Sapience (23 page)

Adrian looked at me skeptically “You think he’s going to walk away with his tail tucked between his legs?”

“That was the bet wasn’t it?” I knew better than to argue with Adrian but I wanted Blake out of the picture so badly.

He turned away like he was getting bored with our conversation. “Ok, let’s try this again only, this time don’t take them down so hard. Make them think they have a chance.”

He lined up before anybody was ready and kicked the ball. We all scrambled into formation as we ran down the field trying to create a human wedge. The ball dropped down behind a wall of guardians. I couldn’t even tell who had caught it this time.

My attention was on Brianna, she was halfway through tackling a far bigger opponent who used his superior size to throw her to the ground. I didn’t see the guy coming from my right. He blindsided me with no remorse. The whole tackle was a little hazy. One second I was running and the next I was lying flat on my back, the rain splattering in my face.

I sat up in time to see Adrian tackle the guy with the ball.

“Are you ok?” Brianna asked, wiping mud off of her face.

“I’m fine.” I said despite the fact that my entire right side felt like it was falling apart. “Are you?”

Adrian whistled, reclaiming our attention, “let’s go!”

The other team was already gathering on the line of scrimmage. Brianna and I scrambled to fall into place with the rest of our family.

Blake stood behind the center “Red twenty-eight, Red twenty-eight!” He called.

I took a few steps back and squared off with the guy I was supposed to be guarding.

“Hike!”

The center snapped the ball to Blake who took a few steps back and prepared to throw.

The guy I was guarding blew past me in full sprint. I took off a few steps behind. He was fast, with every step he inched away from me. He was out of my reach when the ball flew into his hands. I dove, frantically trying to catch one of his feet but coming up with nothing. I ended up with a face full of mud and he ended up scoring a touchdown.

A cheer rose up from the crowd. It looked as though the people had doubled from the last time I checked. There was now a full ring of people around the yard. Those without umbrellas were just as soaked as us. A lot of them were yelling and you could see a subtle shift as people were starting to get into the game.

“Losers walk!” I heard Blake yell.

Brianna and Lillie ran over and helped me up.

“Try guarding him from a little further back so he can’t get the jump on you.” Lillie said.

Brianna tried to wipe some of the mud off my face. She succeeded in smearing it. “You’ll get him next time.” Droplets of water were splashing off of her hair.

“Definitely.” I said, not letting on how unsure of myself I was.

When we got to the other end of the yard the rest of the family was waiting.

“Stand here.” Was the only thing Adrian said to me as he set us all up in formation.

Brianna gave me a reassuring nod from my right as we waited for the other team to kick.

The rain had picked up so much that I could hardly see the other players. The crowd was starting to mush together as one solid blur, jumping and yelling along the sidelines.

The other team started running, shadows in the distance. The ball came dropping out of the rain, right into my arms. That fact only had a moment to register before we were off, running as one pack.

The shadows emerged from the rain, angry and determined. One by one my team fell defending me until it was only Adrian and I left.

“Go!” He yelled and dove at an attacker.

Two shadows still lurked ahead. I jumped over Adrian’s falling body and tore off with all I had for the end of the yard.

It was dirty and wet and I felt dangerously exposed but most of all I was angry. My whole family was counting on me and I had let the other team score a touchdown. The other players were bigger; to get to the end zone I would have to cheat.

The first opponent came out of the rain and grabbed my shirt. My anger flared and I punched him in the ribs. I could hear his breath give out as he slipped off, that left only one to beat.

When I spotted the last attacker he was already in the air, diving at me like a wild animal.

I lunged to the right. His arm caught me but slipped off as he flew by. I reached the other end of the yard standing. In one play, Adrian had allowed me to redeem myself.

I didn’t feel so bad anymore, now that I had made up for losing a touchdown. This time the cheer that rose up from the crowd was for me.

A new figure emerged from the rain. This time it was Brianna leaping into my arms.

“Told you!” She said.

The rest of the family was soon there congratulating or cheering me on. Adrian was quick to call them to order.

I idly looked around trying to figure out which team the crowd was rooting for. From what I could tell they were just cheering to cheer. They didn’t care who won or lost, they were just having a good time watching. Or maybe it was half and half, the rain was making it so hard to tell.

That’s when I spotted a clock on the porch, two kids were holding score cards in their laps. They read seven to fourteen, Adrian must have told them to count touchdowns as seven points. The timer was counting down from thirty minutes.

I whirled around as the rest of my team took off running, the ball was already dropping into Blake’s arms at the other end of the yard. I was still a good thirty feet behind when our team went crashing into their defenders. Blake cut around to the right, passing up the entire pile up. He was past everyone but me, I ran for him, dove. My shoulder drove through his hip and we both went sailing to the ground.

Without so much as a passing glance at each other we jumped up and ran to the center of the yard, our teams forming up on either side of us.

“Hike!” Blake yelled.

The crowd was loud but I could still hear Brianna at my side, counting as fast as she could. “One apple, two apple, three apple,”

I glanced back, no one was open.

“Four apple, five apple,”

I could see Blake searching for the right person to throw to.

“Six apple, SEVEN APPLE!”

Brianna and I charged past the line of scrimmage. Blake sprinted to the right. Brianna dove, catching his ankle and tripping him up. It slowed him enough for me to wrap him up and throw him to the ground.

I could hear him cursing as I reached out to help Brianna to her feet. She was laughing.

“Did you see his face?” She asked.

