“Alright maggots, today I will be cutting the most from the tryouts. If you make it past today, it doesn’t mean you’re on the team. It just means I liked what you brought to the field today,” Coach Miles bellowed walking back and forth in front of the students lined up to start tryouts. His eyes fell on Sarah at the end of the line. “There will be no special treatment for anyone. Each of you will…
“Alright maggots, today I will be cutting the most from the tryouts. If you make it past today, it doesn’t mean you’re on the team. It just means I liked what you brought to the field today,” Coach Miles bellowed walking back and forth in front of the students lined up to start tryouts. His eyes fell on Sarah at the end of the line. “There will be no special treatment for anyone. Each of you will be treated and judged as an equal. Now get out there and show me what you have!”
The line of students ran off onto the field. The team from last year was standing on the field and went through everyone choosing who will be on what team. Jared was the leader of one team. It got down to Sarah.
“You take her man,” one of the players chuckled to Jared. He groaned.
“Alright, Sarah, you’re with me,” he said placing his hand on his hip and staring into the sky with irritation.
The team gathered around Jared as he laid down the play and who had what position. Everyone had been given a position but Sarah.
“What about me?” she asked.
“Just stand there and look pretty,” one of the boys said mockingly, and they all laughed.
She walked up to the boy and grabbed him by the helmet, “Do you want to dance now or later?”
The boy was shocked, and Jared stepped in, “Alright, alright, Sarah, do you want to be quarterback or running back?” The guys laughed.
“Quarterback? Running back? You’re kidding?” they laughed and groaned simultaneously.
“Running back,” she said.
They went over the play and walked to the starting line. Jared looked over to Sarah before he gave the countdown for the play to begin. “Blue forty-two, blue forty-two, hut, hike!”
Jared caught the ball as it was thrust from the ground. He looked up for Sarah and was surprised to see her halfway down the field. He threw the ball to her and her hands met it with ease and grace. She dipped past one of the players that jumped to tackle her. He hit the ground missing. Another player came at her from the right, she swirled around him and he went falling to the ground as well. The last one came from in front of her. She tossed the ball in the air and slid under the guy like she was stealing home. She popped up on the other side of him, caught the ball, and finished in the end zone.
“That’s my girl,” Jared whispered smiling.
The coach was whooping with excitement. By the end of tryouts, there was only ten players left when they had started with over 20. Sarah was at the top of the line and everyone without a doubt knew she wasn’t going to be cut on any day of tryouts.
She looked to her right to the guy she grabbed earlier in tryouts, “Nice game,” she said.
“Same to you,” he said.
“Alright, maggots, hit the showers. Second day same time tomorrow,” he said as they all broke from the line. He pointed at Sarah, “You, come here.”
She walked over to him, “Yes, Coach?”
“Where did you learn to play like that? You were amazing! Just so you know you’re on the team; you don’t have to do tryouts tomorrow unless you want to show them boys up some more,” he said smiling at her.
“Thanks, Coach. Umm,” she said looking over to Jared as he walked with the other guys heading off to the showers, “I was taught by the one and only,” she said looking back to the Coach. He smiled in acknowledgement.
“You let me know if any of these boys try to mistreat you or manhandle you that goes against any type of football regulations. Their ass is grass if they do, you hear?” he asked making sure she understood what he meant.
“Sure thing, Coach,” she said smiling and walking off to the girls’ locker room.
Jared stopped her before she walked through the locker room doors, “So what did Coach say?” he asked leaning up against the wall beside the door.
“I made the team. I don’t even have to come in for tryouts the next few days. It’s a sealed deal,” she said crossing her arms and smiling.
Jared shook his head, “Wait ’til your mom hears about this…” and walked off smirking into the boys’ locker room.
She hadn’t even thought of her mom’s reaction to the situation. She bit her lip in panic. Will Jared beat me to her? she thought to herself as she walked into the locker room to shower.
The cheerleaders were all in their laughing and joking. They eyed her in her football gear and snickered to one another.
“So, Sarah,” Cindy, the head cheerleader spoke up, “Did you make the team?”
“Um, duh,” Sarah said sarcastically.
“Aw, how cute!” Cindy exclaimed laughing. The rest of the cheerleaders joined in.
Sarah turned to Cindy and said, “Out of all the years we have had classes together, do you honestly think your opinion of me or what I do actually means shit to me? I could care less what your bimbo-headed ass thinks.”
Cindy stepped forward as if she were going to punch her.
“Go ahead, hit me and see if I don’t kick your ass.”
