crossed my mind more than once or twice; Sarah was an attractive girl. But the two of us just enjoyed each other's company the past year and a half, when we did run into each other. Sex wasn't the first thought in my mind every time I saw her. Then again... sex probably wouldn't be my first thought for quite some time.
"I'm going to ask her out after the game. So y'all better win."
"Just for you," I replied sarcastically.
As the day went on I found myself getting more and more nervous about Jeremy asking Sarah out. She was cool and super nice girl; odds are she'd say yes just so she wouldn't hurt his feelings. And as I was walking to the locker room I realized that it was jealously, not nerves, over Jeremy asking out with her.
I wanted to ask her out. I wanted to date her. And I knew she felt the same way. The problem was my crumbling relationship with Stacy. And now? Now there would be no way with Stacy pregnant.
"Get your shit together!"
I paused outside the locker room door after hearing the yelling.
"We've been playing shitty as fuck! We need to be the heart and soul of this team! You understand me?!"
No one responded to the yelling but it didn't take me long to figure out it was Kyle yelling in a commanding voice.
"POTTS! The fuck was you thinking?" There was a pause and then, "I DON'T CARE! Let him! We have to do better than them. We have to do better than fucking fighting them! Shit is ridiculous! Rise above it! You understand me?!"
I waited another minute, wondering if Kyle was done ranting at whoever he was ranting at before I heard shuffling and hushed voices beginning to rise in volume.
"I better see every single one of you beating the offense in whatever the fuck we're running today. And all week long! Don't you dare come in last! IT'S GOOD COUNSEL WEEK! STEP THIS SHIT UP! RIGHT NOW!"
The voices behind the door started getting louder in response to Kyle's amped up emotion.
"Do your fucking job! Earn that respect! We don't get it given to us like the offense! You got me?! Defense on three! ONE-TWO-THREE!"
"DEFENSE!"
I took a step back and decided it would be better to wait another minute or two before walking in on them. I stood outside in amazement; it sounded like he might've had the entire defense in there with him.
When was the last time the offense was that in sync? Despite the animosity between us, I had to give Kyle credit for stepping up as a captain and rallying his own troops. He had them attacking with a vicious mentality, focused at the task at hand, and playing as a unit. They had each other's back. The offense had none of that. I was failing as a captain of this team.
Coach stuck to his guns and we ran every day. And the defense did as Kyle commanded, constantly beating the offense in whatever running punishment coach King had thought up for the afternoon. Lamar and I were the only two to consistently challenge them, though Zach did have his moments.
I began to worry as the days went on that we would be going into the game on Saturday with absolutely zero gameplan until Friday afternoon rolled around and coach King finally called off our week long punishment and broke us into huddles.
"We are going to use the same exact gameplan we had for the state championship game. And this time we're going to get it right! Run it again!"
A sense of relief washed over me, and probably everyone else, as we went through the plays over and over. But I also felt worried with such a last minute preparation. Half these guys were on JV or the bench last season.
"You know this is on you and me, right?"
I looked at Kyle as we walked back to the locker room.
"I know."
"Then let's go get it done."
"Again?" Stacy asked exasperatedly.
"We're playing Good Counsel this week."
"That doesn't mean you have to answer every tweet, text, and message."
"It means a lot to them. I wasn't that good at responding last year and, you know, I'm a senior."
"So?"
I sighed, "I won't be much longer. How was school?"
"Ugh! Fuck school."
I looked down at my phone as another text came in from an old player. The seniors last year were kind enough to pass out my number to past players, so now I was getting more texts than ever. But it was cool seeing all the support and well wishes.
It was even cooler seeing all these coaches and assistants and recruiters tweeting and messaging me wishing me luck as well. It also made me laugh a bit knowing that they were probably wishing Wes and Stefon luck and win as well.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"It's just weird. I swear I'm getting all these double takes from all the girls. I can FEEL them watching me."
"I'm sure it's nothing."
"What if they know I'm pregnant?"
"I haven't told anyone and you haven't told anyone. No one knows, trust me. You coming to the game tomorrow?" I asked changing subjects.
"Wouldn't miss it."
Stacy leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a kiss on the cheek as she watched me respond to yet another tweet.
My first story received high marks when I put Mr. Hopkins in an empty room, forced to face the demons he had created throughout his life. It gave me mild satisfaction to write this fictional justice, but not as much as when I dealt my own to him.
"Very good, Mr. Valentine," Mr. Lipton commented as he handed back the second assignment.
I smiled as I looked at the perfect score. Writing about a person that was the exact opposite of our first character immediately brought one person to mind. How she put up with him before I got there... I had no idea. As I read the comments Mr. Lipton had left behind, I knew I would have to visit Katherine soon and show her. I know she'd love it.
"Dude, a perfect score? Damn..." Jeremy commented as he looked over at my desk.
"Yeah."
"Impressive... want to write my next one?" He asked with a wide grin.
"No thanks."
"Ah that's okay, I'm sure Sarah can help me out with my next one."
"Oh yeah?" I asked half-interested.
"If an inspiring writer can't get me an A on an assignment then I give up."
"Yeah."
Jeremy cleared his throat, "Speaking of... What you think?"
"About?"
"Sarah. I think we really click. You were there! What do you think?"
I chewed on my cheek as I thought about the two of them together. I laughed to myself, there was no way I could imagine Sarah actually agreeing to go out with him. He just seemed way below her standards.
"Yeah, maybe."
"I'd give her a solid 7.5."
"What?"
"I mean, she doesn't have big tits, that's for sure. But I'm more of an ass man myself so that's not a huge deal."
I arched my eyebrows in amusement at where the conversation had gone. I actually wanted to be there when Jeremy had the balls to ask Sarah out on a date.
"Right."
"Plus, I'm a sucker for blondes. And she just seems like she'd ride a mean- "
"Yeah, I get it," I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
"Oh come on, Marcus. You know you've thought about it."
"She's cool."
He was right, but I wasn't about to swap stories with him and encourage him. The thought had crossed my mind more than once or twice; Sarah was an attractive girl. But the two of us just enjoyed each other's company the past year and a half, when we did run into each other. Sex wasn't the first thought in my mind every time I saw her. Then again... sex probably wouldn't be my first thought for quite some time.
"I'm going to ask her out after the game. So y'all better win."
"Just for you," I replied sarcastically.
As the day went on I found myself getting more and more nervous about Jeremy asking Sarah out. She was cool and super nice girl; odds are she'd say yes just so she wouldn't hurt his feelings. And as I was walking to the locker room I realized that it was jealously, not nerves, over Jeremy asking out with her.
I wanted to ask her out. I wanted to date her. And I knew she felt the same way. The problem was my crumbling relationship with Stacy. And now? Now there would be no way with Stacy pregnant.
"Get your shit together!"
I paused outside the locker room door after hearing the yelling.
"We've been playing shitty as fuck! We need to be the heart and soul of this team! You understand me?!"
No one responded to the yelling but it didn't take me long to figure out it was Kyle yelling in a commanding voice.
"POTTS! The fuck was you thinking?" There was a pause and then, "I DON'T CARE! Let him! We have to do better than them. We have to do better than fucking fighting them! Shit is ridiculous! Rise above it! You understand me?!"
