The Road to L.A. (8 page)

Then an even more valid excuse popped into her mind and she said, "Besides, your jealous girlfriend is no doubt on her way to see you and I don't want to be around for that." 

Jake shrugged and said, "Fine.  I'll call you later."  

As Carly left Jake's house and walked the short distance to her own house she saw Susan’s red VW Beetle pulling into Jake’s driveway. 

I left just in time
she thought to herself.

She was thankful for having avoided two headaches, explaining her outburst to Jake and running into Susan.  But she also hated the fact that she had to cut back on her time with Jake just to avoid Susan.  She prayed that Jake would come to his senses soon and end the relationship.  She had the distinct feeling that he would, but it was just a matter of time. 

Chapter Seven

It was another Friday night filled with tension and bright stadium lights.  Carly and Amanda rode together to the football game. Following the strange behavior the twin had exhibited with Jake on the telephone, Carly confronted Amanda the next day.  At first Amanda had been a little standoffish, reluctantly allowing Carly to enter the house.  However, after some time reminiscing about Taylor’s party, she had begun to lighten up.  Carly still wasn’t able to determine exactly what had caused the twin to react so oddly on the telephone.  But Carly felt it was easier to just let it go. 

Carly climbed out of the passenger seat of Amanda’s car and smoothed the folds of her cheerleading uniform.  She hurriedly pulled her long hair into a ponytail.  Several feet away, she could see crowds of people hanging around the stadium bleachers, talking and laughing excitedly.  Everyone knew the Panthers needed to win this game tonight in order to make it to the playoffs.  Carly wondered how Jake was feeling at the moment, the weight of the game heaviest on him.  She knew the coach wouldn’t expect anything less than a win tonight, and everyone in Clanton was counting on the quarterback to send the Panthers to the playoffs.  The electric charge was heaviest nearer the stadium and Carly felt it wholly.  This prompted a strange apprehension she had never felt before.  She looked around her and suddenly felt dizzy.  Amanda looked at her friend and placed her hand on Carly’s shoulder.

              “You alright?” Amanda asked.  

Carly nodded, but was uncertain whether this was the complete truth.  The fact of the matter was, Carly had no idea if she was okay. 

              “I think I need to go to the bathroom,” Carly said meekly.  She excused herself and hurried to the public restrooms.   

She was immensely thankful that no one else was in the restroom at the moment.  She leaned against one of the sinks and stared at herself in the mirror.  She lifted her hands and noticed her fingers were shaking slightly.  Turning the cold water on, she splashed some of the cool liquid on her face.  Before lifting her face to look at herself in the mirror again, Carly took a few deep breaths and suddenly heard female voices reverberating on the other side of the restroom door.  She quickly swiped a paper towel from the dispenser and wiped her face before the door flew wide open.  Susan entered with several members of the cheerleading squad in tow.  She stopped abruptly when she saw Carly.   

              “There you are.  I was starting to get worried, " Susan said in her usual sweet, diplomatic tone.  Then, without warning, her demeanor changed drastically as she assumed a defensive stance.  "So, I heard you were over at Jake's the other day...alone.”  She said the last word with added emphasis. 

              “We’re just friends, Susan.  You have nothing to worry about,” Carly sighed with all too evident exasperation. 

              “I don’t know if I can believe that.  You guys spend an awful lot of time together.  Time he should be spending with me." 

Carly simply rolled her eyes.

              “Just remember, Cabrerra, he belongs to me,” Susan retorted, hands on hips.  

              “I think the game’s about to start,” Isabel cut in, poking her head outside the restroom door. 

Susan acknowledged Isabel’s observation and herded the squad out of the restroom and onto the field. 

All the while Carly couldn't help wondering why Jake had involved himself with this superficial tyrant.  Thankfully she didn't have too much time to brood over this because her official cheerleading duties had just begun.  She faced the ebullient crowds seated above in the bleachers, told herself to put on a smile, and worked to rile them up. 