Cindy backed off and then smirked, “Well since your ‘one of the guys’ now, I guess I can put my talons back in Jared.”
“Does it look like I care what you do with Jared?” Sarah asked rolling her eyes. “Besides, he’s always been attracted to the slutty ones,” she said grabbing her stuff to head for the showers.
Cindy grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backward. She whipped around, and without a moment’s hesitation, sucker punched her once in the mouth and once in the eye before she was pulled from her by the cheerleading coach.
“Break it up ladies! Cindy, go put some ice on your mouth,” she said and turned to Sarah, “You come with me.”
Sarah followed the coach into her office while the other girls whispered what they thought would happen. Sarah sit down in the chair in front of the desk and the cheerleading coach set behind it.
The coach took in a deep breath, “I know you didn’t start the confrontation. I’m not going to suspend you or anything of the sorts,” she said looking at Sarah.
“So…why did you bring me back here?” Sarah asked.
“You tried out for the football team, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you make it?” the coach asked leaning in to hear her answer.
“Yes, coach said I didn’t even have to come back for the rest of the tryouts,” Sarah said a little uneasy as to why the coach of the cheerleading squad wanted to know.
The coach smiled, “Congratulations, you’re the first girl to ever impress him.”
“Thanks,” Sarah said smiling.
“Now, go shower. You smell like a man,” the coach laughed.
Sarah stood up and walked to the shower. Everyone had cleared out by the time she was finished. She got back to her locker in a towel and fished her cell phone out of her bag to shoot a text to Adam.
Sarah: Well, I’m officially on the team.
Adam: No way! It will be all over the news by tomorrow!! LOL
Sarah: I don’t know about that, but it will be all over the school tomorrow I knocked Cindy for a loop.
Adam: You are just full of surprises today aren’t ya? LOL
Sarah: You busy tonight?
Adam: No, just riding around the city looking for trouble. Why? You want to party =P
Sarah: LOL, I think some celebrating is in order.
Adam: Pick you up in front of the school in 10.
Sarah got dressed, dried her hair and put on a little makeup. She had brought a change of clothes with her to go out tonight. She was dressed in a strapless black and silver shirt and a black mini skirt to match with some cute little black high heels. Just as she was reaching the front of the school, Adam pulled up. Jared was already standing there and the two were talking. They looked up as she got closer to the car. Jared didn’t look too happy.
“What’s the occasion,” he asked motioning around his face to mean her makeup.
“Celebrating,” Sarah said putting her backpack in the backseat of Adam’s Kia.
“Where at?” Jared asked.
“Not sure yet. Where ever the night takes us I guess,” she said sliding into the front seat.
Adam couldn’t help but stare at her. She looked amazing. His eyes started at her face and slid down her body. He was distracted from his gazing when he heard Jared clear his throat. He snapped back into reality and his face grew red.
“Um, I’ll talk to you later, Jared,” Adam said avoiding looking in the passenger seat while Jared stared him down.
“Uh huh, you do that,” Jared said spicily and stepped away from the window.
Adam pulled away and no sooner had they left the parking lot he got a text message.
Jared: You better not do anything inappropriate to her or I swear to God I will beat your ass!
Adam: Don’t be silly. I would never….
Jared: I mean it Adam and keep an eye on her wherever you go.
Adam: Aye-aye captain!
“Who was that?” Sarah asked looking over at him while he stuffed his phone in his pocket.
“It was no-nobody, my mom, she’s crazy talking…off the wall… hey did you call your mom?” he said changing the subject.
“Yea, I let her know I’d be out with you tonight. She thinks it’s a date,” she said looking over at Adam. “I told her I’d let her know if it was or not.”
She smiled a flirtatious smile at Adam, and he gulped nearly running off the road. The outfit she wore clung to her body in all the right places. He felt the sudden urge to just pull over and touch her. “I will beat your ass” rang in his ears and he quickly put the thought aside.
“Adam?” Sarah asked impatiently.
“Huh?” he asked sheepishly trying to focus on driving.
“So, is it?”
“Is what?” he asked confused.
“Is it a date?” she said scooting over closer to him.
“Why do you want to date me? I’m…I’m not a cool…kid,” he said in breaths as she touched his arm and stroked his face.
She leaned into his ear and whispered, “Because you’re so easy to play with,” she said laughing as she moved back into her seat.
“You are so not cool,” Adam said breathing and chuckling to himself.
“All jokes aside though, I would like to have a nice dinner with you one night and see where it leads,” Sarah said tugging at what looked like a mini skirt down into a skirt that hit her knees.