I waited another minute, wondering if Kyle was done ranting at whoever he was ranting at before I heard shuffling and hushed voices beginning to rise in volume.
"I better see every single one of you beating the offense in whatever the fuck we're running today. And all week long! Don't you dare come in last! IT'S GOOD COUNSEL WEEK! STEP THIS SHIT UP! RIGHT NOW!"
The voices behind the door started getting louder in response to Kyle's amped up emotion.
"Do your fucking job! Earn that respect! We don't get it given to us like the offense! You got me?! Defense on three! ONE-TWO-THREE!"
"DEFENSE!"
I took a step back and decided it would be better to wait another minute or two before walking in on them. I stood outside in amazement; it sounded like he might've had the entire defense in there with him.
When was the last time the offense was that in sync? Despite the animosity between us, I had to give Kyle credit for stepping up as a captain and rallying his own troops. He had them attacking with a vicious mentality, focused at the task at hand, and playing as a unit. They had each other's back. The offense had none of that. I was failing as a captain of this team.
Coach stuck to his guns and we ran every day. And the defense did as Kyle commanded, constantly beating the offense in whatever running punishment coach King had thought up for the afternoon. Lamar and I were the only two to consistently challenge them, though Zach did have his moments.
I began to worry as the days went on that we would be going into the game on Saturday with absolutely zero gameplan until Friday afternoon rolled around and coach King finally called off our week long punishment and broke us into huddles.
"We are going to use the same exact gameplan we had for the state championship game. And this time we're going to get it right! Run it again!"
A sense of relief washed over me, and probably everyone else, as we went through the plays over and over. But I also felt worried with such a last minute preparation. Half these guys were on JV or the bench last season.
"You know this is on you and me, right?"
I looked at Kyle as we walked back to the locker room.
"I know."
"Then let's go get it done."
"Again?" Stacy asked exasperatedly.
"We're playing Good Counsel this week."
"That doesn't mean you have to answer every tweet, text, and message."
"It means a lot to them. I wasn't that good at responding last year and, you know, I'm a senior."
"So?"
I sighed, "I won't be much longer. How was school?"
"Ugh! Fuck school."
I looked down at my phone as another text came in from an old player. The seniors last year were kind enough to pass out my number to past players, so now I was getting more texts than ever. But it was cool seeing all the support and well wishes.
It was even cooler seeing all these coaches and assistants and recruiters tweeting and messaging me wishing me luck as well. It also made me laugh a bit knowing that they were probably wishing Wes and Stefon luck and win as well.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"It's just weird. I swear I'm getting all these double takes from all the girls. I can FEEL them watching me."
"I'm sure it's nothing."
"What if they know I'm pregnant?"
"I haven't told anyone and you haven't told anyone. No one knows, trust me. You coming to the game tomorrow?" I asked changing subjects.
"Wouldn't miss it."
Stacy leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a kiss on the cheek as she watched me respond to yet another tweet.
Poor ol' F14 is already starting to become tied down. He better put his foot down and tell Stacy what's what before she starts turning into one of those girls from 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. She'll be right there with Ferrah Abraham. Hopefully all this drama doesn't get in the way of his footballing. Wouldn't want to see him going the way of David Daniels and Delonte.
I was steaming in the locker room, my leg bouncing furiously as I focused all my attention on the words being played back. I blocked out everything else as the clip played again and again on a loop. My usual playlist of Ray Lewis speeches was being replaced for today.
"It's a wonderful feeling. Two-peat, we call it. Next year, we're going for a three-peat."
It was only my second year here but I never wanted to beat a team so bad. Beat a player so badly. Humiliation did not sit well with me. It was nothing I had dealt with at Churchill and nothing I had dealt with in my one year in DeMatha... except for that last game of the season.
"Coach says we don't care," I started once Kyle finished the prayer. "I know we do. I know the seniors do. I know we care about 42-3. I know we care about shutting up that motherfucker across the field!" I barked to the approval of the team.
"Our season ain't over. It's just beginning. That motherfucker thinks they going to three-peat. I say hell no! Fuck that! We get our shit together today! Ain't no man here okay with being just basic! Today we show who the best team in the fucking state is!
Today we show coach who the best team in the state is. Today we show everyone in those stands who the best team in the state is. Today we gonna earn respect! We're going to command it! It's Good Counsel week so let's go fucking do this!"
Kyle slapped my helmet as he wrapped up the frenzy I had created with our traditional "are we ready" call. We stormed the field to a sold out crowd and media lining the outskirts of the field. Despite no one thinking that we would hand Good Counsel their first loss of a season they still came out in drones to see the three best players in the state duke it out.
"Give us the ball first when we win the toss," Kyle muttered as we walked to midfield.
"No way. I want first crack at them."
"Rock, paper, scissors."
"Go."
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot."
"Ah, fuck," I growled.
"I get first crack." Kyle scoffed, "Who picks paper?"
"Shut up."
We met Wes and Stefon and the refereeing crew at midfield, the crowd now seeming like a muted roar as we stood across from the talented duo.
"Okay guys, we have a lot of distractions today but let's have a good, clean game, yeah?"
"Yes, sir," We all responded.
"Good Counsel, call it in the air."
"Heads," Stefon said confidently as the coin flipped in the air.
"It's tails. DeMatha, what's your decision?"
"We'll kick it off," Kyle spat.
"Shake hands, boys, and let's go play some football."
Stefon just had a goofy smile on his face as he leaned off and quickly shook our hands before jogging backwards towards his own sideline. Wes just gave me a head nod before turning and joining his co-captain.
"Set the tempo."
"I always do."
The game plan was simple: shadow Stefon with 2 defenders and put eight men in the box and dare any other Good Counsel player to be the difference maker. But I had to make sure that this wouldn't be all on the defense like it had been all season.
"Nervous?" I asked as I sat next to Zach on the bench.
"Nope."
"It's a big stage but know that I got your back."
Zach just smiled as he buckled up his chin strap, "Trust me, I'm not nervous at all. I missed this."
He slapped my chest before snatching a football off the ground and grabbing our center to practice snaps as our defense started jogging on the field. It was a relief seeing Zach had a confidence about him after spending the first weeks of the season on the bench. Definitely a different dynamic then trying to make sure Jeff didn't get too down on himself if things started to go south.
"Hell of a speech, captain. Didn't know you cussed," Lamar teased as he stood next to me.
"When the situation calls for it."
"Yeah well it won't mean shit if the defense can't keep those two assholes out of the endzone."
I glared at Lamar who had his focus on the field. This was exactly what we needed to avoid to get a total team effort to beat them and I knew exactly how to get Lamar on the same page.
"You know how many touchdown catches Stefon had in the championship game?"
"Shit, looking at the score probably twenty."
"He had three. You know how many he's had this season?"
"Not more than me."
"No, you have more than him. And he's still the number one recruit in the state. One of the best of our class."
Lamar muttered something before stalking off and leaving me alone the bench. The plan for us was to feed me the ball as often as possible to keep the Falcons offense the field, but Lamar would be called upon from time to time. And when that time came I wanted him to be completely focused on dominating because I knew Stefon would be matched up against him.