I was about to respond when Blake shoved me from behind. I was caught off guard and stumbled forward. When I turned around Josh came from Blake’s side and shoved him. Unlike me, Blake did fall over.

Two of Blake’s teammates ran up to go after Josh but Rachel and Adrian came to his aid. It wasn’t long before both teams were bunched up in each other’s faces. Blake was practically spitting as he screamed at us.

I glanced over at the clock, the time was ticking away. “Let’s go guys.” I said.

Lillie was the first to back off, followed by Brianna and Rachel, Josh lingered for a moment before turning with Adrian and lining up for the next play. It took Blake’s team longer to get back into order.

Josh knocked the ball out of the air on the next play and Adrian forced an incompletion on the one after that. The crowd was beginning to grow a little bit more docile until Blake threw it to a kid who ran for a touchdown.

Lillie caught the ball on the kick off, she made it halfway across the yard before getting tackled. To anybody that didn’t know her it might have seemed off that she could hop right back up after being tackled so hard. Only we understood how she could handle taking such a hit.

On the next play Adrian pitched the ball to Brianna and after Josh and I made a good block she ran it all the way for a touchdown.

And so it went, back and forth for a long time with both teams getting beaten and battered. I was exhausted when someone called out from the porch that there was only seconds left to play.

The score was tied at forty-nine and they had the ball. So far both teams had scored on almost every possession. They had only managed to stop us one time. This meant that we weren’t sitting in a very good position.

“Blue, forty-two!” Blake yelled.

I tensed up, ready to rush in before he could throw the ball as Adrian had directed.

“Hey Blake” Adrian yelled “You’re about to lose.”

“Hike” Blake called.

“One apple, two apple, three apple, four apple,” It seemed like everyone was running in every direction. My eyes were on Blake and a kid waiting to block me when I got past the line. “Five apple, six apple,” I blinked water out of my eyes. The crowd was going wild. “Seven apple!”

I jumped forward trying to break free of the line. The kid blocking for Blake punched me in the stomach and I doubled over. I scrambled to get back to my feet but it was too late. Blake was already in mid-throw.

I watched the ball fly through the air, carving an arc through the rain. The receiver was wide open in the end zone, it was all but over. I watched helplessly as he waited for the ball to drop right into his waiting hands.

Adrian was there, jumping over the intended receiver and scooping up the ball. Spencer made a timely block allowing him enough space to start running.

Blake took off running to cut him off. I tried to follow but the kid who had punched me in the gut, had a fist full of my shirt. I planted my feet, one round house punch to his jaw proved all I needed to get him to let go. Water flew from his face as my fist made contact and I pictured myself in one of those old boxing movies, where sweat flew in slow motion during a big hit.

Blake caught Adrian near the sidelines and was dragging him to the ground. It felt like my feet were moving through quicksand as I closed the distance. Adrian was starting to fall over and I could see other opponents moving in for the kill out of the corner of my eyes. I dove, lowering my head and placing all my weight into my shoulder.

From what I could tell, I must have hit Blake somewhere in his thighs because he went flipping in a cart wheel through the air. My momentum carried me forward and I went sliding into a group of kids standing on the sidelines, a few of them fell on top of me as I took out their legs.

I was in so much of a rush to see if Adrian had made it or not, I didn’t bother to get up. Instead I peered through the legs of the kids in the crowd.

Adrian was sprinting down the far end of the yard; whatever direction the defenders thought he would go he went the opposite. Not one person could touch him as he walked into the end zone. With one last look at the crowd he threw the ball high over the driveway.

“Guess it’s time you started packing your bags” He called.

“You cheated!” Blake screamed from somewhere around my feet. He jumped up and ran to the middle of the yard.

I got up and shifted my way through the crowd, when I was free I ran over to the rest of my group.

Their football team was squaring off with mine. I made sure to position myself so that anyone going for Brianna had to go through me.

“We had a bet.” Spencer said.

Blake took a step forward “The bet’s off!”

You could feel the tension growing as both teams stared each other down. I could see my family making subtle movements to strengthen the formation of our group. Blake’s team didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.

“Yo, I’m out of here.” One of the football players said after a tense moment of silence. I could see two others agree and the three of them headed for their hummer. It wasn’t long before the rest of the team turned to follow. Blake was the last to leave but only by a few steps.

“This isn’t over pretty boy.” He called before slamming the hummer door shut.

We were still standing tense when they pulled out of the driveway. It was then that I realized the rest of the school was still watching us. They had stopped cheering, I could see most of them were whispering back and forth.

“Time to party!” Spencer yelled.

A wild cheer broke out from all around and a mass of people started filing into the house. The rectangular crowd around the yard began to collapse.

“Good job guys.” Lillie said. She gave me a hug and turned to follow the others.

The rest of us all breathed a sigh of relief and finally let our guard down.

Spencer shoved me “See, I knew that was a good bet to make.”

I couldn’t believe it “But we only won by one touchdown…”
  I said.

A wide grin spread on Spencer’s face “Yea, or so it looked like. I knew Adrian wouldn’t let us lose.”

“I’m the smartest man on earth.” Adrian said. “Do you really think the game would be that close without me planning it that way?”

“I guess not.” I said.

When everybody turned for the house I headed in the other direction. I didn’t want to leave the football sitting in the driveway. My shirt was stretched, ripped, heavy, wet, and sticking to my skin so I took it off and threw it on the ground. The rain felt refreshing as it poured down on me. Now that everybody was inside, it was quieter. You could hear the rain making a rhythmic clinking against the cars.