By the fourth quarter the panthers were losing to the Cleveland Harris High School Highlanders.  The score was 14 to 0, and it was already nearing the end of the fourth quarter.  The Panthers had the ball.  Jake was already on edge, and it didn’t help to ease the tension when his father started yelling from the sidelines for them to keep their heads in the game. 

              “Goddamn it, Jake!” Coach Harmon screamed, all the while casting peripheral glances at the clock, which showed that time was running out for the Panthers to score. 

“Williams!” the coach screamed at Roy, “Gain us some yards out there, boy!” 

Roy nodded and stepped up to Jake.

              “Bro, give me the ball. I’ll score us a touchdown,” he advised Jake.

Coach Harmon continued his rant.  “What the hell is wrong with you boys?  Goddamn it!  Your pansy playing is gonna cost us state!”

Harmon tossed his clipboard to the ground, prompting one of his assistant coaches to step aside lest the clipboard strike his foot.

Jake looked at one of the assistant varsity coaches, who was signaling him from the sidelines, then turned to the rest of the Panthers on the field. 

              “Guys, we’re gonna run it in.  Roy’s getting a hand-off.” 

Pierce, a Panther fullback, looked at the scoreboard and shook his head.  He said gloomily, “Jake, even if Roy scores, we’re not gonna win.  We’re behind by two touchdowns.” 

              “Look, we are not going down without a fight.  We never give up!" Jake pressed.  Yet he himself knew it would be impossible to win this game.  There just wasn’t enough time.

              “What we need is a miracle,” Chad remarked grimly, shaking his head.

The teams lined up and Jake hiked the ball.  He turned and Roy took the ball from Jake’s hands.  Harmon could be heard yelling from the sidelines, urging Roy to step up his speed.  Roy ran as fast as he could, keeping the ball securely tucked in his arms.  The crowd grew wild as it appeared with definite certainty that he would make it to the end-zone.  His speed and agility seemed to make it impossible for any of the Highlanders’ defenders to halt his fierce charge.  Coach Harmon continued his frantic rant, his assistant coaches joining in.  Just before the clock ran out, Roy made it to the end-zone and hammered the ball to the ground with a hard thud.   Roy scored the touchdown for the Panthers, but it just wasn’t enough.  The Panthers lost the game by a single touchdown, and in the process lost their chance at the state finals. 

As Jake trudged dejectedly off the field, a player he barely knew from the opposing team walked past and said, “Looks like you’ll never be as good as your dad was.” 

Jake’s blood immediately began to boil. He turned and charged at the Highlander.  Without thinking about any of the painful consequences that were sure to follow, Jake threw a hard punch into his opponent’s helmet.  The force behind the strike was so fierce and powerful that it sent the Highlander flying backward into another one of his teammates.  Suddenly, the field was a battle zone as Cleveland Harris Highlanders charged the Clanton Panthers.  Carly shrieked with dismay at the sight before her, and she was pushed back a safe distance by one of the cheerleaders.  Aaron and Amanda looked down at the field and gasped in sheer bewilderment.  Amanda immediately scanned the field for Roy and Jake to make sure they were okay, but she was unable to locate them amidst the chaos.  The Highlanders’ coach looked at the scene before him, unable to decide how to proceed with this unruliness.  He glanced at Harmon, who wore a dark scowl on his face.  Harmon summoned his assistant coaches and said, “What on God’s green Earth just happened out there?”

              “I think your son just started a war with the Highlanders,” one of the assistant coaches proffered, then quickly shut up when he saw Harmon’s scowl deepen.  

Coach Harmon caught sight of the referees and shouted, “Get these idiots off the field, now!”

Gradually, the field was cleared and both teams moved to their respective locker rooms.  In the Panthers’ locker room, Harmon stood unmoving, glaring at each and every player seated on the benches and on the floor.  The silence was near deafening.  All five assistant coaches leaned against the wall, their eyes traversing the downtrodden and beaten boys. 

              “The vestiges of pride we still had after being beaten like pansies on that field tonight are long gone now.  I am deeply disappointed in this team. I wanna know what the hell happened out there tonight?”