"OFFENSE! OFFENSE! LET'S GO!" Coach King barked as he turned around.
I immediately popped up and jogged out onto the field ready to get the day going.
"What happened?" I asked the huddle as I joined them.
"Missed field goal," Keller answered. "I'm fucking shocked."
"Perfect. Let's go get six."
"A rare missed field goal means DeMatha takes over with a chance to take the lead early. Stefon Diggs will look to make a difference on defense as the Stags did a great job holding him to a single catch."
...
"It's a counter this time to Valentine and he stiff arms Neal to the ground and he's loose in the secondary! Diggs is closing in and oh! Young comes back with a vicious block and Valentine is gone! Forty, thirty, twenty, and Boyd shoves him out at the seventeen!"
...
"Second down now and the crowd is still on their feet from the huge run by Valentine. Dive up the middle and he carries a defender down to the five!"
...
"Third down and Wright drops back and lofts one up! Diggs is all over Young and what a play by the all-state receiver! He outjumped Young and swatted the ball down. The field goal unit is coming out now."
"Fuck, man!" Lamar groaned as we huddled around the bench.
"Hey! Remember... box out!"
Lamar nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah. I'll get it next time. My bad, Zach."
"All good."
"O-line, Marcus, hell of a job boys. Keep it up. Ty, seal the edge. I saw way too many defenders trying to get Valentine from behind."
"Yes, sir."
"Okay, let's go boys! We want six next time!"
Coach King gave us a slap of encouragement and walked off again to keep an eye on the game. I grabbed the nearest water bottle and squeezed as much out of it as I could.
"I know you liked that block, Valentine!" Lamar cracked with a wide smile.
I laughed and nodded, "I did."
"Almost decleated his ass! He got good reflexes though, I'll give him that."
I held out my fist for a bump and nodded in agreement.
"Just keep doing that and we'll get this win."
"Ain't gotta tell me twice. I'm gonna try and knock his ass to the ground every drive."
"Hey," Zach interjected. "I'm goin' to get you your touchdown."
"I know!" Lamar said with a wink. "Wonderboy over there won't be able to play so physical for all four quarters. He'll take plays off."
"Just give me a few runs at him in space."
"Ha! In your dreams. Diggs is all mine."
"The Stags are back out on offense trailing 7-3 thanks to a big catch and run by Brown. And no surprise, Valentine gets the handoff."
...
"Young in motion, fake handoff and Valentine gets the toss! Diggs settles into a stance and Valentine runs right through him! The crowd is on its feet and he's taking off again but Boyd tracks him down. Another big run for Valentine and the Stags."
...
"Young hauls in the quick pass on third down and DeMatha gets a new set of downs. He and Diggs exchange words before the refs separate them."
...
"Third and goal now, DeMatha at the two. Valentine has been denied twice now and the Falcons defense is crowding the line. Handoff and there's a pile-up around the goal line. Referees... signal touchdown! Valentine punches it in and DeMatha takes the lead again!"
I emerged from the pile and felt someone jump on my back as I jogged to the sideline and laughed as more players joined in the congratulations.
"Okay, okay, calm down."
"Great fucking run, man!" Lamar repeated again as he pressed his facemask against mine, slapping my helmet.
"Get to the bench! Let's go! First quarter isn't even over yet!" Coach King reminded us.
I looked at the scoreboard and saw there was two minutes left. But after reading so many articles about the game, I felt very good about the 10-7 lead. Most people had us pegged to be getting blown out by halftime but right now we were the ones taking it to Good Counsel.
"He take any plays off?"
"Not yet, but he will. Especially after you ran his ass over! Cold blooded..."
I smirked as I remembered the play. The lowest man usually wins in football but I wasn't going to be denied once I lowered my shoulders.
"That should be a blow to his ego."
Whistles blew and I looked up to see the defense huddling close to the sideline. The quarter was already over and we were three away from victory.
"Three more, captain."
"Yup."
There was a pocket of cheers a few minutes later and I stood up, grabbing my helmet as I tried to get a peek on the field. I was disappointed to see Diggs sprinting away from Kyle to the endzone before pulling up and jogging across the plane.
"That's it, my turn!" Lamar growled.
"Tight game four minutes into the second quarter, Good Counsel leads 14-10 as Wright gets settled under center. Stretch to Valentine and he keeps it! Running left and throws it- wow! Diggs undercuts the throw and makes the diving interception! What a display of athleticism from Diggs."
"Heads up! Heads up!" I repeated as I walked up and down the sideline, keeping my eye on the field.
I felt a pit in my stomach when I watched Wes rip off an eight yard run then a six yard run. We came out fired up but I don't know how we'd respond to a 21-10 hole against these guys. My doubts were brushed aside as I yelled out in approval on the hit Potts put on Diggs who tried catching a pass across the middle.
"Hell yeah!"
I ran out and met Potts as he was coming off the field and was in his ear about the hit he put on Diggs and to keep it up.
"I'll hit him on defense, you hit him on offense!"
"Good Counsel leads 17-10 midway through the second as DeMatha gets ready to answer. Wright is in the gun and it's a quick screen to Young who picks up six yards."
...
"Handoff to Valentine and he takes it right up the middle. First down!"
...
"Play action to Valentine, pressure is coming and Valentine cleans it up! Big block from Valentine and Wright takes off. He gets a gain of three before dropping to the ground."
...
"Run left and Valentine throws Walker to the ground! Diggs comes flying in and wraps up Valentine but he gets a few more yards and the first."
...
"Good Counsel takes a timeout after that run. DeMatha will come back out on second down with 2:17 to go."
...
"The Stags are back inside the five and the Falcons are crowding the line. Wright takes a step back and lofts one and this time Young has it! Touchdown Stags!"
...
"And with that tackle on Brown, the clock will run out and we go into halftime tied 17-17."
"Hey!" Coach King yelled over all the commotion. "Hell of a half! That's what I'm talking about!"
We all let out a light cheer as coach grinned back at us.
"But we still have 24 minutes left! We're not done yet! Defense! Hell of a job containing Diggs and Brown! Offense! Hell of a job keeping those chains moving! We're still in this gentlemen so let's go get this win!"
"Thirty yard return by Young put the Stags in great field position and Valentine lines up in the backfield by himself. Handoff and he's right up the seam. The hole opened up perfectly and Valentine gets twenty yards before Boyd and Diggs bring him down."
...
"Wright has time in the pocket, steps up and throws, caught! Conway catches it across the middle and immediately turns up the field before Ross takes him down. Big catch from the seldom used receiver."
...
"Toss left to Valentine and he's out in space! Diggs once again in pursuit and what a stiff arm from Valentine! Young out in front, he seals off Boyd and that's it! Touchdown Stags!"
That muted roar broke through and I could hear every cheer as I jogged back to our sideline. I couldn't help but smile again as I pointed to the crowd and their cheers grew. No one had expected us to make it to halftime against Good Counsel and now we were beating them.
"Hey!" I ran up to Lamar when I spotted him and slapped his helmet as I hugged him close. "That's what I'm talking about!"
"I got you! I got you!"
