Joe Football

by Autumn Sand

  The floor feels as if it has reached up and swallowed me. Did he just say Favor’s - my Favor - father is Kyne Hollister? The childhood idol she has heard me go on and on about countless times? If her father is Kyne Hollister, then that makes her brother…fuck me.

  I stare at her in disbelief as she tries to avoid my gaze when she responds to the coach. “He’s fine, thanks.”

  “Good. Good. Your parents will be here in a few weeks for the dedication ceremony. Will you be sitting with them on stage?”

  “Umm, I haven’t thought about it yet, but most likely.” At this point, I can barely hear their conversation because my heart is pounding so loudly in my ears.

  “You should. Trevor would’ve wanted it. He was a good kid. Football lost its brightest talent.” Coach pats me on the shoulder. “But we still have some exceptional talent out there. Okay son, I’ll leave you and your girl to it. Stop by to see me a little earlier tomorrow so we can go over the plays before practice. Alright?”

  My mouth forms a tight thin line, and the muscles on the side of my lips twitch anxiously. Too numb to do anything else, I just nod, and Coach walks away. Turning a deliberate gaze towards Favor, those beautiful, soulful eyes that I’ve gotten lost in so many times refuse to look in my direction. I will her to look at me, even if this is the last time. My prayers are answered, and she faces me, though hesitantly. Little by little, her trembling hand reaches out to me, and I want to lean in to feel her soft hand one more time. I want that touch to explain everything away and make the last five minutes disappear. I want so much from one simple touch…a touch I back away from.

  My heart bears the burden of the weight of the revelation and crushes, leaving me broken. She gasps audibly at my slight, and I feel awakened from what seems like a dream. Why wouldn’t she tell me about this?

  I open my mouth but find I have no air in my lungs to speak. I gulp in mouthfuls of air and try again. “All this time, you heard me talking about him. All this time, and you, not once, said a damn thing that he was your father.” I try to steady my voice, but I’m failing miserably.

  Her eyes are red rimmed, and her bottom lip quivers. “I-I can explain.”

  I bend over as a feeling of being kicked in the gut comes over me. She takes a step towards me, but I hold my hand up, stopping her. I breathe in deeply. Was I not good enough? Maybe she’s just playing house with me? Fear of losing her, coupled with the pain of her not telling me such an important detail of her life, grips me. Gradually, I stand up. “Explain? We were talking about moving in together a few minutes ago. Shouldn’t you have explained before this conversation?”

  “I’m sorry. I was planning on telling you soon.” Her words are rushed and her tone desperate. I fight the impulse to reach out for her, soothe her and make it all go away. I’d rather die than to have her hurt, but…what about me?

  “Soon? Soon would’ve been the days and nights you were in my arms. The times I broke my soul open for you because I was so desperate to earn your love.” I throw my head back in a bitter laugh. “I felt that I” - I stab my index finger into my chest, deliberately wanting to hurt myself; anything to make the pain of this go away - “wasn’t good enough for you.” I point at her, but I lack the energy to hold it there, and it falls back to my side. “Let’s face it, the only reason you were going to tell me soon was because the dedication ceremony is coming up. You probably would’ve broken up with me or something because you’d probably be too embarrassed to introduce me to your parents.” My anger and fear take hold when I say those words and I see her visibly flinch at them. How can everything that seemed so perfect minutes ago, now seem to be going to hell?

  “No. Brice, I was afraid.” Tears fall down her face as she speaks again.

  “Afraid of what? I told you everything about my family. And you, what? Lied?”

  “No, I didn’t. Every story I told you about growing up was the truth.”

  “Isn’t that the age-old question? If you purposefully omit information, is it a lie? Hmm, let me think on that.” I turn and walk away, needing to put some distance between us. Not wanting to say words I’ll ultimately regret.

  Soft footsteps fall in line behind me, but I stop, keeping my back to her. If I look into her eyes, I won’t have the strength to leave. “I need time, Favor. Just give me some time to think.” Saying those words to her cuts me deep, but I don’t stop.

