“Almost.” Ford gives me a light kiss, then lowers his head, kissing the base of my throat and the charms on my necklace. I pick up his hand, kissing his palm. He pulls back his wrist band revealing the bracelet I gave him, and I kiss his wrist.
“Make this moment matter, whether you win or lose, make it matter.”
Ford cups a hand around my cheek. “I will.”
8. The Holy Trinity of LHS Football
I take a deep breath, and the tightness in my chest disappears. Jack was right. I let Coach Anderson’s harsh words get to me. I let the pressure of trying to be what everyone wants and expects to weigh me down and make me forget what’s important. I let everyone’s expectations disappear. They don’t matter—Hannah’s right. I need to make this moment matter for me and the people I care about. I need to live in this moment and not worry about anything else.
I pick up my helmet and grab Hannah’s hand. “Thank you for helping me see.”
“Anytime.” Hannah reaches up on her toes, giving me one more kiss.
Jack and Tyler are waiting for me when I open the door. They’re both paired off with girls. Jack with Leah Hunt and Ty with June, Hannah’s best friend. I’ll have to ask Hannah about what’s going on later. Right now, I have a football game to win. Jack and T. straighten and push off the wall when they see me. I nod to each of my friends, telling them thank you. I’ll do it with words later. I hit Jack’s shoulder. “Let’s go win this football game.”
“HELL, YES!” Tyler yells.
We shove our helmets on, and Jack knocks his against Ty’s and then mine. “Who’s number one?” he yells.
“The Titans are number one!” The three of us shout.
I knock my helmet against Ty’s and then Jack’s. “Who’s number one?” I holler.
“WE’RE NUMBER ONE!” Everyone screams, even the girls.
The three of us knock helmets again. “Let’s do this.” I glance back at Hannah, pointing at her.
She touches her hand to her necklace and yells, “GO, TITANS!”
The three of us hustle out onto the field. I love our stadium, but it isn’t set up like others. It only has bleachers on one side of the field. It’s enormous, running clear across the left side of the stadium and curving toward the middle. Coach always makes us stand on the right side, away from the crowd, so we’re focused on the game and not the surrounding people. I’ve never cared before, but now that Hannah is a cheerleader, I wish I could watch her cheer between plays.
I love everything about football. The lights, the grass, the fans, the kickoff. I love being the guy who decides who gets the ball, and sometimes I’m the guy who gets to call the plays. I love that I directly have a result when we score, and of course, I love to score. I love to win because I know what it feels like to lose. In eighth grade, grid kid football, our team didn’t win a single game.
Our freshman year was the same way, losing game after game. Finally, our coach created a system that helped us improve as players and as a team. We won the last three games of the season. Me, Jack, and Ty spent all summer before our sophomore year working on our football skills, going to all the camps we could find and afford. We even signed up for fitness training. It’s what gave me my love for running and helped me develop an exercise routine and healthy eating habits.
Sophomore year we only lost two games. Last year we were undefeated. I want that this year. It’s great to win, but I know I learn more from losing, however hard the lesson.
Dave and Beckett are leading the team in warmups, and we slip into the back row like we were always there. When Coach Anderson sees the three of us, he yells, “huddle up.” None of the coaches say anything to me, Jack, or Tyler, but I’ll get an earful later from coach Anderson about being late. I know my dad saw me show up late—that’ll be a great conversation. I can’t worry about that now. We’re playing Freeman High School tonight. Their offense is laughable. The quarterback is okay, but he has trouble directing his passes. Their running backs can’t run, but they have a decent defense. I glance over at their team. They’ve got some big guys on the defensive line.
Tyler leans over to me. “What are they putting in the water in Freeman?”
“Why don’t you ask them?” I chuckle. “It’s a good thing you’re fast.”
“You, too. At least we know why their defense is good.”
Coach calls the team to attention. “Everyone take a knee. I already gave you my pregame speech. I just have one more thing to say. You may have been the state champions last year, but as of this moment, we’ve wiped the slate clean. The tallies are all back at zero. The foundation of a winning season starts right here with this game. Now go out there and make me, your team, and your school proud.”
“YEAH!” Tyler screams, along with most of the team. Ty’s the guy who always pumps us up and gets us hyped. Coach nods at me, and I stand up.
I’m not one for pep talks and speeches. “Here! Now! This is our night. This is our season. GO, TITANS!” Both Jack and Ty stand, and we repeat our mantra.
“Who’s number one?” Jack yells.
“THE TITANS ARE NUMBER ONE.” The team screams as one.
“Who’s number one? Tyler hollers.”
“WE’RE NUMBER ONE!” The team roars.