There wasn't much to discuss so we sat down on the bench and enjoyed the rest and water. After a few minutes I got off the bench and started stretching out my legs. No sense in catching a cramp so late in a game like this. And then the cheers grew again and I sighed deeply wondering whether it was Wes or Stefon breaking loose.
"Go! Go! Go!"
I saw coach King sprinting down the sideline waving his arms and our entire sideline jumping up and down. I made my way down the line and managed to catch Kyle as he sprinted down the sideline and into the endzone. I raised my arms in triumph as I saw our lead grow and I raised them again once the referees blew the final whistle.
The interception by Kyle was the back breaker with the defense doing such a great job bottling up Stefon on offense. I continued to grind out the clock and we put Good Counsel in a position they've never been in this season: having to figure out a way to score points.
We met Good Counsel at midfield for the post game prayer but I could tell we were all eager to explode in excitement and join the crowd in celebration of the big win. Once the prayer broke we shook hands with the other players and congratulated them on the good game.
"Hey, man, good game out there. You were balling."
"Thanks, Wes. Told you we'd get you," I said with a smirk.
"You did, you did. It's cool though. I'd rather lose now than in the state championship."
"We got your number then too."
Wes laughed as he nodded in amusement, "Okay. Anyways man, I see some recruiters so I'll catch up with you later."
"Alright."
I rejoined the team and took a knee as coach King paced back and forth in front of us, a wide grin on his face as he tugged on his visor.
"That's what I'm talking about men! Heck of a win!" Coach King yelled over the roaring crowd still lingering in the stands and around the field. "38-24 against what everyone said was the best team in the state! Well guess what? You just proved tonight that we're the best team in the state! Take tomorrow off and I'll see you men on Monday! Captains, break it down!"
"Hey! Hey! Good shit!" Kyle yelled as the team huddled around us. "That's what I'm saying! We need to do this every week! Every week! You heard coach, enjoy tonight, enjoy tomorrow, but come to work on Monday!"
"DeMatha on three! ONE-TWO-THREE!"
"DeMatha!"
I congratulated a few other players and started making my way towards the stands to find Stacy when a man approached me.
"Heck of a game, son."
"Thank you, sir."
"Names Curtis Luper, I'm a recruiter for Auburn. Have to admit I was here to check in on Wes and Stefon but consider yourself on our radar."
"Thank you, sir."
He smiled and held out his hand, "Keep up the good work."
I was floored as he walked away and started walking towards Wes. On the radar for Auburn... that was crazy to me. Auburn. As I continued making my way towards the crowd I was stopped again and again. By the time I reached Stacy my mouth was hanging open.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"I, uh- shit."
I handed over the cards the recruiters from Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, and West Virginia gave me.
"Oh my god! Marcus! This is incredible!"
Stacy leaned over the fence and hugged me tightly, kissing me in excitement. I started laughing as the moment started sinking in for me. This was crazy. I was one of the best players in the state... and these schools wanted to fight for my commitment.
"Marcus Valentine?"
I turned half expecting another recruiter but was mildly surprised to see no school emblem anywhere on him.
"Yes?"
"Dave Lomonico, Rivals writer. Kid, you just played yourself into being the best player in the state. How do you feel about sitting down sometime soon so we can publish a piece about you on Rivals?"
Correction. I was the best player in the state.
"It's a wonderful feeling. Two-peat, we call it. Next year, we're going for a three-peat."
It was only my second year here but I never wanted to beat a team so bad. Beat a player so badly. Humiliation did not sit well with me. It was nothing I had dealt with at Churchill and nothing I had dealt with in my one year in DeMatha... except for that last game of the season.
"Coach says we don't care," I started once Kyle finished the prayer. "I know we do. I know the seniors do. I know we care about 42-3. I know we care about shutting up that motherfucker across the field!" I barked to the approval of the team.
"Our season ain't over. It's just beginning. That motherfucker thinks they going to three-peat. I say hell no! Fuck that! We get our shit together today! Ain't no man here okay with being just basic! Today we show who the best team in the fucking state is!
Today we show coach who the best team in the state is. Today we show everyone in those stands who the best team in the state is. Today we gonna earn respect! We're going to command it! It's Good Counsel week so let's go fucking do this!"
Kyle slapped my helmet as he wrapped up the frenzy I had created with our traditional "are we ready" call. We stormed the field to a sold out crowd and media lining the outskirts of the field. Despite no one thinking that we would hand Good Counsel their first loss of a season they still came out in drones to see the three best players in the state duke it out.
"Give us the ball first when we win the toss," Kyle muttered as we walked to midfield.
"No way. I want first crack at them."
"Rock, paper, scissors."
"Go."
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot."
"Ah, fuck," I growled.
"I get first crack." Kyle scoffed, "Who picks paper?"
"Shut up."
We met Wes and Stefon and the refereeing crew at midfield, the crowd now seeming like a muted roar as we stood across from the talented duo.
"Okay guys, we have a lot of distractions today but let's have a good, clean game, yeah?"
"Yes, sir," We all responded.
"Good Counsel, call it in the air."
"Heads," Stefon said confidently as the coin flipped in the air.
"It's tails. DeMatha, what's your decision?"
"We'll kick it off," Kyle spat.
"Shake hands, boys, and let's go play some football."
Stefon just had a goofy smile on his face as he leaned off and quickly shook our hands before jogging backwards towards his own sideline. Wes just gave me a head nod before turning and joining his co-captain.
"Set the tempo."
"I always do."
The game plan was simple: shadow Stefon with 2 defenders and put eight men in the box and dare any other Good Counsel player to be the difference maker. But I had to make sure that this wouldn't be all on the defense like it had been all season.
"Nervous?" I asked as I sat next to Zach on the bench.
"Nope."
"It's a big stage but know that I got your back."
Zach just smiled as he buckled up his chin strap, "Trust me, I'm not nervous at all. I missed this."
He slapped my chest before snatching a football off the ground and grabbing our center to practice snaps as our defense started jogging on the field. It was a relief seeing Zach had a confidence about him after spending the first weeks of the season on the bench. Definitely a different dynamic then trying to make sure Jeff didn't get too down on himself if things started to go south.
"Hell of a speech, captain. Didn't know you cussed," Lamar teased as he stood next to me.
"When the situation calls for it."
"Yeah well it won't mean shit if the defense can't keep those two assholes out of the endzone."
I glared at Lamar who had his focus on the field. This was exactly what we needed to avoid to get a total team effort to beat them and I knew exactly how to get Lamar on the same page.
"You know how many touchdown catches Stefon had in the championship game?"
"Shit, looking at the score probably twenty."
"He had three. You know how many he's had this season?"
"Not more than me."
"No, you have more than him. And he's still the number one recruit in the state. One of the best of our class."
Lamar muttered something before stalking off and leaving me alone the bench. The plan for us was to feed me the ball as often as possible to keep the Falcons offense the field, but Lamar would be called upon from time to time. And when that time came I wanted him to be completely focused on dominating because I knew Stefon would be matched up against him.
"OFFENSE! OFFENSE! LET'S GO!" Coach King barked as he turned around.
I immediately popped up and jogged out onto the field ready to get the day going.