“That’s better,” Adam said with relief, “I thought you were going to rape me while I was driving. What gives? Why you dressed up like that?”
“Personal conquest,” she said turning to look at the city they drove through.
“Uh huh, that tells me nothing,” he said confused
“To be so smart you’re so dumb sometimes, you know that?” Sarah said turning to him.
They pulled up to the local teen club. Adam put the car in park and looked over at Sarah.
“For you to be so smart, you’re dumb sometimes,” he said turning the switch off.
“What’s that supposed to mean,” she asked defiantly.
“Jared likes you. A lot.”
“Well, I don’t like him,” she said turning back to the window as the silence filled the car.
“Well, you could-“ Adam started but was cut off as she leaned over and kissed him. Adam would love to have Sarah but every guy in school knew she was off limits. It wasn’t an announced declaration but more of an unspoken one. Even with the thought bouncing around in his head, he couldn’t help but put his hands on the back of her head and back and pull her closer as the kiss intensified. Every ounce of resistance screamed in his head to stop, to put an end to the urge, but his body wouldn’t listen to him. She sealed their kiss with another small kiss and pulled back with her eyes closed. His heart thudded in his chest, and he was a little shaky from the excitement of what happened.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” Sarah said easing back into her seat.
“Trust me, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to,” he said trailing off and trying to gather his thoughts.
“Do you want to go in or do you want to go…talk?” she asked lifting an eyebrow signaling she meant more than just talking.
“Sarah, I would love to go and…talk…with you, it’s just,” he started and she interrupted.
“It’s just what?” she asked a little heated.
He closed his eyes and breathed in. He didn’t know what he could say. He can’t tell her the truth. He doesn’t want to hurt her.
“I’ve never…been with a girl,” he stammered.
It wasn’t a lie but wasn’t the real truth.
“So, I’ve never been with a guy before,” she said scooting closer. “I really like you, Adam.”
He looked up at her and shook his head wordless. He finally uttered, “I can’t.”
“Fine, whatever, take me home,” she said scooting back over to her seat up against the window.
“You don’t want to go in?” he asked.
“No, take me home,” she said and went silent.
He groaned on the inside. He started the car and pulled out of the parking space and headed for her house. They rode in silence. It was clear she didn’t want to talk. As they pulled into her driveway she unbuckled her seat belt and exploded.
“Not a single damn guy in this school will go out with me, or if they do go on a date with me, there is no intimacy what so ever. Why?! Is there something wrong with me?!” she yelled at him and didn’t even wait for him to answer back. She tore from the car and ran to her front door and went inside.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” Jared asked popping up out of nowhere.
Adam, grabbing his chest from fright, said, “Dude, you scared the hell out of me. You can’t just pop up out of nowhere.”
“What did you do to her? Why is she upset?” Jared asked leaning in the window closer to Adam.
“That’s the thing, I did nothing when she wanted more,” Adam said looking down at the steering wheel. “And trust me, I wanted more,” he said looking back up at Jared, “But friends first, huh?” he asked as he put the car in reverse.
“Look, Adam, if she wants to date…you…go for it,” Jared said looking from the car to the window upstairs. “It’s clear that she will never want me, and it’s unfair for me to keep others from her.”
“I think it’s too late for that. She’s pretty pissed. She was practically jumping my bones in the car when I told her no,” he told Jared.
Jared was silent.
“I got to go, dude. See ya tomorrow at school.”
He backed the car out of the driveway and headed out of the neighborhood. Jared stood at the fence that divided the two houses and stared up at her window. He pulled his phone from his pocket and searched through the contacts. Her name pulled up, and he opened a new message window.
Jared: Hey
Sarah: Who is this?
Jared: You deleted my number from your phone. Ouch that hurts.
Sarah: Jared really?
Jared: Look I been thinking
Sarah: Well that’s hard to believe but go on
Jared: Would you like to go on a date with me?
Sarah: What Cindy not enough woman for you now? Her black eye is unattractive.
Jared: This has nothing to do with her. This is you and me. I want to take you to dinner.
Sarah: Why?
Jared: I want to go on a date with you why does that need an elaboration?
Sarah: Alright, on one condition.
Jared: What’s that?
Sarah: Stop threatening to beat up guys when they want to date me!
Jared: I don’t know what you’re talking about =D
Sarah: Yea, yea.
Jared: How about the night before homecoming game? That sound good to you?
Sarah: Yea sounds delightful.
