I settled into place and shifted to get comfortable. Bam walked past on his way for an acupuncture treatment. What can I say? Whatever we needed here, we got.
Twenty minutes later, feeling nice and loose, I hunted up Danny, whose magic hands worked best on taping us up.
Once again, we worked in silence. The sound of the crowd outside began to grow. The latest pop song blasted over speakers. Every now and again, the crowd would chant something I couldn't make out. Something about how awesome the Humpbacks were, no doubt.
I pictured Becca up in the box and had to suppress the flutter in my stomach at the thought of her.
Calm. Calm. Calm, I reminded myself. She'd be there after the game and we could hang out. At the moment, I needed to concentrate on the game.
Danny finished taping my arms against turf burn. I gave him a nod of thanks. He patted my shoulder hard and waved the next player over.
"Ready to test the field?" Bam asked. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms and fingers.
"Sure am." We headed out to the field and started around at a loose trot.
The crowd cheered. The cheers turned to good natured booing as the Boars trotted out of their locker room.
"Get back in the pan!" someone from the crowd shouted.
"We need eggs too," called another.
I chuckled, but the Boars all look unruffled. No doubt they'd been jeered with the same insults a hundred times before.
That was confirmed when their running back cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back, "Your material is old; what else ya got?"
The crowd laughed and responded by grunting and oinking like pigs.
"Lucky they aren't bulls," I said to Bam, who trotted beside me.
"Yeah, that would give them big heads." He nodded in the direction of the other team.
I laughed and trotted a little faster, as though I didn't want to be seen with Bam. He caught up when I slowed down a couple of moments later.
"Fun fact," Bam said, "their offensive guard's name isHamilton."
"Was that his name before or after he was a Boar?" Chase asked from a couple of feet behind us.
"Before," Bam replied. "Now they call him Hammy."
"Better than Piggy," I said. We passed under the private box. I looked up. The reflection of the sky glared off the glass in front, obscuring anyone who might be inside. Just in case, I gave a wave. I thought I caught sight of movement in response, but I couldn't be sure.
"Better thanMissPiggy," Bam said.
"Or Kermit," Chase said.
Ollie Tucker caught up to us. "I'd rather be called any of those. Except Miss Piggy."
"You're pretty enough to be Miss Piggy," Bam told him.
Tucker looked about ready to punch Bam.
"Save the animosity for the opposition," I said, sucking back a laugh.
"It's too late in the day for big words like that," Bam said, but he fell silent anyway, mercifully. The banter was fun, but it was messing with my focus.
"Field feels good," Chase said. He too seemed to have regained his zen, pregame readiness.
"Yeah," I agreed. The turf would be nice and fast, which would play to his strengths in particular.
