Page 180 of Cruel Steps
“And if we win by more than one?”
“I’ll get the whole team to help.”
“Deal.”
We smiled, shaking hands as we finished warmups. Colter didn’t need to since he wasn’t playing, but I appreciated he’d joined me, keeping our routine the same. I threw a few passes and then trotted off the field. A manager handed me my helmet, and I held it under my arm as the last few seconds of halftime counted down. The Wolfettes returned to their spots, dressed back in their school uniforms. I smirked at Emerson as she passed, her face bright red, only encouraging me more.
With my head in the game, I kept my gaze off the Royals sideline. I wouldn’t let my father steal anything else from me.
In the third quarter, I threw a sweet pass to LeBlanc for a forty-yard touchdown, giving us the lead 13-10. The Royals made a run for the end-zone at the end of the third, but our defense held them. Midway through the fourth, my nerves that we wouldn’t score again got the better of me, and I overthrew a pass that was intercepted. Thankfully, Matheny took the Royals down. Still, Kincaid marched them down the field, and they managed another field goal, tying the game.
The ref blew the whistle for the two-minute warning, and everyone huddled around me. I relayed the calls, and we lined up, ready to end this game with a score. But it didn’t happen. We ran the ball, and they stopped us. I threw the ball, and they blocked it. We’d only made it thirty yards down the field and were on our last down with under a minute left on the clock.
It was now or never.
Coach called a sixty-six-slot seam in my ear, and I conveyed it to the guys. We were all sweaty, covered in dirt, and exhausted. I dug deep for something to say, but nothing came to me. I glanced over, spotting Emerson, and my heart stilled.
God, she was so beautiful.
“I’m trying to think of something inspiring, but I’m tapped out. But I told my girlfriend I’d propose if we won this game, and Colter challenged if we didn’t win by more than one possession, he got to do the honors. But if we lose, neither of us gets to do it.”
“No shit?”
I grunted.
“Well, all right, boys. We gotta win this for Cap,” LeBlanc said.
Laughing, we lined up, staring across at the Royals’ defense. Centering myself, I called out the cadence. “Blue 42. Blue 42. Hut.”
The ball was snapped, and I stepped back, handing it off to our running back as the defense surged. Taking the opportunity, I jutted to the side, confusing the defense as Tripp threw it back to me, and I lined up with LeBlanc, who’d made it downfield.
Focusing on his position, I snapped my arm forward and threw the ball as the Royals defensive back tackled me to the ground. I got hit hard, my head rattling in the helmet, but I didn’t focus on the pain. My vision blurred for a second, but I kept my eyes on the end-zone as the ball landed in LeBlanc’s hands.
Touchdown!
The stands erupted, and my teammates pulled me from the turf as they jumped and slapped me. Happiness filled me, but it wasn’t over yet. Coach called for a two-point conversion, wanting to ensure they weren’t able to score in the last seconds of the game.
We lined up, the ball was snapped, and I handed it off to Evans. He leaped through the air over bodies, his arm reaching out and breaking the plane.
“Two-point conversion is good!” the announcer shouted.
Feeling smug, I strutted off the field to stand by Colter. He shook his head but smiled. I crossed my arms over my chest as the Royals took the field. There were only thirty seconds left, but they couldn’t win unless they scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
“You just had to get the two points.”
“Hey, it was Coach’s idea, but I can’t deny it and say it doesn’t help my cause.”
“It barely counts,” he huffed.
“Don’t be salty.” I smirked. We were up by eight points. A touchdown and PAT wouldn’t cut it. In my book, it counted as two.
The Royals tried to rally, but our defense held them. The clock wound down to zero, making it official. We’d won!
The team surged, jumping up and down in cheers. Gatorade and water were dumped like we’d just won a championship. Hayward students and alumni converged onto the field in celebration, filling the turf with bodies.
The only person I cared to see was my girl. I had a question to ask her.
Smiling wide, I scanned the Wolfettes but came up blank.