Sarah’s mom knocked on her door, “Hey, sweety, your home early. How did your date go with Adam?” she asked walking and sitting down on Sarah’s bed.
“It went how every date went,” Sarah said not glancing up from her homework.
“Aw, I’m sorry. I thought he was a keeper,” she said standing up from the bed.
“Mom, I have to tell you something,” Sarah said putting her pencil down and turning around in her chair.
“What’s that honey?” her mom asked turning around in her doorway.
“I tried out for the football team today,” she said waiting for her mom to answer.
“And, how’d it go?” she asked without hesitating.
“I made the team,” Sarah said waiting for her mom to explode.
“Honey, that’s wonderful!” Her mom exclaimed.
“It is? You’re not mad?” she asked confused.
“Why would I be mad? Now you can spend some catching up time with Jared,” she said and walked out the room.
“Get out of the way!”
Sarah whipped around just in time to back into the lockers as one of the jocks ran through the hall. He was tailed by four others. The one who yelled looked back at her for a split second grinned and kept running. A teacher popped out of a room telling them to slow down and quit running as they rounded the corner of the hall. Sarah rolled her eyes. She was used to this…
“Get out of the way!”
Sarah whipped around just in time to back into the lockers as one of the jocks ran through the hall. He was tailed by four others. The one who yelled looked back at her for a split second grinned and kept running. A teacher popped out of a room telling them to slow down and quit running as they rounded the corner of the hall. Sarah rolled her eyes. She was used to this display of complete idiocy. She had been going to school with them since elementary school and the shenanigans just kept doubling.
“Football tryouts are in a couple days.”
She laughed as she turned to face the voice.
“Really, Adam? Football?” she asked shaking her head.
“You know you would be perfect for the team. They need brains added to the bench,” Adam said chuckling.
“I put up with the meatheads enough in gym class,” she said as she shut her locker and gathered the books she would need for homework.
“You know this school and town needs a new scandal,” Adam said as he walked with her towards the front doors of the school.
School had only been in session a couple of days but Sarah chose to take advanced placement courses this semester. That means she has homework galore and no time for distractions. The jock heads had made their way back around the building whooping and hollering.
“Yo, Adam, what’s up my man?” Jared asked as he gave Adam a high five.
Jared was the ringleader of the flying monkeys. He thought the world revolved around him and the only person who didn’t see it this way was Sarah. He looked over at her.
“Hey, Sarah, sorry about earlier,” he said smiling.
She was disgusted with his smile. He thought he could win anyone over with it and that was so not the case. There was once a time when she would melt into his smile but not anymore.
“Adam, I’m going to go,” she said leaving the group of boys behind.
“Alright, see ya later,” Adam called after her.
“Nice talking,” Jared yelled sarcastically. He looked to Adam, “Dude, why can’t I crack her?”
“Did you ever think it’s because your next door neighbors so she sees your bullshit every day?” Adam said back laughing.
“Man, I could so punch you right now,” Jared said laughing back. “So, what’s the down low? Have you heard from anyone who might be trying out for the team this year?” he asked taking out a pen and pad to jot down tips for the coach.
“There’s an exchange student who is pretty fit and can kick a ball like a cow kicking in your dome,” Adam said pulling out his own paper he had written on.
“Anyone else?” Jared asked.
“Yea, a transfer student from Mississippi, built like a shit brick house and apparently played AAA football down there so definitely a keeper,” Adam said winking.
“Alright excellent! Anymore?” Jared asked as he jotted down on the paper what Adam was telling him.
“You’re going to laugh,” Adam said looking down at the paper folding it back up and shoving it in his pocket.
“What?” Jared asked.
“Well, I been trying to talk one person into trying out,” Adam started.
“Who?” Jared asked leaning up against the locker waiting for the name drop.
“Well, you’ve known them for a long time,” Adam said.
“Just tell me the name please and stop beating around the bush,” Jared said getting annoyed.
“Sarah,” Adam said with a serious look on his face.
“Sarah!” Jared laughed. He quickly stopped, “You’re not joking. Adam, we can’t put a girl on the team. We will be ridiculed.”
“She’s really good!” Adam protested. “She’s the fastest runner in the school, she has an arm like a cannon and remember last year while playing softball? She caught that ball without a mitt jumping up in midair. She would be stellar!”
“If she took a hit, she would go down and not get back up,” Jared said with the most serious and protective tone.
“IF she took a hit. They would have to catch her first,” Adam said catching onto his words.
Jared stood there thinking about it.