Continued silence was the answer Harmon got, so he reiterated in a booming voice, “I wanna know what the hell happened!  Somebody better speak up!”

Chad spat out the blood that had accumulated from a cut inside his mouth before answering, “One of the guys from Harris ran his mouth and we had to shut him up.” 

              “That’s your answer?” Coach Harmon asked incredulously.  They all could tell he was trying hard to control his anger.  "We lost a game tonight that cost us a spot in the state finals.  Then on top of that we looked like idiots on that field because somebody on the other team offended one of you?" 

              “Look, dad…”

Jake immediately caught himself, but not before Harmon threw his son a reproachable glare.

              “In my office, now!” Harmon demanded. 

Jake did as he was bid and followed the coach into his office.  Harmon closed the door behind them and turned to face his son. 

              “Don’t you ever address me like that again.  When we’re here, I am not your father, I’m your coach.  That’s how you will address me.  Do we understand each other?”  Harmon’s voice was surprisingly very calm, but harsh nonetheless. 

Jake bit back against a string of curses that longed to be expressed.  He glared at his father and replied in the most bitingly sarcastic tone he could muster.  “Sorry, Coach, didn’t mean to disappoint you.”  

With that Jake flung his helmet against the far wall of the room and stormed out of the office.  The coach followed his son.

              “Harmon, get your ass back in here!” 

Jake continued on, intentionally ignoring his father’s orders.  He passed by his stunned teammates while his father followed, yelling, “Harmon!  Jake! We’re not done!”

Jake simply replied, "Fuck off.” 

Too blinded by rage, he failed to notice Carly waiting for him in the bleachers.  She watched him, too afraid to approach him.  Grabbing her gym bag, she got up and stepped down onto the sidelines.  Suddenly she wished she hadn’t convinced Amanda to leave without her, because now she didn’t have a ride home.  She had been so certain Jake would give her a ride.  But with the dark, angry scowl marking his face, she had thought better than to ask him for any favors.  Before she could leave to find a payphone, Roy and Chad approached her. 

              “I’m so sorry you guys didn’t win the game,” she said. 

              “Well, you don't win them all,” Roy replied, although she could tell he was having a hard time accepting his own words as evinced by his frown.    

              “So, how are you guys getting home?” Carly asked.

              “You need a ride?” Roy asked. “I’m going with Chad.  I don’t think he’ll mind taking you home, too.”

She caught Chad’s eyes roving her bare legs and he replied in a devilish tone, "Damn right I don't mind.” 

              “Thanks…I think,” Carly said to Chad.  She then inquired, “By the way, what’s wrong with Jake?” 

Roy’s light-hearted demeanor suddenly mutated as the expression on his face turned serious.  

              “He had it out with his dad,” Roy explained.  “It probably had something to do with the fight out on the field tonight.  The referees are saying that Jake started it.” 

              “That whole thing was so crazy,” Carly said, shaking her head.  “Too much testosterone out there tonight, I guess.”

              “Coach was pissed beyond belief.  But I don’t care,” Chad said, “I’d do it all over again if I could.” 

He opened the door for Carly to climb into the backseat of his truck.   

              “Did Jake say where he was going?” she asked as they pulled out of the stadium parking lot. 

Chad and Roy shook their heads.  Roy said, “I didn’t even want to ask because he seemed so upset.  I figured the best thing for the guy would be just to leave him alone.”

              “Yeah,” Chad agreed,   “he looked like he was gonna murder someone.”  

              “Well, Jake wouldn’t have gone home,” she remarked.  She looked out the window while she contemplated his whereabouts.  Suddenly she had a thought.  There was definitely one place she could think of.  It held a special significance for them since childhood.  She smiled to herself as she thought back to the days when they had frequented the dusty baseball field at the edge of their neighborhood. 
Hadn't they called it the Dusty Diamond
back then
she mused.  Memories of a particularly special day at the baseball field emerged, and they sent pleasant waves of nostalgia coursing through her.  She could remember how that day had started.  She had told her mother that Jake, the twins, and she would be meeting at the field to play.  And as usual her mother had levied a very strict curfew.