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The third quarter was running really long, and Kota was looking like he was going to get way ahead of North, it seemed, until North called for a time out.
“Hey!” He called to the timekeeper. “You awake? How much time left?”
The man seemed distracted in conversation and laughing at a dance party that had started at one edge of the field. He looked at his watch and then grimaced and held up his hand. “Whoops. We went over by about fifteen minutes.”
North groaned. Everyone took a short break to regroup and figure out their final quarter plans.
Early on in the fourth quarter, North’s team took the lead, taking advantage of tired kids. Silas did one last play for the ball and the rush of little kids ran after him, this time including Nathan, with two little girls holding onto his hands. This caused an uproar of laughing from everyone.
Silas ran in slow motion. Nathan carefully lifted each girl to place them gently on his back, telling them to hang on. Once this happened, all the other little kids that were still participating were asking to be lifted and put on Silas, anywhere on his back and arms that were free. One small boy hung on around his neck—the same one Silas had collapsed on top of earlier.
Eventually, Silas went down, just a mere few feet from the end zone. Nathan continued to collect the smaller ones and pile them directly on Silas’s back, some on top of other little kids. It seemed nearly all of them, including the one in my lap, rushed out to join in the pile up.
This gave everyone a bit of a breather. Most of the kids had given up the game to sit on Silas or to play other games. Kids ran through legs and were too excited to pay attention. It seemed like they would try to collect on legs no matter what team they were on, and the adults played through like a normal game.
This last bit of the game, however, seemed to be more serious, with North directing more orders to Gabriel and adults and teens.
Dr. Green spent time on his end redirecting kids to go ahead and sit on Silas it keep them from playing around in the field. He treated a few more stubbed toes or knocked heads, before sending kids on to their parents—mostly by licking his palm. Each time almost instantly, crying stopped and the kids went on their way.
The game was close, with the makeshift scoreboard someone made with a white board, drawing in numbers. Kota was able to get his team to catch up, and after that, it was point after point, back and forth, the score evening out.
Eventually, even the teenagers were worn out. Kota asked for a time out and returned to our side. He bent down, holding onto his knees in front of Mr. Blackbourne and me. He was breathing heavily. While everyone else had been in and out of the game, Kota and North were always on the field.
Victor leaned into the small huddle. “What now?” he asked.
“I’ve got an idea,” Kota said. He looked at me and smiled. “Want to play?”
I shook my head. “I’m wearing a skirt. What could I do?”
“You don’t have to play if you don’t want to,” Victor said. “I can go in.”
“I’ve just got an idea,” Kota said. He looked at me. “I think it’ll throw off North if I put you in. It’s a simple plan. You won’t have to do much. The game’s almost over anyway.”
I hesitated, unsure, but wanted to help out. If it was almost over and we only had a few minutes left, what could I really do? I sucked in some air, and then nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”
He looked at Mr. Blackbourne. “Could she borrow your jacket to tie around her? If the little boys try to tug her skirt, they’ll just get the jacket, I think.”
And ruin Mr. Blackbourne’s jacket? He was crazy! He’d never...
“Of course,” Mr. Blackbourne said, and then smiled slightly. He reached back to where he had placed his jacket behind his seat, and then stood up. “Let me help.”
I blushed, feeling awkward but hoped I could help. I pondered where I could help. The rules seemed to change every quarter, and the kids tended to make up their own rules anyway. Even the point board showed 108 to 108, a really high number of points, considering they only gave out one or sometimes two, per touchdown. Sometimes, like in the case of Silas, they gave points for being cute.
Kota urged me to stand up and carefully tied the arms of the jacket around my waist. By the time it was wrapped around, it seemed the jacket could have been a skirt after all.
I didn’t like the idea of being in the middle of the game where everyone was watching. As much as I wanted to help, I didn’t want the attention.
Still, if Kota thought I could help, I guess I could try. “What should I do?”
“I need you to go after North,” he said. He finished making sure the jacket was secure and wouldn’t fall off if I had to run. Then he grabbed my hands and held them in his, getting me to focus on him. “No matter what, be in his way. Keep both hands on him at all times. Make it impossible for him to get to the ball.”
“I thought we were trying to help him lose,” I said in a whisper.
“It’ll be harder than you think. You’ll have to keep up.” He leaned in quietly, kissed me on the forehead—a gentle peck near my brow—and then backed up and smiled in a huff of exhausted breath. “I know you can do it.”
I was suddenly aware of every boy around us, and how they were all watching and saw him kiss me.
It was innocent, something a relative might do, like an older brother with a sister, or even close friends.
In this group of friends, however, it spurred something else. My nerves shook, afraid to see any spark of jealousy. Kota was becoming more open about his affection. Had it been innocent? Or was it to show the others that he had an interest in me?
I wished he had been told about the plan before I knew about it. Despite North waiting to talk to him about it, I was uncomfortable keeping such an important secret from him.
What would Kota say when he found out the truth?
The game was about to start and I shook off my thoughts so I could focus. I kept my eyes down as I entered the main part of the field. There was some clapping, some kids laughing. I was only partially paying attention, thinking about what I was in for. I’d watched North bulldoze strong guys on the football field before. There was no way I could keep him down if this were regular football.
But here all I had to do was get a hand on his body.
Once Kota positioned me in the line, I sought out North; he was angled directly ahead of me.
There was a call, and the whole line started to move. In a rush, I ran forward, while North tried to go in another direction. In a panic, thinking he’d get away, I ran headlong into him, crashing into his side while reaching to touch him.
He stopped, turned and grunted. “Sang,” he grumbled. “I think you missed the point of touch football. No tackling.”
“Oh,” I said. “I couldn’t stop my momentum. The kids do it.”
A down was called with the others scrambling after the ball. North stopped dropped a hand on my head, rubbing at my scalp. “You’re not one of the kids,” he said with a small chuckle. “You just put two hands on someone, as best as you can.”
“Sorry,” I said.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded, although embarrassed for the tackling bit. I couldn’t help but feel everyone was watching me and laughing.
We had to line up again. This time when I ran after North, he made it much more difficult, zooming and zigzagging between people.
Each time, however, before anyone could pass him the ball, I managed to chase him down. It only took me a minute to catch up, and then I had my hands on him.
After the third time, I had to lose the shoes and socks that were slipping in the grass; it was easier to run in my bare feet. Kota tossed my shoes to Victor, who caught them.
Time and time again, I chased North.
Finally, he grumbled at Kota. “Why do you keep sending her after me?”
“Because it keeps working,” Kota said, tossing the ball in the air in a spin before catching it in hi
s hands.
After two more times of me catching up with North, North called for a time out. Their team gathered on the field, including all the kids on top of Silas, who wanted to pretend to be in the huddle, too.
Dr. Green and the blue princess were in the middle of their huddle. Kota and I, along with Luke and the rest of our team, were together on our side, looking on.
“He’s about to throw in the kids,” Luke said. “We’re no match for all of them.”
“Then we’re going to think of something else. Something smarter.” He looked at me and then smiled. “How are you at catching?”
I shrugged. “Catching?”
“North is going to think you’ll be after him. He might send the kids after you. Try to get them to chase someone else.”
“What about me?” Luke asked. “I could start a random tag game in the middle of everything.”
Kota laughed, clapping his hand on Luke’s back. “Brilliant. Yes. Do that. Start a tag game.”
“And then Sang stands near the end zone?” Luke asked. He turned to me with a big smile. “Just don’t catch the ball with your face.”
I wasn’t so sure that wouldn’t happen. Kota could throw a powerful ball. “Just go easy on me,” I said. “I can’t jump-catch like you guys do.”
