Page 13 of The Late Hit
Game one of the season is underway.
At the end of the first half, the Eagles are down by a touchdown, and it’s fourteen to seven. Quinton scored our only touchdown on a thirty-seven-yard run.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom and grab more beers,” I announce, standing to make my way into the halftime crowd.
I don’t know why I wait until halftime. It’s always packed, but I just can’t bring myself to miss any of the game.
“I’ll come with,” Chloe says.
The line to the bathroom is forever long. I stand there, nursing the remaining beer in my bottle, and listen to the chit-chat surrounding me.
There are girls in dresses, talking about parties and who they want to hook up with tonight.
Older women are eyeing the younger girls in disgust over their conversations about who’s sleeping with who. I chuckle to myself, because these women would have a heart attack if they knew whatactuallygoes on in college. Hell, they’d die if they knew half the things that I’ve done in my three years at CTU. College is all about experiencing life before the real world sinks its claws in us and drags us down to a lifeless nine-to-five job and endless responsibilities.
I say “hell yeah” to these girls embracing their sex lives. Women are held to such a high standard. Manners always, and heaven forbid we have sex.
News flash, women have needs too, Linda. It’s not all about pleasing our men. Women deserve to be pleased too, dammit. And not by our battery-operated friends. I’m talking about being pleased by a guy who knows what the hell he’s doing down there, and not one where you constantly have to remind them “a little to the left.”
“Excuse me, are you Brinley Wilder?” a girl asks from behind me.
“Hi, yep, that’s me!” I respond, eyeing the girl, and trying to put a name to her face.
I don’t recognize the blonde. While I meet a lot of people at parties, I can usually remember a face, even if I can't remember her name.
“Ohmygosh, I thought that was you.” With a smile, brighter than the sun, she introduces herself. “I’m Monica. We have psych together with Professor Peters.”
Moving with the line, I return her smile, mine more fake than hers. “Oh, hi! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“It’s totally fine. I usually sit a couple of rows behind you,” she says. “This might be a little bold, but are you dating Cody Jacobs?”
I laugh because, seriously, what is it about being seen with a guy that people immediately think that you’re dating.
“Nope, Cody and I are just friends. Why? Are you interested?”
She blushes and places a strand of hair behind her ears. The girl is shy, but it almost feels like an act.
“Um, yes. We’ve had a few classes together, but I’ve never talked to him before. I wasn’t sure if you two were together, and I didn’t want to step in.”
Okay, wow, there are not a lot of girls who would have the respect to do that. While I can’t grasp how I feel about her, I decide that it’s not my decision. Just as I’m about to carry on more of this conversation, a stall opens up.
“Monica, come sit beside me next week, and I’ll introduce the two of you!”
Finishing up, I glance at my reflection in the mirror. I tug on my ponytail to fluff it up and give it some more volume. This humidity is killing my hair. Sweat glistens from my face. Thank God glowy skin is in. Making my way out of the bathroom, I find Chloe waiting for me. The two of us make our way to the beer garden to grab more Coors Lights, the classy beer for college students.
CTU’s band is just finishing up when we find our seats. Macy looks awfully cozy next to Gregg. So much for Macy not wanting to get serious with a guy and trying to break Gregg’s serial dating reputation. I knew she wouldn’t be able to go without a relationship this year.
There’s a part of me, deep in the back of my mind, that misses being in a relationship. That misses the comfort of one man. But that ship has sailed and I’m not about to get on another ship. Not today and not ever.
The second half begins, and our defense forces Loganville three-and-out, after Jeremiah Prince, our defensive back, secures his second sack of the game. Xavier catches the punt and returns it fifty-five yards to put us in excellent field position. The adrenaline is pumping through my veins, and I’ve got a feeling that we are going to come out on top.
“E-A-G! L-E-S! EAGLES! EAGLES! EAGLES!” I chant along with the rest of the crowd.
Thanks to a handoff from Tyler Harris to Quinton for a diving three-yard run, the Central Texas Eagles secure their revenge against the Loganville Raiders. Freaking finally!
“Holy shit! Holy shit!” I scream, grabbing ahold of Chloe. “We did it!”
Everyone around us is going crazy. High fives are given as beer sloshes everywhere. We were down by six points with five seconds left. From kickoff to the buzzer sounding at the end of the fourth, it was a thrilling game that had all of us standing, waiting to see what would happen in front of us. Somehow, we were able to pull off the win. All thanks to a crazy diving run by Quinton. Seeing Quinton dive across the goal line was exhilarating, as it showed off his raw athleticism. He looked like Superman flying over the defensive line.