"What happened?" I asked the huddle as I joined them.
"Missed field goal," Keller answered. "I'm fucking shocked."
"Perfect. Let's go get six."
"A rare missed field goal means DeMatha takes over with a chance to take the lead early. Stefon Diggs will look to make a difference on defense as the Stags did a great job holding him to a single catch."
...
"It's a counter this time to Valentine and he stiff arms Neal to the ground and he's loose in the secondary! Diggs is closing in and oh! Young comes back with a vicious block and Valentine is gone! Forty, thirty, twenty, and Boyd shoves him out at the seventeen!"
...
"Second down now and the crowd is still on their feet from the huge run by Valentine. Dive up the middle and he carries a defender down to the five!"
...
"Third down and Wright drops back and lofts one up! Diggs is all over Young and what a play by the all-state receiver! He outjumped Young and swatted the ball down. The field goal unit is coming out now."
"Fuck, man!" Lamar groaned as we huddled around the bench.
"Hey! Remember... box out!"
Lamar nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah. I'll get it next time. My bad, Zach."
"All good."
"O-line, Marcus, hell of a job boys. Keep it up. Ty, seal the edge. I saw way too many defenders trying to get Valentine from behind."
"Yes, sir."
"Okay, let's go boys! We want six next time!"
Coach King gave us a slap of encouragement and walked off again to keep an eye on the game. I grabbed the nearest water bottle and squeezed as much out of it as I could.
"I know you liked that block, Valentine!" Lamar cracked with a wide smile.
I laughed and nodded, "I did."
"Almost decleated his ass! He got good reflexes though, I'll give him that."
I held out my fist for a bump and nodded in agreement.
"Just keep doing that and we'll get this win."
"Ain't gotta tell me twice. I'm gonna try and knock his ass to the ground every drive."
"Hey," Zach interjected. "I'm goin' to get you your touchdown."
"I know!" Lamar said with a wink. "Wonderboy over there won't be able to play so physical for all four quarters. He'll take plays off."
"Just give me a few runs at him in space."
"Ha! In your dreams. Diggs is all mine."
"The Stags are back out on offense trailing 7-3 thanks to a big catch and run by Brown. And no surprise, Valentine gets the handoff."
...
"Young in motion, fake handoff and Valentine gets the toss! Diggs settles into a stance and Valentine runs right through him! The crowd is on its feet and he's taking off again but Boyd tracks him down. Another big run for Valentine and the Stags."
...
"Young hauls in the quick pass on third down and DeMatha gets a new set of downs. He and Diggs exchange words before the refs separate them."
...
"Third and goal now, DeMatha at the two. Valentine has been denied twice now and the Falcons defense is crowding the line. Handoff and there's a pile-up around the goal line. Referees... signal touchdown! Valentine punches it in and DeMatha takes the lead again!"
I emerged from the pile and felt someone jump on my back as I jogged to the sideline and laughed as more players joined in the congratulations.
"Okay, okay, calm down."
"Great fucking run, man!" Lamar repeated again as he pressed his facemask against mine, slapping my helmet.
"Get to the bench! Let's go! First quarter isn't even over yet!" Coach King reminded us.
I looked at the scoreboard and saw there was two minutes left. But after reading so many articles about the game, I felt very good about the 10-7 lead. Most people had us pegged to be getting blown out by halftime but right now we were the ones taking it to Good Counsel.
"He take any plays off?"
"Not yet, but he will. Especially after you ran his ass over! Cold blooded..."
I smirked as I remembered the play. The lowest man usually wins in football but I wasn't going to be denied once I lowered my shoulders.
"That should be a blow to his ego."
Whistles blew and I looked up to see the defense huddling close to the sideline. The quarter was already over and we were three away from victory.
"Three more, captain."
"Yup."
There was a pocket of cheers a few minutes later and I stood up, grabbing my helmet as I tried to get a peek on the field. I was disappointed to see Diggs sprinting away from Kyle to the endzone before pulling up and jogging across the plane.
"That's it, my turn!" Lamar growled.
"Tight game four minutes into the second quarter, Good Counsel leads 14-10 as Wright gets settled under center. Stretch to Valentine and he keeps it! Running left and throws it- wow! Diggs undercuts the throw and makes the diving interception! What a display of athleticism from Diggs."
"Heads up! Heads up!" I repeated as I walked up and down the sideline, keeping my eye on the field.
I felt a pit in my stomach when I watched Wes rip off an eight yard run then a six yard run. We came out fired up but I don't know how we'd respond to a 21-10 hole against these guys. My doubts were brushed aside as I yelled out in approval on the hit Potts put on Diggs who tried catching a pass across the middle.
"Hell yeah!"
I ran out and met Potts as he was coming off the field and was in his ear about the hit he put on Diggs and to keep it up.
"I'll hit him on defense, you hit him on offense!"
"Good Counsel leads 17-10 midway through the second as DeMatha gets ready to answer. Wright is in the gun and it's a quick screen to Young who picks up six yards."
...
"Handoff to Valentine and he takes it right up the middle. First down!"
...
"Play action to Valentine, pressure is coming and Valentine cleans it up! Big block from Valentine and Wright takes off. He gets a gain of three before dropping to the ground."
...
"Run left and Valentine throws Walker to the ground! Diggs comes flying in and wraps up Valentine but he gets a few more yards and the first."
...
"Good Counsel takes a timeout after that run. DeMatha will come back out on second down with 2:17 to go."
...
"The Stags are back inside the five and the Falcons are crowding the line. Wright takes a step back and lofts one and this time Young has it! Touchdown Stags!"
...
"And with that tackle on Brown, the clock will run out and we go into halftime tied 17-17."
"Hey!" Coach King yelled over all the commotion. "Hell of a half! That's what I'm talking about!"
We all let out a light cheer as coach grinned back at us.
"But we still have 24 minutes left! We're not done yet! Defense! Hell of a job containing Diggs and Brown! Offense! Hell of a job keeping those chains moving! We're still in this gentlemen so let's go get this win!"
"Thirty yard return by Young put the Stags in great field position and Valentine lines up in the backfield by himself. Handoff and he's right up the seam. The hole opened up perfectly and Valentine gets twenty yards before Boyd and Diggs bring him down."
...
"Wright has time in the pocket, steps up and throws, caught! Conway catches it across the middle and immediately turns up the field before Ross takes him down. Big catch from the seldom used receiver."
...
"Toss left to Valentine and he's out in space! Diggs once again in pursuit and what a stiff arm from Valentine! Young out in front, he seals off Boyd and that's it! Touchdown Stags!"
That muted roar broke through and I could hear every cheer as I jogged back to our sideline. I couldn't help but smile again as I pointed to the crowd and their cheers grew. No one had expected us to make it to halftime against Good Counsel and now we were beating them.
"Hey!" I ran up to Lamar when I spotted him and slapped his helmet as I hugged him close. "That's what I'm talking about!"
"I got you! I got you!"
There wasn't much to discuss so we sat down on the bench and enjoyed the rest and water. After a few minutes I got off the bench and started stretching out my legs. No sense in catching a cramp so late in a game like this. And then the cheers grew again and I sighed deeply wondering whether it was Wes or Stefon breaking loose.
