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“Okay,” Ethan said as he jogged past me. “We answer.”

I nodded and pulled my helmet on as I stepped onto the field. The huddle formed around us, and it was tighter than what I was used to.

“Stay sharp,” Ethan said. “They’re fast, but they aren’t perfect.”

I crouched slightly and allowed my eyes to scan the defensive setup as we broke. The snap came, and I took the handoff before angling to the left. I was aiming for the outside, but a defender crashed in too early. He forced me to cut back, and I had to spin through the first hit. I stumbled and then powered forward for a few extra yards before being dragged down.

I pushed myself up immediately and prepared for the next play. There was a quick pass to Lucas, who somehow got past one of their defenders, but unfortunately, he was quickly wrapped up by two more.

For the third down, I tried to reset. My breathing was steady, but my pulse was ticking faster than ever before. Ethan called the play, and it was one of those that was designed to open me up.

I stepped into position and then glanced sideways. Something on the sideline caught my attention, and I saw Frank standing there. He was as still as a statue, and his gaze was locked on the field. He watched me like a money-hungry manager, and that was enough to get under my skin.

“Switch it,” I said under my breath.

Ethan gave me a shocked look. “What?”

“Switch it,” I repeated, just in case he missed it the first time. “Trust me.”

Ethan hesitated for just a moment, but then nodded and quickly adjusted the play. The snap came, and Ethan faked the handoff. He pulled the defenders in before stepping back and allowing Lucas to cut across the middle.

He dragged the coverage with him, and I slipped in behind them. I was quiet and went by unnoticed for just half a second too long. It was all that was needed for the pass to hit my hands clean.

I turned upfield instantly and one of the defenders closed in. I dropped my shoulder to absorb the hit and rolled off it without losing my stride. Another came from the right. He cut inside, his feet barely touching the turf as he slipped past. The field was open.

The noise built behind me, and it was rising with every step. My legs burned as I pushed into the next gear, but I actually crossed the line and scored a touchdown. This time, the crowd erupted like never before.

“Good call,” Ethan said, slapping my shoulder.

I glanced toward the sideline again, but Frank still hadn’t moved. I let out a sigh. There wasn’t much more that I could do. Not long after, halftime came, and the score was tight.

The locker room carried that restless energy that I had gotten used to since joining. The guys were pacing and talking over each other. They replayed mistakes out loud and looked for ways they could be fixed before the second half started.

I leaned against the lockers and rolled my shoulders as I listened, but suddenly the entire room tensed up. Frank stood near the doorway. He was waiting for something, but none of us knew what it was.

The conversations had thinned out one by one, and that was when Frank made his move.

“Ozzy,” he said ever so calmly.

Coach slowly stepped forward. “Now’s not a—”

“I’m not asking. Office. Now.”

Whatever resistance might’ve been there vanished as soon as he spoke the last word. I watched as Coach reluctantly obeyed the order, and a second later, Frank closed the door behind them. Suddenly, the room felt quieter, and the guys didn’t feel comfortable in their own space.

I didn’t move or speak because I stupidly hoped I could hear the conversation if I was invisible enough. It didn’t take long for the door to open again and when they came back out, Frank walked past without looking at anyone but me.

His gaze was cold, and the effects lingered long after it was gone. Then Coach stepped out, and everything became crystal clear.

“Okay, we’re going to reset and go back to the structure we had. Execute it well and there shouldn’t be any problems.”

I straightened, knowing he didn’t say that because he wanted to. He was forced into it, and that was something I understood all too well.

The second half was even harder than the first. The Golden Bears adjusted quickly, and they started by tightening their defensive line. They closed gaps before they were fully formed and every time I got the ball, someone was there waiting for me.

The first carry wrapped up at the line, and the second made it two, maybe three yards. In the third, I got hit from the side and was driven back, but the plays kept coming. And every single one of them went through me.

Ethan tried to mix it up with quick passes and short routes, but the pattern was there and it was predictable. By the fourth quarter, sweat stung my eyes and my legs were heavy, but they were still moving. The scoreboard was tight, and the time was running. We had one last drive.