  The walk to the locker rooms felt like an eternity as I drag my leaden legs towards one future and away from one with her. The pull to turn around and run back to her is so great that, in a fit of rage, I knock over a basket that holds the practice balls. The contents bounce on the ground and spread across the locker room in different directions, a perfect reflection of my state of mind. I begin pacing in circles when I hear the last voice I needed to hear.

  “Lovers’ quarrel?” Jameson jeers in front of me.

  My body tenses at his words. “Now’s not the time, Jameson.”

  “What? Did I touch on a sensitive subject?” he sneers.

  I can feel my veins twitching in my temples, and I grind my teeth while simulaneously fighting the urge to ram my fist down his throat.

  “I wonder what it could be that the two love birds fought about. Was it the fact that her parents would never accept you? A. No. One.”

  And just like that, the thread is snapped, and I lose it. A loud guttural roar escapes my mouth as I rush and tackle him to the ground. We both land in an oomph. His face goes from stunned to pissed by the sudden attack. He tries to fight me off, but I’m quicker and faster. I throw my fists in coordinated jabs into his ribs and face. Five of our teammates strain to pull me off of him but because I’m used to dragging two-hundred-pound men across a field, it does little to slow me down.

  Jameson stumbles a few times before finally being able to stand on his own. He rubs at his jaw, where a red mark appears. “Looks like I touched a sensitive subject. You know she was always meant to be with me, deep down. Even her mother and father know she and I belong together.”

  His words resonate with me. Is that why she didn’t tell me sooner? Anger takes hold of me again, as his overuse of words and her lack of them, go through my head. I try to get at him again, but our teammates hold me back. “Fuck you, motherfucker. You stay away from her, you hear me?” I’m positive I sound like a madman. All I need is to start foaming at the mouth for people to have a reason to cart me away.

  “Did she send you packing because mommy and daddy will be here for the dedication ceremony? You know who will be up there on that stage with her? Me. Not you, asshole. Me.”

  Again, his words hit their mark like a sucker punch. All this time, I’ve been passing Jameson off as a sore loser and not paying attention to his words. Was he speaking words of truth? Wisdom? This pain in my heart makes me want to smash something, and his head is looking like the first stop on the crazy train. That’s it. I break through and rush towards him. One of my teammates tries to block me, but I fake a left and go around him. I tackle Jameson back to the ground and begin to pound my fists into various parts of his body, until I’m pulled off again. I fight to get back to him again, snarling as I try.

  “Enough.” Coach yells out.

  Coach’s words fall on my deaf ears. I push and shove, frantic to get my hands on Jameson, as teammates try once again to hold me back. Coach steps in front of me.

  “I said, enough. You want him? You gotta go through me. And that means you’re throwing your career away, because you’ll be off my team.” Coach squares his shoulders and waits for me to either make a career-ending decision or take the life preserver he is offering me.

  As if doused by cold water, my anger begins to cool slightly. I shrug off my teammates who were holding me back. The room is silent, and all eyes are on me as I grab my bag from my locker and leave. I get in my car and drive to my dorm. Unlocking the door, I slam it behind me, startling Egon and the girl he is with.

  “Out,” I say to the girl. She looks at me, half-nake
d, and then to Egon.

  “You better go. I’ll catch up with you later. Gotta talk to my boy.”

  The girl mumbles some curses as she gets dressed and leaves.

  “What happened?” Egon asks as he reaches for his t-shirt.

  “Her father is Kyne fucking Hollister.”

  His eyes narrow as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Bro, what? Whose father is Kyne Hollister?”

  “Favor. Favor’s father is Kyne Hollister,” I say through gritted teeth. I feel my veins pumping in my neck.

  His arms drop beside him as his eyes widen. “The Kyne Hollister? Your idol?”

  “The one and only. She never, not once, told me the truth, as many times as I spoke about him and what he meant to me as a kid.”

  “Bro. She must’ve had a reason.” Whose side is he on here?

  “What?”

  “Did you ask her?”

  I look down at my feet, and he has his answer.

