Deep Zone

by Tim Green

  Ty grinned.

  “Can you beat him like that again? I won’t come up short this time. That was on me. You had him.”

  “Yeah,” Ty said, sounding more confident than he felt, “I can beat him.”

  “Good.” The quarterback slapped Ty’s back again. “Let’s do it.”

  They got into the huddle, and David Bavaro called the play.

  “The same play?” someone asked. “Who runs the same play twice?”

  “Exactly,” David Bavaro said. “No one. Except we will, and they’ll hesitate, thinking we wouldn’t do that, and one of you is going to get open and we’re going to win this thing.”

  They broke the huddle. Ty jogged to the line. Moby set up in front of him and began slapping his own head and chattering to himself like a crazy man.

  “Jam you down. Jam you down good! No one beats Moby!”

  Ty’s mind swirled. Thane had told him how to beat Moby once, but he hadn’t explained how to do it again. Could he do the same thing he did before? Moby would expect that, right? Ty thought he should probably fake inside, then out, then go back in, reversing what he’d done before. Then he thought he should just fake one way, but what about a triple fake? That wouldn’t work, because it would take too long.

  Ty kept his eyes ahead while he thought. Before he could decide, the ball was snapped. Ty automatically did exactly what he’d done the previous play, faking outside, then in, then darting back out. The jam never came. Moby retreated instead, opting to play it safe and match speed with speed. Ty took off, closing the three-yard gap between him and Moby, but knowing instinctively that he’d never outrun the crazy cornerback after that kind of head start.

  But in that same fraction of a second, Ty had an idea.

  He remembered another thing he’d learned from his brother.

  Chapter Forty-one

  TY HAD GROWN UP worshipping his older brother, Thane. With ten years between them, most people were surprised at how close the two of them were. Even before the death of their parents, Thane always made time for Ty and shared with him the things he’d learned as an elite athlete. Many times, Thane would tell Ty stories about things that had happened, and Ty soaked up every word.

  One bit of advice Thane gave him didn’t come wrapped in a story, but Thane said it with the conviction of Moses reciting the Ten Commandments.

  “You don’t ever quit.” Thane had spoken these words one day after the two of them watched a football game on TV. “That’s the rule. You never give up. You want to be a champion, you have to think that way, in everything you do. You never stop. You let yourself start to think that way, then the one time you could pull out a win because of some freak luck, you’re not ready for it. Maybe it’s only once in a lifetime, but that’s one win you’d never have, and who knows what that one win could do.”

  This had worked for Ty before and he knew better than to slow down for even an instant, whatever the situation looked like. There were a number of things that could happen: The cornerback could trip, he could misread the throw, he could get a cramp in his leg or pull a hamstring. All unlikely, but Ty wanted to be a champion. He wanted to be like Thane, so he ran.

  When the ball went into the air, Ty knew it hadn’t been thrown to him. Moby broke off from his coverage of Ty, either to make a play on the ball, or tag the receiver if he caught it and the other defender missed. The slot receiver to Ty’s inside had run a corner route underneath Ty’s straight run up the field. Bavaro threw to the shorter route, knowing they still would have time for another play or two if it was caught.

  It wasn’t caught.

  Instead, the defender covering the underneath route tipped the ball, redirecting it. Over Moby’s head it went. The crazy cornerback threw a hand up, desperate but quick, nicking it in midair without slowing it down much.

  Ty spun on one leg, opening his hips and reaching wide with his left hand, extending it fully from his body as he spun.

  Thunk.

  The ball landed in his hand. Ty held on and kept spinning, landing on his other leg and continuing on down the field and into the end zone.

  Touchdown.

  Ty’s teammates rushed him, jumping and leaping and screaming at the tops of their lungs. Even the old NFL star Mark Bavaro ran out and flung Ty into the air. Ty laughed and held the ball up high. A one-handed miracle catch. The kind of thing that made you a champion.

  When Ty looked up into the stands this time, he was eager to see the faces of the kids from Georgia. What he saw disappointed him. Instead of staring down at him from their seats, Tate, Troy, and Troy’s mom were nearly at the bottom of the bleachers’ steps, paying no attention at all to the drama in the end zone.