"Go! Go! Go!"
I saw coach King sprinting down the sideline waving his arms and our entire sideline jumping up and down. I made my way down the line and managed to catch Kyle as he sprinted down the sideline and into the endzone. I raised my arms in triumph as I saw our lead grow and I raised them again once the referees blew the final whistle.
The interception by Kyle was the back breaker with the defense doing such a great job bottling up Stefon on offense. I continued to grind out the clock and we put Good Counsel in a position they've never been in this season: having to figure out a way to score points.
We met Good Counsel at midfield for the post game prayer but I could tell we were all eager to explode in excitement and join the crowd in celebration of the big win. Once the prayer broke we shook hands with the other players and congratulated them on the good game.
"Hey, man, good game out there. You were balling."
"Thanks, Wes. Told you we'd get you," I said with a smirk.
"You did, you did. It's cool though. I'd rather lose now than in the state championship."
"We got your number then too."
Wes laughed as he nodded in amusement, "Okay. Anyways man, I see some recruiters so I'll catch up with you later."
"Alright."
I rejoined the team and took a knee as coach King paced back and forth in front of us, a wide grin on his face as he tugged on his visor.
"That's what I'm talking about men! Heck of a win!" Coach King yelled over the roaring crowd still lingering in the stands and around the field. "38-24 against what everyone said was the best team in the state! Well guess what? You just proved tonight that we're the best team in the state! Take tomorrow off and I'll see you men on Monday! Captains, break it down!"
"Hey! Hey! Good shit!" Kyle yelled as the team huddled around us. "That's what I'm saying! We need to do this every week! Every week! You heard coach, enjoy tonight, enjoy tomorrow, but come to work on Monday!"
"DeMatha on three! ONE-TWO-THREE!"
"DeMatha!"
I congratulated a few other players and started making my way towards the stands to find Stacy when a man approached me.
"Heck of a game, son."
"Thank you, sir."
"Names Curtis Luper, I'm a recruiter for Auburn. Have to admit I was here to check in on Wes and Stefon but consider yourself on our radar."
"Thank you, sir."
He smiled and held out his hand, "Keep up the good work."
I was floored as he walked away and started walking towards Wes. On the radar for Auburn... that was crazy to me. Auburn. As I continued making my way towards the crowd I was stopped again and again. By the time I reached Stacy my mouth was hanging open.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"I, uh- shit."
I handed over the cards the recruiters from Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, and West Virginia gave me.
"Oh my god! Marcus! This is incredible!"
Stacy leaned over the fence and hugged me tightly, kissing me in excitement. I started laughing as the moment started sinking in for me. This was crazy. I was one of the best players in the state... and these schools wanted to fight for my commitment.
"Marcus Valentine?"
I turned half expecting another recruiter but was mildly surprised to see no school emblem anywhere on him.
"Yes?"
"Dave Lomonico, Rivals writer. Kid, you just played yourself into being the best player in the state. How do you feel about sitting down sometime soon so we can publish a piece about you on Rivals?"
Correction. I was the best player in the state.
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Awesome update. Loved seeing some emotion from Marcus, and seeing the offense come together.
I know you normally don't do it, but you got any stats from the game?
I know you normally don't do it, but you got any stats from the game?
lawls. stacy aint that rich. and whatd you say about getting in the way of his footballing?!
Gotta step it up for the big games. 182 yards, 3 touchdowns.
DaaaaaBears
Super Star
- May 30, 2006
- 51,757
- 29,338
I'm going to need more Sarah/Amber reactions to this mess.
Also, Marcus' reaction if this situation arises:
Also, Marcus' reaction if this situation arises:
Last edited:
I agree with Woy except more Amber. Also don't let Marcus go to the dark side!(SEC).
DaaaaaBears
Super Star
- May 30, 2006
- 51,757
- 29,338
![[face_rose]](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ignboards.com/styles/ign/ign/smilies/classic/rose.gif "Rose [face_rose]")
That week following our victory over Good Counsel might have been the best week of my life so far. The looks, the handshakes, the texts, the tweets, the messages, the emails, and the calls... those were definitely the highlight.
Aside from dozens and dozens of DeMatha alumni calling me and leaving voicemails; I was also receiving dozens and dozens of calls from new coaches and scouts. Auburn, for me, highlighted the post game conversations I had, but it was a call from Frank Wilson that was the cherry on top.
"Who was that?"
I put the phone down and crawled over to Stacy with a huge grin on my face.
"Who was it, Marcus?"
I remained silent as I attacked her cheek and neck with kisses, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles and a feeble attempt at resisting me.
"M-Marcus, come on!" She whined and stuttered out as her hands pawed at my shoulders. "Just tell me!"
I leaned back and kissed her gently on her forehead. "That was Frank Wilson."
"And... is that supposed to mean something to me?"
I laughed as I shook my head at her, quite frankly that was usually my reaction when I got these phone calls. How often does someone know the name of that behind the scenes coach? But excitement always gripped my body when I heard a new name and voice on the other end of the phone... who were they calling on behalf of? To me that was half the fun of this recruiting process.
"Frank Wilson... is the running backs coach at LSU."
I stared at Stacy with my mouth hanging opening ready for her excitement to bubble over; this was by far the biggest program to contact me this week. One game. Who knew?
"Oh, cool."
And then her focus returned to her laptop and just like that the conversation was over. I could feel my excitement drain from my face as I sat back on the bed and tried to refocus on my work.
Oh, cool.
I shook my head as I wondered where the girl that shared in my excitement had gone. Sure, this was becoming a daily occurrence now, but lately she seemed bored and disinterested in it all. It was great having everyone else in the house as pumped as I was, though I think Sarah beat them all when she saw Penn State finally got into contact with me, but what good was it when the mother of my unborn child couldn't bask in this with me? This was going to be as much her decision as my own.
Of course there was also the flip side to everything. Mainly the uneasy quiet inside the house ever since Stacy ran upstairs with a suitcase in her hand. It didn't help that her first meal with everyone was also her last and I was resigned to taking dinner up to my room every night to eat with her in silence.
"I can't take the stares," she reasoned with me quietly on the second night.
I could take the stares. I had been dealing with them for four years now, but she wasn't me so I didn't push her to try and acclimate with the Wright's like I had.
"It'll be okay."
And that became our routine. I'd come home from practice and lock myself up in my room with Stacy. Someone would always come knock on my door and that was my cue to head downstairs to get our dinner. Jessica would always ask about us and I would always say we're doing fine. Bryan and Zach would simply give me a slight nod of understanding and then Amber...
Every time our eyes met I replayed that night and the look that was etched on her face. I could take the stares but every time I saw her or accidentally bumped into her in the mornings it made me glad for the bubble Stacy and I lived in.
...
"Marcus."
My smile slipped away when I turned and saw Amber stepping halfway out into the hallway, her bedroom door concealing half of her body.
"Hey," I whispered back.
"Good job tonight."
My eyes danced slowly up and down the hallway; doing everything I could to avoid her gaze. Suddenly a win over Good Counsel and interest from Auburn, Michigan, and Oklahoma seemed small.