  “Dude, you blew your gasket and didn’t even give her a chance to explain?” This is the part where I hate having a friend that knows me so well.

  “I found out through Coach. How were you expecting me to react? One moment, she and I are talking about moving in together this summer, and next thing I know, she isn’t who I thought she was.”

  “You didn’t find out she is an alien from outer space, Brice. Calm the fuck down, and then go talk to her. And you guys are moving in together? What a way for you to break that one to me, asshole.”

  I stare at my best friend in disbelief. How the hell did he just flip this on me? He did the old Jedi mind trick or something because somehow, I feel like I owe him an apology also. I think about this for another moment before I burst out laughing. “Dammit. I fucked up.” Regret takes over. Shit, am I still on the team? I hit the top of my head. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckety, fuck.

  “What else did you do?” He shakes his head at me, as if I’m a five-year-old who made a boo-boo.

  “I beat Jameson up in the locker room.” I don’t regret that. Fucker had it coming.

  “Dude. Are you going to get kicked off the team?” His brows furrow with concern.

  “I don’t know. I stormed out of the locker room and came here,” I say, throwing my hands up in the air.

  “Bro, you gotta go back and set this shit right with the coach. And then, go see your girl.”

  “That’s if she still wants me after the way I acted.”

  “Flowers.”

  “What?”

  “Flowers and candy and shit like that. Chicks love that stuff. And me? Just buy me a six-pack and all is forgiven.” This asshole here stays with a girl long enough to flush the condom when he is through, and he’s giving me relationship advice? And I’m about to listen to him. Is the world coming to an end?

  “All is forgiven?”

  “Yeah, you kicked out a hot piece of ass I was going to bang tonight. And you told me, in the worse possible way, that our bromance is coming to an end by moving in with your girl.” He clutches his hand to his chest.

  I pick up the pillow from my bed and throw it at him. “Fuck you, man.” I look at the door and turn to leave.

  “Yo, Brice.” I turn around. “Umm, you might want to shower first. You’re a little ripe.”

  Fuck me. I forgot I didn’t shower at the locker room. “Yo, good looking out, dude.” We give each other a high five, and I head to the shower.

  After I shower and change, I drive over to the stadium. Time to pay the piper, I think to myself, as I knock on the coach’s door and wait for a response. He calls for me to enter.

  “Hey, Coach. Do you have a minute?”

  Removing his glasses, he sits back in his chair. “Well, I see that you calmed down some. Sit down.”

  I take a seat and prepare myself for a piece of humble pie. “Coach, I want to apologize for my behavior today. I was out of line.”

  “That you were, son. I’ve never seen you out of control like that. What happened? You seemed happy when you were outside with your girlfriend.”

  “Well Coach, I was caught off guard with the information about who Favor’s father is. She never shared that with me, and the dedication ceremony is coming up in a few weeks…” My voice begins to trail off.

  “Damn. I was the one who broke it to you?”

  “Yes, sir. And it didn’t help that Jameson saw that I was upset, and knew all the right buttons to push.” I try to play the sympathy card.

  “Shit. I understand. And Jameson can be an asshole most of the time. But you still owe an apology to him, and your teammates. And you owe me some extra pushups tomorrow.” So much for the sympathy card.

  Fuck, he couldn’t just accept the apology and move on? “Yes sir, of course. I’ll apologize to Jameson and my teammates tomorrow on the field.”

  He stands and offers me his hand to shake. I rise and take it, before leaving to make the drive over to Favor’s dorm. Climbing her dorms steps two at a time, I say a silent prayer that she won’t slam the door in my face. I knock and wait.

  Jana opens the door instantly, blocking my view inside, and doesn’t step aside to let me in.

  “Is Favor inside?”

  “No, she isn’t. She went for a walk around campus.” Jana’s normal chipper disposition is gone and replaced with annoyance…directed at me.

  “Where does she normally walk to?”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “I’m not sure.” She knows, she just isn’t telling me. My heart pounds in my chest.

