He gives a nod, and I know it’s only for show. I watch as his mom and dad walk by his side, and he disappears into the night.
“Backup Quarterback, Jasper Scott has been warming up on the sideline and appears to be ready to take to the field.”
Oh hell, no! I rush back over to see if I heard correctly.
“Are they seriously putting that guy in?” I say to Harper, “He’s gonna fuck us for sure.”
There goes our win streak.
Chapter Six
Jasper
“This is it.” Dad grips the side of my helmet. “You need to get in there, show them what you got and remember... this is your team now.”
“This will never be my team,” I grumble through the rubber mouthpiece.
As my cleats sink into the soft grass of the field, my heart sinks deeper into my chest. The rise and fall of each breath has me wondering how in the hell I’m supposed to walk out there and play against my boys.
“Jasper, you do anything stupid out there, I’m not playing around, you’re done.”
This is for Dad and for my future, I remind myself as I hustle out to the field and join the team.
“Ok, let’s stay focused. Put this one away for Levi.” The team gathers around as I make the call. “That last play was good, but we have to look off that safety. Trips left... hook outpost. You,” I point to the tailback, unsure of his name, “release right and head for the end zone… I’ll pump fake once then put the ball on the pylon… you’ll be one-on-one. Ready?” We pile on the hands, “Break.”
I look over and see Josh, the guy who is like a brother to me. I took him under my wing two years ago when he was the new kid and the entire school would tease him for being an orphan. Now I’m expected to go up against him. He eyes me with confusion. He knows it’s coming. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m going to do, but he does. He knows me better than anyone.
“On the 30 yard line with enough time for one last play, the ball is snapped and Scott drops back... looks left... he pumps once and number sixty-six bites toward the post route... then he looks back to the right and Burton is racing toward the goal line... eighteen drops back to throw and a perfect spiral soars into the well-lit night sky... and it drops into Burton’s hands as he steps across the goal line.”
The crowd erupts.
The Ravens win back the bell.
And I helped them do it.
“I can’t even believe you just played with those pansies. And you let them take the bell. You fucking helped them,” Landon spits as we walk through the parking lot.
“Just let it go, man. It’s done. I had no choice. My dad is the damn coach, what was I supposed to do?”
“You tell him no. That’s what.”
We all toss our gear into the back of Josh’s car and climb in. I take the front, as usual. At least that much hasn’t changed.
“You sure you want to show up to your boys’ house with their archenemies?” Josh asks. “Wouldn’t want them thinking you’re a traitor.” I sense the sarcasm in his voice, and I feel like I’ve been put in the most fucking uncomfortable position possible.
“Those are not my boys. I go to school with them, I play on their team and that’s it. You all are my boys, through and through.”
Josh swings by my house, so I can run in to change. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go making a bunch of noise, this ain’t Mill street, these people are stuck-up and bitchy.”
As I’m walking up the driveway, I notice Knox walking across the lawn from the neighbor’s house.
“Good game, man.” He pats my back and continues on his way.
“Yeah, don’t remind me.”
“Ya know, if you’d get your head outta your ass, you could be an asset to our team.”
A quick u-turn has us face-to-face.
“Fuck all that shit. Don’t let a moment of weakness on my part go to your head. I didn’t do this for your team. I have my own reasons for taking that win.”
“Like it or not, we are a team and you’re gonna have to buck up real fast because Levi isn’t coming back. He broke his collarbone.” He pats my shoulder like we’re old friends. “Welcome to the team, QB.”
“Don’t fucking touch me.” I swat his arm away aggressively. It’s taking everything in me not to lay him out right here in the fucking grass. I don’t like this kid. I watch as his eyes shift behind me, and I expect to turn around and see Dad or Val.
“Leave him alone, Jasper.” I hear Blakely’s voice come up quickly behind me. I turn around and I’m caught off guard. Only she can make angry look sexy. She gives me a shove that forces me to take two steps back, directly into Knox, who pushes back.
“Woah, now. I’m not a teeter totter.” I take a step toward Blakely who’s sporting a smug grin.
I watch as her body tenses up in reaction to my presence. “But I can take you for a ride if you'd like.” I run my fingers under her chin.
“Don’t touch me.” She slaps my hand away and crosses her arms over her chest. I love getting under this girl’s skin.
Knox gets in my face and starts rambling off some nonsense, but I let it go in one ear and out the other.
I hear the slamming of car doors, and before I know it, my boys are heading over to where we stand.
“It’s all good, guys.” I ram my shoulder into Knox as I walk past him. “Be out in a minute,” I tell the gang as I head in to change.
Val and Dad are cuddled up on the couch like fucking newlyweds. I don’t say a word as I head straight to my room. I pull my jersey and t-shirt off and toss them into the mess on the floor. I’m digging through a box when I lift my head to the open window and see Queen B in the yard. Knox has his arms around her. She lifts her head from his shoulder, and her eyes catch mine. A glimmer of light catches her eyes, and for a moment, I feel like I’m looking at a real person, one with a soul. That is until she lifts her hand and flips me off, then I realize she’s still the same robot I met earlier today.
I yank the curtains shut to reciprocate her distaste. I throw on an old black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, grab a hoodie and a fifth of Jack I had under my bed. I wrap it up nice and tight and head downstairs. “Dad, where are all my shoes?”
“In the hall closet, honey, we keep all the shoes in there,” Val says.
Why is she touching my shit? Did she go into my room just to find the box of shoes, so she could unpack them in the hallway closet... because that’s where all the shoes go? What the fuck is with this family? I open the closet to see all my shoes stuffed neatly into some shoe rack. I grab them all, filling my arms and stomping up to my room to dump them on the floor. I grab my rugged Chuck Taylors and slip them on.
“Don’t wait up,” I shout, slamming the front door behind me. Knox and his girl are already gone. Headed to the party, I assume. I jump in the car, and Josh peels out, leaving a trail of black smoke behind us.
I unscrew the top to the bottle and pass it around three or four times, skipping Josh–– he doesn’t drink, he drives. Landon sparks a joint, so I screw the top back on the bottle and we pass that around until we pull onto Axel’s road. Cars line the quarter mile long driveway, and bodies are already staggering all over the front lawn. My boys and I walk in a horizontal line, getting low blows the entire way up.