Page 17 of Fate in Motion
It takes me an hour to shower, get ready, and be fully functioning. Still, finally, I walk into the living room and see Christina lounging on the couch. She is watchingWhat a Girl Wantswith Amanda Bynes. I can't help but smile because this is one of those movies I watch regularly as background noise. After I walk in, I blurt out, "This is the best movie!"
Completely ignoring my excitement, She says, "So what is it with this guy? You've mentioned him to me a few times this week, and I need to know more."
I go on for ten minutes talking about how great it was catching up with Carter and how I want to explore this chemistry I have with him. I tell her that I have been getting these sexual urges for Carter that I do not usually get for other people. Don't get me wrong, sex is nice, but I don't usually crave it. I tell her that he is not out to the public and we will have to sneak around until he figures his shit out.
Before I can finish my ramble, she says, "Just be safe. Sneaking around and hiding is stressful as fuck. That is not something you need right now."
Christina has always been my most blunt friend, but she also cares about me more deeply than most people do. I understand her sentiment, but I am one hundred percent going to explore this further. What is the worst case that happens? My heart breaks, and I fall into a deep depression. Oh well.
After we wander the streets of Newark for three hours, we call an Uber for the Hawks game. They are playing the Atlanta Penguins, which should be a fun game to watch. I don't care that this is a preseason game. Watching the practice squad and newly drafted players fighting for roster spots is as thrilling as it gets. I love it; knowing they've got nothing to lose makes the hits more brutal, and the jukes and spin moves way cooler.
We get out of the Uber to the sounds of thousands of people tailgating the game in the East Rutherford Stadium parking lot, seeing Hawks jerseys and beer everywhere. We're in the ten-dollar seat section, so it won't be easy to see the field and make sense of what's even going on.
Before we head into the stadium and find our seats, I glance at Christina, pull out a beer with a grin, and say, "So…how many drinks we having today?"
She instantly rips the beer from my hand with a grin and says, "At least five."
We chug our beers and head toward the level 300 upper deck ticket line with the rest of the peasants.
Sitting this high has its perks, mainly the one where there are minimal people in my section. I can scream as loud as I want, and no one will bat an eye. I can’t stop screaming as the Hawks start rushing the field for their first possession. I wish I could see Carter’s tight ass in his padded, white pants, but up here, I can barely see the football, let alone Carter’s ass.
On the first play of the game, Josh Miller hands the ball off to Carter for a five-year rush up the middle. I never understood why coaches call such obvious plays. If I could anticipate wherethe ball is going, then there is a problem. The second play is a screen pass to Jalen Briggs, who jukes two defenders and eventually gets taken down at the 50-yard line. I can’t keep my eyes off Carter as he sprints back into the huddle. I obviously might be imagining things, but I feel I could see him motioning to Miller something. I hope this means Carter will get the ball next and make a ridiculous move into the end zone.
I could see Miller yell, “Hike!” right as the play clock is about to expire. Immediately, three defenders beat the Hawk’s offensive line and start chasing after the quarterback. I can’t see how flustered Miller is, but I can only imagine. As Miller flanks left, he is able to juke two defenders before tossing the ball at Carter. Carter, who is clearly fast as fuck, darts fifteen yards and out-of-bounds toward the 35-yard line.
Miller attempts to run a no-huddle offense in an effort to catch the Penguins off guard. He quickly yells, “Hike!” and throws a screen pass toward Carter. Carter is able to spin around the first defender and does a sidestep to avoid the second defender. Just as he’s about to run into the end zone, he gets nailed by the Penguins cornerback, helmet to helmet.
I can’t help but scream, “What the fuck was that ref?!” Christina looks at me in agreement. It was obvious that the tackle was illegal, but the ref didn’t call it. I can’t help but worry for Carter, as he is slow to get up. When he gets up, he shoves the defender almost immediately, and the two men begin shoving each other aggressively. The two players keep shoving each other until their teammates step in, pulling them apart and pushing them back to their respective sidelines. The next three plays are rushes up the middle by the backup running back, setting up for a short-field goal.
As the Hawks’ defense continues to handle the Penguin’s offense with ease, it looks like Coach McCormick is having a chat with Carter on the sideline. I assume this is a simple peptalk meant to pump Carter up for the second possession. After a quick three and out, Carter and the rest of the Hawks offense run onto the field.
The Hawks have the ball already on the opposing team’s 40-yard line, mainly because the other team’s punter is shit. The first play, which is easily predictable, is a 3-yard rush up the middle by Carter. The next play is another 3-yard rush up the middle by Carter, who clearly looks riled up. On third down, it’s a handoff to Carter, who makes a sharp cutback and picks up ten yards, but out of nowhere, he bobbles the ball, and it falls straight into the hands of a Penguins defender.
I turn to Christina and say, “What the hell was that? It’s like he was not even paying attention to the ball. Maybe something is wrong with him.”
“People fumble all the time, Nate. It doesn’t always mean something drastic.” Christina says with a relaxed look.
She’s not wrong. I mean, I’m sure it was just an accident and thank God it’s only preseason. I doubt this will affect his roster spot or his starting role.
Christina and I stick around for the rest of the game, even though Carter’s done for the day after that fumble. Luckily, the Hawks pull off the win thanks to a clutch interception by Marcus Jones. I’m pumped to see Carter later, and I’m sure he’s in a good mood with that win. No shot I’m bringing up that fumble, though. Happy talk only.
Christina and I walk towards the rideshare pickup area and grab an Uber. She keeps looking at me like she wants to say something bluntly.
I look at her and say, “Out with it.”
She lets out a loud “Ha!” and continues saying, “You know me so well. I know this is inappropriate, but we talk about sex shit all the time.”
I say, “What’s your point?”
Christina says, “I am just curious how far you will go tonight with him. What if he wants to just fuck immediately? I mean, you aren’t the horniest person alive. Let’s be real.”
Now I let out a loud “Ha!” and say, “You are right. Even with Monica and Daniel, we weren’t that sexual. Something is different with Carter, though. I don’t know what it is. We’ve been talking for only a week, but I feel some spark.”
“Um, a week is nothing,” Christina laughs.
I say, while smiling with my head down, “I know…what is wrong with me.”
Christina, clearly knowing that I am joking, gives me a big hug and says, “I love you.”