  Fuck. I pull out my cell phone as I run down the stairs and call Favor’s phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. Double fuck. I leave a message and head to the parking lot. I look around for her car and can’t spot it. That means she must’ve driven somewhere. But where? I’m at a loss, so I make a decision to camp out in front of her building. She has to return sometime. Four hours later, I’m still sitting in my car, waiting for her, when she finally pulls into the parking lot. She walks towards her dorm, and I sprint over to her.

  “Favor,” I yell out.

  She stops and looks at me. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach. She has been crying, and I’m the asshole who made her cry. “Baby.” I run over to her and pick her up in my arms, kissing her sweet lips. “I’m sorry for losing my temper and not giving you a chance to explain.”

  “I’m sorry too. You were right. I should’ve told you a long time ago.”

  Cupping her face in my hands, I ask, “Why didn’t you?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, I got time, baby. Let’s get a hotel room, and we can talk in private.” I kiss her forehead.

  “Yeah, that would be a good idea.” I take her hand and walk her towards my car. Screw grabbing a change of clothes.

  We drive to the hotel and the first thing I do is undress her, and make love to her. I was so desperate to feel that connection with her again before our talk. Favor is laying across my chest, when she begins her story of what it is like growing up as the daughter of Kyne Hollister, who she calls Joe Football. She also tells me both of her parents want her to be with Jameson, but she has never liked him. She called him a total tool. Her words, not mine, but I don’t disagree.

  I told her about my fight with the tool, and she laughed once I told her I got off with an apology that I have to make tomorrow. She said if Jameson does anything stupid, she’ll call his father on him, and we both laugh at that.

  “So, let’s address the other elephant in the room. Do your parents know about me?”

  She stills in my arms. “I haven’t mentioned it yet. But I will. I’ll call them tomorrow.”

  “What about the dedication ceremony? Will Jameson be sitting with you?”

  “He’ll be sitting with my parents, yes.”

  “With you on stage as well. Giving everyone the impression the two of you are together.” Perhaps I'm shallow at this point, but I don’t give a damn.

  “But we aren’t, you know that.”

  “Baby, I know that, but t
he entire campus will think otherwise. I’m going to look like a fool.” This will also give Jameson something to hang over my head.

  “I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry, okay?” She leans in for another kiss.

  “Damn girl, I’m feeling like I’m whipped.”

  “Whipped? Why?”

  “You just shut up my bitching with a kiss.” And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  We both laugh. This dedication ceremony will be interesting.

  Chapter 13

  Favor

  It is the day before the dedication ceremony. Brice is at my dorm as we wait for my parents to arrive. I told my parents all about him, and while they were not very receptive to the idea of him, I held my ground. I have the feeling the next few days will be interesting. Meanwhile, the rumor mill at school is abuzz. Everyone, and I mean everyone, now knows my father is Kyne Hollister. It’s not like they weren’t going to figure it out after tomorrow anyway.

  Me and Brice’s relationship is tighter than ever after our first argument with each other. I made a promise to him that I’ll never keep a secret from him again. We are still making plans about moving in together. Between my allowance and the leftover money he gets from his scholarship, we should be able to afford a decent place not far from campus. I haven’t mentioned our plans to my parents yet. One step at a time.

  “Oh, my God, Favor. I think your parents just pulled up,” Jana squeals as she looks out the window.

  Brice and I break away from our kiss so we can look out the window. Yep, that’s Mom and Dad a.k.a. Mr. & Mrs. Joe Football.

  Brice kisses my temple and murmurs, “Ready, babe?”

  I gather my strength from being in his arms and nod my head. I give myself a quick onceover in the mirror, making sure my appearance will pass the test of my mother’s disapproving eyes. We link our fingers together and head downstairs into the lion’s den.

  Outside, we meet my parents. “Hi, Mom and Dad,” I say, giving each of them a peck on the cheek. My parents and I are good at putting up false pretenses for the sake of the public.

  “You put on some weight?” My mother places her hands on my shoulders and turns me around, appraising me, like she was shopping for a dress. Geez, she couldn’t wait five minutes.