  Ty ignored it and tried his best to enjoy the thrill of the celebration. He watched with clenched teeth as the Raptors defense held off the Kansas team for two more offensive plays. The gun sounded, and the Raptors lined up to shake hands. Afterward, Mark Bavaro gathered up his team.

  “Outstanding job by a lot of you guys,” the coach said. “Ty, nice comeback by you, my friend. That’s what this game is about, guys. It looked like Ty was shut down for good, but everyone struggled against that kid, and Ty stayed ready and when he got a second chance, he delivered. That’s football. You gotta be ready to come back. No one ever goes through this game as a front-runner. It just doesn’t happen. It’s a game of comebacks, and a game of character. Ty showed us all about character.”

  Ty blushed and looked down, enjoying the praise. Coach Bavaro told them all to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

  “We’ll get together after dinner tonight,” the coach said. “I’ve got a meeting room for seven thirty, Salon G on the third floor. I’ll have film on whoever we’re going to play next, and your coaches and I will have a game plan ready to go. I told you the first game would be our toughest early on because we didn’t know what we were up against. We had no film on them.

  “You’ll see how this works when I show you the film tonight. No one is going to outcoach us in this thing. We’ll break down the film we’ve got on our next opponent like it’s an NFL game. We’ll know what coverage they like to run in certain situations and we’ll know what plays they’ll run against our defense. It’ll give us a huge advantage. You’ll see.”

  They gave a chant to win and broke the gathering. Ty found Thane and hugged him tight.

  “You did it,” Thane said.

  “You helped. Coach Bavaro said he and the other coaches are going to scout the teams we’ll be playing next. Do you want to watch a couple games with me?”

  “Nothing to do but sit in the sun,” Thane said. “Sure. Let’s see some of the competition.”

  Ty didn’t tell his brother that what he really wanted to see was Troy White and, more importantly, maybe sitting in the stands, his friend Tate McGreer.

  Chapter Forty-two

  TY LOOKED AROUND FOR the dark blue jerseys worn by the Georgia team. Two fields over, he saw them.

  “Come on,” Ty said. “Over here. I want to watch that Georgia team.”

  “You won’t play them until the finals,” Thane said. “That’s if you both get there.”

  “Gotta think positive.” Ty tugged his brother’s arm.

  As they approached the bleachers, the ball went flying through the air. Ty’s eyes followed the ball as it sailed past the defenders, landing perfectly in the open arms of a sprinting Georgia wide receiver. Half the crowd cheered. Troy White jumped into the air with his teammates.

  Ty saw Tate now, standing up to clap along with the other Georgia fans. Next to her was Troy’s mom.

  “This way.” Ty led Thane up the bleacher steps without hurrying since Thane was still moving slow with his bad knee.

  “Hello, Ms. White.” Ty nodded at the mom before extending a hand to Tate. “Hi, Tate. I wanted to apologize about last night.”

  Tate looked at him suspiciously.

  “I really didn’t mean to spill that drink on you,” Ty said. “I was nervous is all,
and it sounded different than I meant it. I wouldn’t do something like that to someone, even if I was mad, which I really wasn’t. I offered you some because it sounded like you wanted to try it. When I went to give it to you, Mr. Cole stepped right on my big toe and I jerked away and . . . I . . . that’s how I spilled everything. I’m really sorry.”

  Tate looked at Troy’s mom, and the two of them seemed to communicate without words. Finally, Ms. White smiled and Tate’s face relaxed.

  “That’s okay,” she said, taking Ty’s extended hand. “Do you want to sit with us?”

  “That would be great,” Ty said, sitting down on the bench where they made room for him and Thane.

  “Anyone tell you that you and Troy kind of look alike?” Tate asked.

  Ty blushed and shook his head. “This one guy I know said that a couple weeks ago when we saw Troy on ESPN.”

  “Yeah, you kinda do,” Tate said, staring for a second before ending the conversation by turning her attention back to the field.

  “Hi,” Thane said, holding out a hand to Troy’s mom. “Tessa, right?”

