Page 21 of Lavender and Linebackers

“For me, it’s always been about a sense of belonging, along with a shared camaraderie. Teammates become our closest friends, and it’s together that we share practices, road trips, goals, wins, and losses. None of us know how long we’ll be blessed to play, so it’s the memories.”

Teammates become our closest friends. He’s not wrong, but that answer stings, given that at one time I held that position. I hate this game.

“How’s it going with your new teammates? Do you have any stories you can share with us? Spill some tea?” She leans in conspiratorially.

Ryder chuckles. “I’m afraid there’s no tea for you today, but I will say, if viewers out there haven’t tried one of Lexi’s pies from Firefly Kitchen, they’re missing out. I swear she makes the best pies. And it’s going well. Every day, I feel blessed to have been drafted by the Tarpons. The culture here is incredible, and the guys are all great.”

“Oh, you are not wrong. Lexi Brennen makes the best pies. In fact, I think there are some here today, and I might have to steal myself a piece. All right, we’re tied two to two. Next question, this one is a hard one. Since you are both from Tampa, and have years and years of being a fan, what is your favorite lifetime Tarpons moment?”

This is a tough one. I don’t know if this is anything we’ve ever talked about, but I have a guess. I wipe off my previous answer to write my new one. I can feel Ryder looking at me as he thinks, and then it’s as if he has a light bulb moment and writes his answer too.

“Look at how confident both of them are as they write. Do we think they’ll know? Alice, what’s your favorite Tarpons moment?” she asks once we’re both done.

I glance at him. “End zone dance.”

He flips his board around, and there in white print is “end zone dance.”

These questions hurt. I do my best not to travel down memory lane with Ryder. Nothing good would come from it. Maybe one day I’ll appreciate the time from my teenage years that we spent together, but today is not that day.

Danica lights up. “Someone needs to explain.”

“When we were in high school, the Tarpons had a Halloween game. We dressed up. She was in a Tarpons cheerleading costume, and I was in full football gear, even the pads. We went to the game, and someone from the organization saw us and gave us sideline passes. As if that wasn’t the most amazing surprise ever, while we were down there, the cheerleaders at the time spotted her and invited her out to do an end zone dance with them. I recorded her, and that song became a theme song in our life for a while. There was no looking back for her after that.”

Danica looks at me, and I feel heat shoot through my cheeks. I’m not embarrassed, more overwhelmed that he remembers that so fully.

“Yes. I always loved cheerleading, but that day, something fundamentally shifted in me, and I knew that one day I would be standing in the end zone professionally because I was supposed to be there.”

“I love that story, and I love that you set a goal and achieved it. Let that be motivation for all of our younger viewers out there. Dreams can come true.”

I did make this dream come true.

It was a long road, but I’m proud of myself.

“So, do you know Ryder’s favorite moment?” she asks, switching gears.

“I do. The 13U national football Super Bowl was here in the Tarpons stadium since Camping World Stadium in Orlando was under construction. A lot of the Tarpons players were in the stands watching and cheering, and after Ryder’s team won, they came down to the field to meet everyone and take a group photo with the team. Adam Hall was the quarterback at the time, and poor Ryder was fanboying hard.”

“Fanboying! That’s a new word I’ll be adding to my vocabulary bank. Tell us, Ryder, were you fanboying over the QB and the players?”

He flips his board, and on it says, “13U Super Bowl.”

Danica laughs. “How do you know this?” She looks at me in complete amazement. “These answers were supposed to trick you up.”

“Because he kept that photo framed on his desk all through high school.”

There were also photos of us. I wonder what happened to them? Did he throw them out? Burn them? Or store them away in a box? All the memories of the two of us are packed in a box in my parents’ garage. As much as I wanted to, I’ve never been able to part with them.

“I love that there were players at your game. I know the team is always excited to be involved with local youth sports. All right we’re still tied. Who’s going to be our winner? Question number four, between the two of you, who can run up the stadium the fastest?”

I laugh out loud, and Ryder looks over at me. He also has a small smile on his face. This is an easy one. I know it, and he knows it, but we’ll see if he answers the way he should.

“By the looks of things, you two think this question is funny.”

“Let’s just say, running was a common challenge between us,” I tell her, as both of us write on our boards. Ryder flips his over on his lap, and I pull mine close to my chest.

“Ryder, who is faster?” Danica asks him.

He hesitates, glancing at me for a second before he turns his board, and on it is “Alice.”