AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The game,I told myself as I fell asleep.I should be thinking about the game.
The game was at noon the next day. When I went downstairs to get breakfast with the team, Cazzie was waiting outside my door in her suit. We rode the elevator in silence. She got a plate of eggs and toast, and sat next to me quietly while I made small talk with my teammates. After a while, the silence coming from her started ruining my mood.
“You’re from Los Angeles,” I said. “Does that mean you’re a Rams fan, or Chargers? I asked you the other day, but you never answered me.”
“I’m not from Los Angeles,” she replied. “I just live there right now.”
“Okay. Whereareyou from, then?”
She ignored me and continued shoveling eggs into her mouth.
“I’m just trying to be friendly,” I said.
She gave me a sarcastic smile. “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to do a job.”
Hearing my words thrown back at me stung. I shrugged and turned back to Kincaid, who was talking about the hot blackjack run he’d had last night.
We took the team bus over to the stadium and went through our pre-game routine. Warm-ups, casual throws and catches. After changing from my warm-up clothes into my game jersey, I glanced at my phone. There was a group chat going with my family. The chat was called BLAT SANDWICH, because that’s what our moms called the four kids.
Theresa: GOOD LUCK LITTLE BROTHER! Score some runs for your big sis.
Momma: They score points in football, honey. Runs are baseball.
Theresa: I don’t know all of the rules!
Blair: How do you not get this yet? We’ve been going to Luke’s games since he was six!
Alex: And I played softball! You should know the difference between runs and points.
Theresa: Whatever. Just score something good for me in your sports-ball game, okay?
Me: I’ll score a touchdown just for you ;-)
Momma: While you’re at it, score two!
Mom: Let’s not put too much pressure on him. I just want my baby to have a good game and not get injured.
Momma: Screw that. I want THREE touchdowns!
Alex: Yeah! Three!
Theresa: Is three a lot?
Blair: Yes, three is a lot of touchdown receptions for a single wide receiver.
Theresa: How many points would that be worth? Nine?
Alex: Oh my God.
Blair: You’re punking us right now, right?
Theresa: I thought touchdowns were worth three? So three of them would be nine total points?
Momma: Oh, honey. Touchdowns are worth six, plus an extra point.
Alex: Unless they go for two, in which case they can get eight points from a touchdown.
Theresa: SEE? LOOK AT ALL THESE CONFUSING RULES! IT’S NOT MY FAULT!