  “Yes,” Ms. White said. “Is something wrong with your leg?”

  “I had this knee rebuilt, and it flared up on me a little. Nice pass by your boy.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ty, you had a great catch in your game,” Tate said, leaning forward so she could talk around Tessa White.

  Ty felt his face go warm. “We’re going to buy you a new dress. If that’s okay?”

  Ty watched Ms. White give Tate a look. Tate seemed like she wanted to say yes, but was waiting for clearance from the Falcons PR woman. Finally, Ms. White nodded and Tate grinned.

  “It was only Banana Republic,” Tate said.

  “I love Banana Republic,” Ty said.

  “We can go after this game,” Thane said. “Stop by the Lincoln Road mall, get Tate a new dress, maybe even some lunch.”

  “That would be nice. I’ve heard about Lincoln Road,” Ms. White said, directing her attention back to the field.

  “Who knows,” Thane said, “maybe we’ll be neighbors up north, when you move.”

  “Maybe,” Ms. White said. “Do you like New Jersey?”

  “It’s really nice,” Thane said. “I’m from upstate New York, though, so I’m used to the cold.”

  Tessa White shivered at just the thought. “Well, Mr. Cole made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. I’m hoping we can find something where it’s a bit on the quiet side.”

  “I’m telling you,” Thane said, “there are plenty of places off Route Seventy-eight where you think you’re a million miles away from the city and all the crowds. We’re in Summit.”

  “That sounds nice.” Tessa gave Thane a smile before returning her attention to the game.

  They sat and watched together. Ty felt strange cheering for someone he hoped he’d beat if he got the chance, but it only made sense since they were sitting with Troy’s mom and Tate, who yelled her head off.

  Ty had to admit to himself that he felt a little jealous of the way Troy directed the offense and the defense of his team. On defense, Troy played free safety and made all the calls from the middle of the field, pointing and shouting and moving his teammates around like pieces on a chess board. Ty’s rival had an uncanny knack for being wherever the ball was, so much so that Ty began to rethink his disbelief in the Georgia boy’s mental abilities. By the time the game ended (with Troy’s team winning by five touchdowns), Ty understood the simple certainty that Tate had when it came to Troy’s team winning the whole tournament. He hated to admit it, but Ty had a hard time seeing how his team could compete.

  “There’s always luck,” Tate said, as if she’d been reading Ty’s mind.

  “What?” Ty blinked at her.

  “Luck is a big part of football,” Tate said. “More than people think. Someone could get lucky and knock them out. Otherwise, as you can see, these guys look unbeatable.”

  “How do you know so much about football?” Ty asked.

  “Me?” Tate pointed to her own chest. “I play football. Well, I’m a kicker. Really, I’m probably gonna end up a soccer player, but how many girls do you know who actually wear shoulder pads and a helmet?”

  “None, I guess,” Ty said.

  “And I even make tackles on the kickoff.” Tate smiled big. “I love football. That’s how I met Troy and Nathan. He’s our other best friend, but he’s a lineman, and linemen don’t play in Seven-on-Seven. Troy’s mom invited him, too, but his aunt is getting married in San Diego. You should have seen Nathan’s face, he almost busted an artery. We all played on the Duluth Tigers and we won the Georgia Junior Football League State Championship.”

  “That’s great,” Ty said, wanting to tell her about his own team’s county championship, but it sounded weak next to a state championship.

  “Yeah, and my dad’s a huge Chicago Bears fan,” Tate said. “You don’t go in my house on Sunday wearing anything but their team colors, orange and midnight blue. I think my dad wishes I was a boy, but that’s okay. My mom says he’ll be glad when he’s old. She says girls always take care of their parents better than boys when they’re old.”

  Tate blushed. “I’m talking too much, but at least you know I’m not some ditz when I say they’re gonna win this thing.”

  “They’re good, but you never know.” The competitor in Ty wasn’t going to let him concede victory before the game had even been played, no matter how good the other team looked.

  Together, they left the stands and met Troy to congratulate him. He was obviously surprised to see Ty and Thane and he didn’t hide his displeasure. But when Tate explained how Ty had apologized, Troy seemed to soften and he thanked them for their praises.

