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“Boundaries are meant to be broken,” Dad would know the right things to say if he were here. I took a puff.
It wasn’t like in the movies, where the character loses a loved one only to find out the dead guy is deep within. I wasn’t Simba; I was just a whacko talking to herself.
“Okay.” I took another puff and threw on my only clean cargo pants. I didn’t feel the need to change out of my sweater. The Autumn air had a chill to it.
Hesitation lingered when I grabbed the door handle.
“You can do this.” I whispered to myself.
Rosie would be so disappointed if I wasn’t there to catch her show.
Without a moment to lose, I locked the door behind.
College stadiums and small-town ball games aren’t the same. Young adults, families, and people of all walks of life filled the stands. I was a lone tree in a forest of people. Kick-off started before I made it to my seat.
Georgia State’s kicker nailed a touchback– the perfect start for our game. The defensive line took the field. The Gators tried to move the ball forward, but our massive linebackers pushed them back five yards. Their quarterback lined into a shotgun formation. The defensive backs were ready to run. Ready to tip or block the pass.
Mission accomplished.
“Interception,” the announcer called.
On the edge of my seat, I watched each player’s motion, predicting the next obstacle.
“Two receivers taking the field. Harrison and Walker. Coming in at six foot three, two hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle, Harrison is a true freshman. His stats are incredible. He’s truly a player to watch over the coming years.” Chase’s serious football face popped up on the big screen.
A giggle passed between my lips.
I wasn’t afraid.
Panic didn’t ensure.
The game had an opposite effect on me.
I suddenly felt more human, like I could be myself again.
Was it the scent of the turf or the sound of the whistle? Or could it be that being close to Chase was what my heart needed all along?
“Walker. Walker. Walker.” The coach shouted a play. I’d practiced this one with Chase before. The quarterback pulled back his arm and sent the ball souring through the air.
“Run, Chase, run!” I jumped to my feet.
He looked into the stands instead of keeping his eyes on the ball.
“Intercepted.” Oh boy…
He couldn’t blame this one on me. With all the cheering and chants, there was no way he could hear me above everyone else in the stadium. But damn, I wished he could. I wanted him to see the real me I hide from him every day.
By halftime, the Gators were down three touchdowns and a field goal. Chase had a hell of a lecture coming for him in the locker room. He missed six perfectly good passes and fumbled another.
This wasn’t the player Dad and I had taught him to be. It pissed me off a smidge that he’d forgotten all the skills we worked to build.
Chase came out of the locker room holding his helmet a little higher.
In the third quarter, he pulled his head out of his ass and focused on the game. He had a hell of a lot of ground to cover to make up for his mistakes.
With forty seconds left in the game, the Statesmen and the Gators were tied thirty-one to thirty-one. The crowd went silent as the quarterback shifted into another passing position.
“Don’t do it.” I heard someone yell. Too bad he wasn’t close enough for me to punch.
