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It was our big game against the cougars, and practically the entire school was in attendance. The stands were overflowing with students and parents. My mother was jumping up and down shouting for our team while holding a sign that said GO JAYDEN! Cameron stood beside her chanting with the cheerleaders and copying some of their moves from the stands. This was the evening my homecoming proposal was going to go down, before someone else beat me to it. I wasn't sure where Abby was, but Dylan reassured me she was in the crowd.

We were up against our biggest rivals. The cougars. The score was tied ten to ten by the end of the first quarter and one of the guys on the other team was up to the same tricks as the last time when Tyrone got punched. Pfiffer had been kicked in the teeth when he was on the ground and his gums were bleeding. Hernandez claimed he was kneed in the nuts and he hadn't been wearing a cup. Both agreed it had been intentional, but the refs didn't see anything.

Pfiffer lifted the ice pack off his mouth as I walked by the bench. "Watch out for number twenty-eight."

"I will."

As we got to the end of the second quarter I spotted who they were talking about. He was a running back, tall and lean. The cougars had the ball and we were blocking them from running down the field. The clock was running out. There was only a minute left before half time.

Tyrone was on the field with Braxton in an infant carrier on his back.

"Iesha has you so whipped, dude," I said. "Can't she watch the baby while you're on the field?"

"She's cheerleading, and it's my turn to watch the kid," he said.

The other guys shook their heads at him and made sounds of a cracking whip.

We were close to the goal, and I was ready to help make the winning touchdown. We stood behind the line of scrimmage.

Number 28, taunted Tyrone with growls like a mad dog from behind the linemen on his team. "There's no way you're getting past me, Papa," he grimaced.

Tyrone and I both took our stance as linebackers with our knuckles to the ground. I narrowed my eyes, ready to tear 28 limb from limb.

The ball was hiked and 28 caught it. I charged over the linemen's backs with a flying leap. Twenty eight was running with the ball. His face changed from 'I'll kill you' to 'Oh shit' in zero to ten seconds as I pounced on him. I heard him say, "oof," as he hit the ground. Someone dogpiled us, and then a few others. The force made the ball fly out of his grasp and Tyrone was there to swipe it. Braxton giggled out of control in the baby carrier as his dad sprinted over the end zone where he hurled the football to the ground, bouncing it 12 feet into the air. Twenty-eight got me in a choke hold while the other guys were still laying on me. I couldn't breathe as the blood in my face swelled. All I could do was smack my fist into his face until he let go. As I got up he was holding his nose. Mike, Dylan, and Phillips got up from the dogpile.

"Serves him right," I said, looking down on him. He was lucky I had enough self-control not to wail on him.

Twenty-eight's eyes were like daggers. We walked away as some of his teammates came to check on him.

Time was out. We were in the lead. Our team gathered to celebrate, shouting, and dancing.

"Did you see that guy's face as the ball flew out of his hands?" I asked Tyrone. "It was like I just took his birthday away."

We laughed.

"I know!" He said. "It was great!"

Dylan and I threw Tyrone onto our shoulders and paraded him and Braxton around. The band began to play and the cheerleaders sprinted onto the field in their blue uniforms to start the half time show. They made their formation and broke into a synchronized routine filled with popping, locking, and backflips. Jake grabbed the megaphone as three of the girls stepped up to grab signs. The rest of the team separated into stunt groups, catapulting the flyers into the air like popcorn before catching them again. Then the fliers stood straight-legged as the tri-pod of girls lifted them like they were on an elevator. The cheerleaders that usually said Let's Go Tigers handed them to the fliers, but today they were switched out to say Abby, Jayden, Homecoming?

I walked onto the field while Jake Shouted from the megaphone, "Abby, will you go to homecoming with Jayden?"

I looked into the crowd hoping Abby had seen the routine. What if she had gone to buy a soda, or went to the restroom? I waited by the cheer team for what felt like ages. I could hear the murmurs in the crowd as people in the stands talked amongst themselves and looked for Abby. I wiped the sweat from my brow as thoughts were swimming through my head. What if she said no in front of all these people? People don't realize that just because you have popularity doesn't make you any less vulnerable to rejection, we're just better at hiding it.

I could see someone with blond hair making her way to the gate and coming to the field. I was relived to see it was Abby walking toward me. Her cheeks were burning, but her smile lit up her face. My worries melted away and I smiled back. As she neared me I reached out and held her hands.

"Yes, I will go with you, Jayden." The sweetness in her voice made my heart pickup an extra beat. I grabbed her in a hug and lifted her feet off the ground.