  “I saw that catch you made, too,” Troy said to Ty. “You’ve got some serious speed.”

  “Who knows,” Thane said. “Your mom might like it where we live in New Jersey. Maybe you two will end up at the same school.”

  “You never know where we’ll live,” Troy’s mom said. “We’ll all be Jets fans, though. That we do know.”

  “So, how about that trip to the mall?” Thane asked. “We can replace Tate’s dress and maybe have lunch.”

  Troy’s mom checked her watch. “I guess we could swing by. I don’t know about lunch. The Falcons practice at three, and I’ve got some work to do beforehand.”

  “Just something quick,” Thane said. “Only if you have time.”

  Troy’s mom looked at Ty’s brother for a moment, then said, “Tiger, I don’t mean to embarrass you or anyone, but there’s something you need to know.”

  Chapter Forty-three

  “I HAVE A VERY serious boyfriend,” Troy’s mom said.

  Ty looked at his brother as Thane’s face turned red.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” Thane said. “It’s not that I wouldn’t mean it like that. Wait, that came out wrong. Look, we just want to get Tate a new dress. We both feel bad about last night.”

  Ty nodded.

  “And, as far as New Jersey”—Thane held his hands up in the air—“I’m just trying to be nice. I know Troy will be working with the team, so we’re all on the same side. Or, we will be after the Super Bowl.”

  Troy’s mom broke out into a smile and it was her turn to blush. “I didn’t think . . . well, I wasn’t sure. I just like to be up-front.”

  “And me too,” Thane said. “So, let’s go get Tate’s dress, and if we have time for something to eat, we’ll do it. If not, another time. With your boyfriend, if you like.”

  “He’s Seth Halloway,” Troy said with obvious pride. “Her boyfriend.”

  “He’s a great player,” Thane said. “I watched him growing up.”

  Thane’s words seemed to put everyone at ease. Ty and Thane got into their Mustang. Troy, his mom, and Tate followed them in a small four-door rental car of their own. They parked in a garage at one end of Lincoln Road mall and strolled down the open promenade to Banana Republic.

  I
nside, Tate said, “I got it from the sale rack.”

  Ty liked the way she didn’t seem to mind buying something from the sale rack and he followed her there while Troy’s mom asked him to try on a shirt. Troy gave Ty a look that seemed to be a warning before he disappeared with his mom.

  “Here it is.” Tate dug through a rack and pulled out a white dress. “But not in my size.”

  “What about one of those?” Thane said, pointing to a mannequin display of a much more elaborate white summer dress with colorful and delicate embroidery around the collar and hem.

  “Well, that’s beautiful,” Tate said, “but my dress didn’t cost that much.”

  Thane waved a hand in the air. “But we can’t replace it if they don’t have your size, so we should get something at least as nice.”

  Troy’s mom walked up to them and Thane explained the situation. Troy’s mom thought for a moment, then said, “I think it’s okay, Tate. Go ahead.”

  Tate grinned. A salesgirl got a dress off the rack for her to try, and Tate came out a few minutes later, looking fantastic.

  “Done,” Thane said, winking at Ty.

  When they walked out, Troy’s mom pointed at a place down the street. “Bella Cuba. I heard about that.”

  “Then you have time for lunch?” Thane asked.

  They did, and the five of them sat down at a round table by the window for salads and sandwiches. Ty continued to be surprised at how much knowledge Tate had about football, and that was what the three kids talked about while Thane and Troy’s mom talked about politics and art museums and some other uninteresting subjects.

  Without warning, Troy’s face went blank. His mouth hung open as he stared out the window behind Ty. Ty spun around, expecting something horrible but only seeing a steady stream of shoppers going by.

  By the time Ty looked back around, Troy was already out of his chair and sprinting through the restaurant for the door.

  “Troy?” Troy’s mom shouted. “What’s wrong?”

  Troy didn’t answer. He flung open the door, nearly knocking over an older couple. The last thing Ty saw was Troy in a full sprint, flashing past the window, and disappearing into the crowd.