Page 5 of The Brotherly Shove
I have to play professional football with the man who unknowingly broke my heart, slowly and then all at once.
All because of one stupid goddamn sentence.
You're like the brother I never had.
CHAPTER 3
LENNON
August
Four Years Ago
Penwood University
"You ready for some fresh meat?" the dude on my right—number 72—asks, bumping my shoulder and almost knocking me on my ass as I exhale and lift myself out of a front lunge. You'd think after a year of playing together last year, I'd remember his name. But in my defense, I'm a center and he's a defensive lineman. It's not like we're ever on the field together. But still, I take a peek at his back to see his last name. Even being the forgetful mother fucker that I am, not knowing my teammate's names is bad form.
Anyway, I straighten myself, shooting Miller (first name still a mystery) a semi-dirty look for fucking up my form.
"Isn't it a little cliche to refer to the new guys as fresh meat?" I ask as I open and close my arms, stretching my shoulders and upper back muscles. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to the new players at all. This is only my second year of college ball, but if it's anything like high school, the new guys are going tothrow off the vibes. It always takes forever to get the young bucks situated and gelling with the team.
I should know, last year Iwasthe young buck who struggled to gel. I came in hot and heavy like a bull in a china shop, eager to prove myself and get as much field time as possible.
Spoiler alert: I snapped two backward passes in my first game, made a total dick of myself, and then spent the rest of the first half of the season with my ass warming the bench.
Needless to say, if the new crew is anything like my dumbass was when I got here, then it's gonna be a rough few weeks.
"Nah, man," Miller drawls out. Honestly, I forgot he was next to me. "We watched some of their game tapes before the Tau Kappa E party last night. The baby quarterback from Philly is green as fuck. I'm surprised the coaches even bothered scouting him, and rumour has it the kid is gonna be starting right off the bat. It's like coach is suddenly allergic to winning or something."
"Great, that makes me so much more excited for today. Thanks man, truly." I have no idea if the guy sense my sarcasm when he puts his hand out for a fist bump that I reluctantly return. He does get me thinking, though. I paid no attention to the rumors of who the coaches might be looking to recruit last year. It's none of my business. I'm here to play football and hopefully finish my business degree with a 3.0 GPA, that's my only focus.
Had I known I'd have a brand new quarterback thrown on the field behind me fresh from his mother's womb, I might've done my research.
Interesting, though, that we've got a Philly boy joining us. I went to high school in the 'burbs out there, close enough to the city that there were a handful of city high schools that we regularly played against. Whoever this new kid is, there's a possibility that we've been on opposite sides of the field before. That could be a good sign.
Maybe.
I don't know. I'm suddenly very nervous.
Coach Simmons blows his whistle and I join my teammates, jogging out to the fifty yard line for our pre-practice pow wow. I take a quick scan around and notice a few new faces, and I shoot a silent prayer up to anyone who might be listening that their introduction to the team and playing Division I college ball goes better than mine.
"Alright men, let's get to it," Coach's voice booms out. "I have a long list of drills I want to run today, so quick introductions only. We've got nineteen new Panthers this season joining us from high schools around the country. I have personally vetted each and every one, and I'm confident in our roster. You'll all meet each other as we rotate through today and the rest of the week, but I want to call out one particular individual. Lawson?"
Coach looks expectantly towards the back of the crowd, and I turn to see a blur of a maroon t shirt, black athletic shorts, and floppy brown hair jogging to the front of the group. He stops at Coach's side, and I…
Wow. My stomach does a surprising flip.
The guy currently looking out at all his new teammates with a sheepish grin and a pink blush tinting his cheeks is the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life.
Objectively speaking, of course. I'm not into guys, but this one has a real 'young Ryan Gosling' thing going on, if Ryan Gosling had bright, gold flecked hazel eyes and brown hair woven with strands of gold and auburn that seem to shimmer under the summer sun.
His hair looks soft. I wonder if it is. I wonder if he'd let me run my hands through it, feel its silky smoothness on my skin.
Ya know, for science.
He fiddles with his hands as Coach goes on and on about him. I only catch about half of it. I'm too busy being fuckinghypnotized by the way the tendons in the guy's hands flex as he cracks his knuckles one by one.
"Blah blah blahBreaker Lawson from Northeast High.Blah blah blahpotential for greatness.Blah blah blahPanthers are going all the way."