“I’d have to run it by coach first. It’s not the best idea in the world you know,” Jared said walking towards the exit doors with Adam.
“I don’t think ya’ll would be disappointed,” Adam said smiling.
“Does she want to try out?” Jared asked
“That’s MY next step. We were talking about it before you strolled back up,” Adam said as they walked down the steps and into the student parking lot. “Why don’t you talk to her when you get home about it?” Adam said grinning slyly.
“Are you kidding? We haven’t spoken since middle school in an actual conversation. I don’t know what I did but it’s like she hates me,” Jared said stopping at his car.
“Maybe it’s not hate,” Adam said pointing at him as he walked to his car. “See ya later,” he said jumping in his car.
“Yea, see ya later,” Jared said as he processed everything they had been talking about.
A long time ago, Sarah and he were the best of friends. They were next door neighbors so of course they grew up close. He did everything to protect her. He beat up an older kid that had pushed her down after they had won a game of kickball. He got in trouble of course and grounded. That night he heard the familiar tap of rocks hitting his window. He walked to it and smiled. She was down there waiting for him to crawl out his window so they could go to the tree house and spend the night. His parents always knew he snuck out even when he was grounded, but they didn’t care. It was Sarah.
Middle school rolled around and Jared started playing football. Sarah helped him practice at home and she was good at it. The first football game was lost. Sarah showed up at his doorstep with an ice cream cone and they walked the block eating and talking about everything but the game.
“You know, winning isn’t important,” she said looking over at him.
“Yea, I know,” he grumbled.
“Do you?” she asked stopping.
He looked over at her and smiled, “Yea, I do.”
They made it back to their driveways and was saying goodnight as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“No matter if you win or lose a game, you’re always a winner to me,” she said smiling as she walked backward to her house.
He couldn’t say anything. He was surprised and happy. He waited by his locker the next as he usually did for Sarah so he could walk her to her mom’s car and then go to practice.
“Jared!”
He wheeled around to see Cindy walking up to him. She was the most popular girl in school and was very pretty.
“Hey, Cindy,” he said smiling at her.
“I wanted to tell you, you played a good game last night,” she said smiling and rubbing his hair.
He blushed, “Well, we didn’t win.”
“You came close though,” she said moving herself closer to him. “How about I give you my number and we talk about the game tonight over ice cream,” she said as she wrote her number down on the palm of his hand.
He smiled a crooked, smitten grin, “Sounds good.”
“Great!” she said cheerfully and planted a kiss square on his lips.
Sarah had rounded the corner right at that moment and saw the two lip locked. He looked up just as she turned around and walked away.
“Sarah!” he called to her but she kept walking.
The last bell rang for the end of the day. He had football practice so wouldn’t see Sarah until later that evening. When he got home, he ran next door and knocked on the door. Sarah’s mom answered.
“Hey, Jared, how was practice today?” she asked smiling at him.
“It was intense,” he said smiling back. “Umm, can I talk to Sarah?”
“Sarah isn’t feeling well. She went to bed early tonight. Sorry, sweetie,” she said as he stepped off the porch and she closed the door.
He looked up to her bedroom window just to see her curtain fall back into place. He went on his date with Cindy and they started dating. Sarah was always busy when he went over to her house. They slowly drifted apart from being friends to where they didn’t even acknowledge each other in the hallways at school.
Jared jumped in his car and drove home. He put the car in park and climbed out of the driver’s door and glanced up to Sarah’s room just as the curtain fell back into place. He got a wild urge and acted on it. He walked over to the lattice on this side of the house and climbed it up to the balcony beside her window. HE hoisted himself over the railing and knocked on the balcony door.
Sarah opened it annoyed, “What are you doing, Jared?”
“I came to talk to you,” Jared said walking away from the balcony’s railing and closer to her.
“What do you want?” she asked exasperated.
“Adam said you might try out for the team,” Jared said fiddling with a string on his shirt.
“Adam will say anything to please you,” she said rolling her eyes.
“Well, are you? I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Jared said crossing his arms and changing his tone of voice.
“And who are you? The football police? If I want to try out, I will,” she said crossing her arms back in response.
“You don’t realize you could get hurt. It’s not like horseplay. It’s not like how we used to play. When you get tackled, you go down hard,” he said as serious as he could.
“Well, we will see what I choose to do,” she said not budging. “Now, if you don’t mind, will you remove yourself from my balcony? I have homework to finish,” she said walking back inside her room and shutting the door. She watched as he climbed over the railing and back down the lattice and over to his yard. She sent Adam a text: Tryouts are in the bag.