Page 20 of Escape Velocity
His leg bounces on the sticky locker room floor. He has his entire outfit on except his helmet that hangs lazily in his hand.
He’s leaning with his elbows on his legs, trying to block out the rumbling cheers coming from outside and his teammates goofing off.
They know to leave him alone when he’s like this. It feels like the entire game rests on his shoulders, and it practically does. He knows what the school thinks about him and practically praises the ground he walks on.
He doesn’t deserve it. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
His dad is in the stands, along with Tammy. They’re probably so “proud” of their son and how far he’s come.
He wishes he could be proud of himself, but he can’t. If he loses, his dad will come down hard on him and he’ll have to watch each dejected face leave the stadium in quietness as disappointment envelops the stadium. Being quarterback is a whole other beast now.
It’s the home opener. It’s the firsthome game of the season. If he loses—it’s all on him. The whole college rests on his shoulders.
He takes a deep breath in. He has to be able to do it. He can’t face his dad’s wrath or the disappointment from his teammates and the school.
He grunts and slaps his knees. He can do it. He’s gone through so much worse. He’s been able to play games when he’s about to fall over from sobbing at the memory of his mother on her deathbed.
If he can do that, he can certainly do this.
“All right, guys. Let’s go kick some butt,” Joel says as he and the rest of his teammates look at Callum, like he’s their lighthouse in a foggy sea.
Callum sighs and gets up. They’re all looking at him. Expecting something from him.
They all surround him, their hands on their hips, waiting. Their faces serious.
Craig is trying to hide his goofy grin behind a serious stare, and it’s one of the only things that grounds him.
“It’s the home opener. We have to make Montgomery proud, got it? These are our classmates. Our parents. Our teachers. We’re here to put on a good show and to win. Just like we’re going to win that championship trophy.”
Some grunts and aggressive nods ripple across the room.
Callum smiles and nods. “Now let’s get out there and make our school proud.”
He cringes at how cheesy it sounds, but it works for the team, and that’s all he needs. He needs them to believe in themselves and him, because he can barely do it for himself.
They all huddle and do their Montgomery cheer—bellowing and screaming as they put their helmets on andrun one by one out of the locker room into the entrance to the field.
He’s always the last one to leave. He inhales deeply as he looks at the maroon and gold locker room, trying to remember that it’ll still be here when he gets back. If he wins or loses, he can come back to it and still play. That he’s still the quarterback. He can still go to the big leagues. He needs something to ground himself.
He grunts and slams his helmet and runs outside and onto the field, where the cheers are deafening. The Jumbotron shows him running onto the field, along with his player roster picture beside him, his face blank and almost angry looking.
He hates that picture. It was taken just after his dad had yelled at him over the phone for arguing with him.
He shakes his head and continues running, taking off his helmet and waving to the crowd, giving his best smile ever to them like he’s the happiest guy on the motherfucking planet.
That everything is perfect, and he’s going to play an amazing game.
His biggest and toothiest grin that probably sparkles in the right light. He’s perfected it. And dammit if he isn’t going to let his own thoughts get in the way of the spectacle he has to put on.
He keeps his smile plastered until familiar eyes meet his, and his mind stops.
The roar of the crowd seems to disappear and become muffled in his ears as he meets eyes with Mason Fanning.
What the hell is he doing here? Mason has no business being here.
Is he being forced?
Does Mason want to see him?