"Thanks."
There was a long pause and then the floor creaked as I guessed Amber shifted her weight.
"You can't even look at me..."
I mustered up the strength to look up and see her hand slowly rubbing her bedroom door, half of her face concealed by it as her eyes gave away her struggle on whether or not she wanted to open or close the door.
"Can you blame me?"
Then within seconds she pulled her body out into the hallway and closed the gap between us. She froze a foot away from me, her hands slowly fidgeting as her eyes fixated on mine.
"Marcus, I'm sorry, you- "
"You don't need- "
Her hand shot out and rested on my chest and silenced me. She raked her nails gently on my shirt before pulling her hand away.
"I... can't... what you're going through," her words slowly spilling out as she kept her eyes locked on mine.
"Amber."
She took a deep breath and put her hand back on my chest. "I'm just worried. But I'm here for you; I hope you know that. For both of you."
"Thank you."
"I hope she knows what a catch she has." I kept silent as Amber stepped closer to me, her hand never leaving my body. "Maybe if things had worked out differently..."
"Maybe," I echoed.
We both stood inches apart in silence and I heard the muted sounds of voices downstairs but kept my eyes focused on hers. Without a sound she leaned up and gently kissed me before pulling back and hugging me close.
"You're going to make a great father, Marcus."
The kiss couldn't have lasted more than second but it lingered even as she pulled back and gave me a half smirk. The hallway lights flicked on as Stacy came bounding up the stairs. Her pace didn't slow as she approached us but the quick look at Amber didn't go unnoticed by me.
"Great job again, baby," Stacy said with a beaming smile.
"Thanks."
"Hey, Stacy, um, I know my mom has talked to you before but if you want... ya know, someone more your age? I'm here for you. We all are."
"Thanks, she's been really, really helpful but yeah, I think I'd like that."
"Okay," Amber smiled gently before turning to me. "And like I said before, that goes for you too."
"I know. Thanks, Amber."
"You know we have to beat St. John's tomorrow right?"
"We will."
"Can you imagine? Beat Good Counsel one week... lose to St. John's the next. Holy shit."
I laughed and shook my head. "Dude, we're not going to lose to them."
"I'm just saying!" Zach said with a chuckle as he unlocked the door.
My laughter stopped immediately when I saw Jessica's arm wrapped around a sobbing Stacy and Amber's hand wrapped around Stacy's.
"What's wrong?" I blurted out in a panic. "Is it the baby?"
Bryan quickly got up from his chair and led Zach and I away from the scene.
"Is it the baby?!" I asked again as he led us into the kitchen.
"It's okay, Marcus. The baby is fine."
I let out a ragged sigh of relief as I ran my hands over my mouth, wordlessly thanking God that nothing was wrong with the baby.
"What's wrong, dad?"
"She came home like that. Jessica got her to calm down a while ago to tell us what happened. Apparently a rumor had been going around school that Stacy was pregnant and didn't know who the father was. And today she had enough of it and confronted the girl who started the rumor. There was a fight and she was expelled."
"Good!" I spat at hearing the news.
"No, Marcus, Stacy was the one that was expelled."
"Fuck..."
I walked back into the living room and gave Jessica and Amber a look of appreciation before kneeling in front of Stacy, rubbing my hands up and down her legs.
"You okay?"
"She'll be okay, Marcus."
I squeezed her legs and edged closer to her. "You okay?"
"I'll be okay," Stacy muttered with a sniff. "Fuck that bitch, Isabella."
With a slight hint of anger in her voice it was then that Stacy told me her unedited version of the events that unfolded today. The rumors had been going around ever since she missed a few days of school. The worst of it was none of the girls batted an eye at the thought that she was pregnant and didn't know who the father was. She had been denying it from the beginning but she snapped today when she overheard a group of girls trying to narrow down her "vast list" and confronted the girl who started the rumor. And in between classes after not getting an answer as to why Isabella started the rumor, Stacy had loudly declared that Marcus was the father and then punched Isabella in the face, knocking her out.
"And now I'm the one that's expelled!" Stacy said through watering eyes.
"I was just telling Stacy not to worry... that we're going to work on transferring her to Good Counsel," Jessica added.
My hands started gripping Stacy's legs harder as she told me the story. Fucking Isabella. Where did she get off?
"Baby, you're hurting me."
"Marcus!" Amber reached down and pried my hands off Stacy.
"Sorry, I'm just- "
"Calm down. It's okay. She's okay. You're okay. The baby is okay."
I let Amber's words sink and nodded my head in agreement.
"Knocked her out did you?" I asked with a smirk.
Stacy let out a light laugh between her sniffles.
"In one punch. You'd be proud of me... stallion."
I leaned up and kissed her cheek before rejoining Bryan and Zach in the kitchen. Jessica pulled out a laptop and the three of them huddled around it; I guessed to get started on the transferring process.
"Marcus, you don't happen to have her parents number do you?" Bryan asked as I walked back into the kitchen.
"No."
"Okay. We're going to have to get them to sign some paperwork to approve the transfer."
"Good luck," I scoffed. "Her father hasn't called since he kicked her out."
"You let me handle that."
I nodded my thanks as I looked at my phone again. Suddenly the two missed calls and voicemails from Emily and Sarah made a lot more sense.
Aside from dozens and dozens of DeMatha alumni calling me and leaving voicemails; I was also receiving dozens and dozens of calls from new coaches and scouts. Auburn, for me, highlighted the post game conversations I had, but it was a call from Frank Wilson that was the cherry on top.
"Who was that?"
I put the phone down and crawled over to Stacy with a huge grin on my face.
"Who was it, Marcus?"
I remained silent as I attacked her cheek and neck with kisses, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles and a feeble attempt at resisting me.
"M-Marcus, come on!" She whined and stuttered out as her hands pawed at my shoulders. "Just tell me!"
I leaned back and kissed her gently on her forehead. "That was Frank Wilson."
"And... is that supposed to mean something to me?"
I laughed as I shook my head at her, quite frankly that was usually my reaction when I got these phone calls. How often does someone know the name of that behind the scenes coach? But excitement always gripped my body when I heard a new name and voice on the other end of the phone... who were they calling on behalf of? To me that was half the fun of this recruiting process.
"Frank Wilson... is the running backs coach at LSU."
I stared at Stacy with my mouth hanging opening ready for her excitement to bubble over; this was by far the biggest program to contact me this week. One game. Who knew?
"Oh, cool."
And then her focus returned to her laptop and just like that the conversation was over. I could feel my excitement drain from my face as I sat back on the bed and tried to refocus on my work.
Oh, cool.
I shook my head as I wondered where the girl that shared in my excitement had gone. Sure, this was becoming a daily occurrence now, but lately she seemed bored and disinterested in it all. It was great having everyone else in the house as pumped as I was, though I think Sarah beat them all when she saw Penn State finally got into contact with me, but what good was it when the mother of my unborn child couldn't bask in this with me? This was going to be as much her decision as my own.
Of course there was also the flip side to everything. Mainly the uneasy quiet inside the house ever since Stacy ran upstairs with a suitcase in her hand. It didn't help that her first meal with everyone was also her last and I was resigned to taking dinner up to my room every night to eat with her in silence.