Jake lifted the megaphone to his lips. "She said yes."

The crowd cheered.

Our team gathered at Sonic. I personally don't eat fast food. I'm an athlete who's going to Princeton University, remember? I didn't get this body by scarfing down french fries and soda pop. Yes, it takes sacrifice and hard work to be me. Some people don't realize this is the price I pay.

Dylan, Mike, Tyrone, Iesha, Braxton, and I were sitting under the awning at the outdoor picnic table where the LED lights were so bright it felt like we were on stage at a Broadway show while discussing homecoming plans.

"The limo is going to stop at each of our houses to pick us up," Dylan said. "Then we'll be headed to Mount Fuji for dinner.

"What about the ID's?" I asked.

"I got 'em," Mike said, passing them out.

We all looked at them, and then looked back at Mike a little puzzled.

"Uh, Mike? This doesn't look like me," Dylan said. "This guy has brown eyes and mine are blue."

"You think that's bad," I countered, "my guy is 400 pounds."

"Colored contacts, Dylan. Jayden, just tell people you lost a little weight," Mike said. "Nobody will think anything of it, guys."

Our eyes flicked back to the pictures as we considered his outrageous suggestion.

"This guy is 5'5"," Tyrone said. "How am I supposed to explain that I'm a foot taller? And he doesn't look like me."

"What do you mean, that guy looks just like you," Mike said, leaning over to get a better look.

"Oh, I see. All black people look the same?" Tyrone said, bobbing his head side to side.

"Ty," Iesha said, putting her hand on his, "he does look an awful lot like you."

"You had a growth spurt since you got the ID," Mike said.

"Mine looks okay," Iesha said, "but the girl in the photo has blond braids in her hair."

"No appreciation." Mike shook his head while knocking his knuckles on the plastic table top.

"I thought you said these were fake ID's. These are stolen," I said.

Mike's eyes widened. "That explains everything!"

Dylan lifted his cap and scratched his head. Ty laid the ID on the table as he stared at it like it was about to sprout alien tentacles. He lifted his eyebrows and rested his fingers on his forehead.

I swear, sometimes I just don't know about Mike.

A few cars pulled into Sonic, their headlights cut through the dark parking lot. The second car came to an abrupt stop, giving the passengers whiplash. The doors opened and it was loaded with players from the other team. Number Twenty-eight locked eyes with me. His face glistened with sweat under the LED lights. He didn't bother to close the car door as he made a sweeping arm gesture and pointed towards me.

"You're a little bitch," he yelled, advancing toward me.

I stood up with my legs planted wide. Dylan jumped to attention at my side while Mike and Ty got up and turned to face him. Iesha sat there in her cheer uniform holding the baby.

Twenty-eight looked through Mike and Ty like they were invisible and stared into my eyes. "Just you." He pointed to me.

H didn't know it, but he had just summoned the demons from the depths of my soul. I flew around the table until I was within an arms length. "Come at me, Bro." My eyebrows pulled together. I thrust my chest out, ready for a throw down.

Two of his friends were walking up behind him. He was as big as me, but I've been through these things enough to know that half the time they're just blowing smoke up your ass, and if you cower before them they will beat you down.

"That was interference when that ball was knocked out of my hands," he said.

"Bullshit!" I yelled, "you let that ball fly when you hit the ground, butter fingers. Not to mention the cheating you did on the field."

"I didn't do no cheatin'." He threw a punch at me but I blocked his arm and threw him back with a blow to his chest.

He lunged at me and his teammates grabbed him by the arms. "He ain't worth it, bud. C'mon."

He fought to break out of their grasp, but they had him contained. He stopped putting up a fight and looked at me with those wild eyes. "I'll see you on the streets, mother fucker!"

"I look forward to it." I put my face in his face. "And then you can suck my dick."

The guys laughed behind me.

He tried to get out of their grasp. "WHAT! You'll suck MY dick." His teammates pulled him back.

"Is that your best comeback?" I asked.

"You and your friends are going to get your asses kicked. I will hunt you down like dogs."

"Gerald!" His coach had parked and ran to see what was going on. "Chill out, and get back in the car. We're going somewhere else," he told number Twenty-eight.

The two guys that were holding him let go and Gerald put his face in my face. I met his eyes with equal disdain until he backed up an few steps and turned around to get back into the car he had gotten out of.➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

I love Mount Fuji. Anyone eaten there?

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〰Sky❤

First date jitters?

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