"I can't take the stares," she reasoned with me quietly on the second night.
I could take the stares. I had been dealing with them for four years now, but she wasn't me so I didn't push her to try and acclimate with the Wright's like I had.
"It'll be okay."
And that became our routine. I'd come home from practice and lock myself up in my room with Stacy. Someone would always come knock on my door and that was my cue to head downstairs to get our dinner. Jessica would always ask about us and I would always say we're doing fine. Bryan and Zach would simply give me a slight nod of understanding and then Amber...
Every time our eyes met I replayed that night and the look that was etched on her face. I could take the stares but every time I saw her or accidentally bumped into her in the mornings it made me glad for the bubble Stacy and I lived in.
...
"Marcus."
My smile slipped away when I turned and saw Amber stepping halfway out into the hallway, her bedroom door concealing half of her body.
"Hey," I whispered back.
"Good job tonight."
My eyes danced slowly up and down the hallway; doing everything I could to avoid her gaze. Suddenly a win over Good Counsel and interest from Auburn, Michigan, and Oklahoma seemed small.
"Thanks."
There was a long pause and then the floor creaked as I guessed Amber shifted her weight.
"You can't even look at me..."
I mustered up the strength to look up and see her hand slowly rubbing her bedroom door, half of her face concealed by it as her eyes gave away her struggle on whether or not she wanted to open or close the door.
"Can you blame me?"
Then within seconds she pulled her body out into the hallway and closed the gap between us. She froze a foot away from me, her hands slowly fidgeting as her eyes fixated on mine.
"Marcus, I'm sorry, you- "
"You don't need- "
Her hand shot out and rested on my chest and silenced me. She raked her nails gently on my shirt before pulling her hand away.
"I... can't... what you're going through," her words slowly spilling out as she kept her eyes locked on mine.
"Amber."
She took a deep breath and put her hand back on my chest. "I'm just worried. But I'm here for you; I hope you know that. For both of you."
"Thank you."
"I hope she knows what a catch she has." I kept silent as Amber stepped closer to me, her hand never leaving my body. "Maybe if things had worked out differently..."
"Maybe," I echoed.
We both stood inches apart in silence and I heard the muted sounds of voices downstairs but kept my eyes focused on hers. Without a sound she leaned up and gently kissed me before pulling back and hugging me close.
"You're going to make a great father, Marcus."
The kiss couldn't have lasted more than second but it lingered even as she pulled back and gave me a half smirk. The hallway lights flicked on as Stacy came bounding up the stairs. Her pace didn't slow as she approached us but the quick look at Amber didn't go unnoticed by me.
"Great job again, baby," Stacy said with a beaming smile.
"Thanks."
"Hey, Stacy, um, I know my mom has talked to you before but if you want... ya know, someone more your age? I'm here for you. We all are."
"Thanks, she's been really, really helpful but yeah, I think I'd like that."
"Okay," Amber smiled gently before turning to me. "And like I said before, that goes for you too."
"I know. Thanks, Amber."
"You know we have to beat St. John's tomorrow right?"
"We will."
"Can you imagine? Beat Good Counsel one week... lose to St. John's the next. Holy shit."
I laughed and shook my head. "Dude, we're not going to lose to them."
"I'm just saying!" Zach said with a chuckle as he unlocked the door.
My laughter stopped immediately when I saw Jessica's arm wrapped around a sobbing Stacy and Amber's hand wrapped around Stacy's.
"What's wrong?" I blurted out in a panic. "Is it the baby?"
Bryan quickly got up from his chair and led Zach and I away from the scene.
"Is it the baby?!" I asked again as he led us into the kitchen.
"It's okay, Marcus. The baby is fine."
I let out a ragged sigh of relief as I ran my hands over my mouth, wordlessly thanking God that nothing was wrong with the baby.
"What's wrong, dad?"
"She came home like that. Jessica got her to calm down a while ago to tell us what happened. Apparently a rumor had been going around school that Stacy was pregnant and didn't know who the father was. And today she had enough of it and confronted the girl who started the rumor. There was a fight and she was expelled."
"Good!" I spat at hearing the news.
"No, Marcus, Stacy was the one that was expelled."
"Fuck..."
I walked back into the living room and gave Jessica and Amber a look of appreciation before kneeling in front of Stacy, rubbing my hands up and down her legs.
"You okay?"
"She'll be okay, Marcus."
I squeezed her legs and edged closer to her. "You okay?"
"I'll be okay," Stacy muttered with a sniff. "Fuck that bitch, Isabella."
With a slight hint of anger in her voice it was then that Stacy told me her unedited version of the events that unfolded today. The rumors had been going around ever since she missed a few days of school. The worst of it was none of the girls batted an eye at the thought that she was pregnant and didn't know who the father was. She had been denying it from the beginning but she snapped today when she overheard a group of girls trying to narrow down her "vast list" and confronted the girl who started the rumor. And in between classes after not getting an answer as to why Isabella started the rumor, Stacy had loudly declared that Marcus was the father and then punched Isabella in the face, knocking her out.
"And now I'm the one that's expelled!" Stacy said through watering eyes.
"I was just telling Stacy not to worry... that we're going to work on transferring her to Good Counsel," Jessica added.
My hands started gripping Stacy's legs harder as she told me the story. Fucking Isabella. Where did she get off?
"Baby, you're hurting me."
"Marcus!" Amber reached down and pried my hands off Stacy.
"Sorry, I'm just- "
"Calm down. It's okay. She's okay. You're okay. The baby is okay."
I let Amber's words sink and nodded my head in agreement.
"Knocked her out did you?" I asked with a smirk.
Stacy let out a light laugh between her sniffles.
"In one punch. You'd be proud of me... stallion."
I leaned up and kissed her cheek before rejoining Bryan and Zach in the kitchen. Jessica pulled out a laptop and the three of them huddled around it; I guessed to get started on the transferring process.
"Marcus, you don't happen to have her parents number do you?" Bryan asked as I walked back into the kitchen.
"No."
"Okay. We're going to have to get them to sign some paperwork to approve the transfer."
"Good luck," I scoffed. "Her father hasn't called since he kicked her out."
"You let me handle that."
I nodded my thanks as I looked at my phone again. Suddenly the two missed calls and voicemails from Emily and Sarah made a lot more sense.
i prefer lilacs.
DaaaaaBears
Super Star
- May 30, 2006
- 51,757
- 29,338
Bryan and Jessica deserve a medal for all the shit they've put up with.
Poor Amber. Poor, poor Amber. I'm trying to find a way to get crazy Stacy out of the picture but that's looking pretty tough right now, to say the least.
Poor Amber. Poor, poor Amber. I'm trying to find a way to get crazy Stacy out of the picture but that's looking pretty tough right now, to say the least.
WHAT IS THIS?! dont feel bad it was 8 months for me lol. glad to be back and indeed... but all in good time. all in good time
lol thats true. but amber was certainly a headache before marcus came along. stacy? out of the picture? nonsense...
![[face_shame_on_you]](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ignboards.com/styles/ign/ign/smilies/classic/shame.gif "Shame [face_shame_on_you]")