The Healing Power of Sugar: The Ghost Bird Series: #9 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series)

by Stone, C. L.

  Mr. Blackbourne nodded, but as we watched, the toddler became interested in the other boy’s rock collection. The boy slid down, showing the toddler his rocks, and then wandered off with him, holding his hand, to show him where more rocks were. “He seems fine,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

  The third quarter was running really long, and Kota was looking like he was going to get way ahead of North, it seemed, until North called for a time out.

  “Hey!” He called to the timekeeper. “You awake? How much time left?”

  The man seemed distracted in conversation and laughing at a dance party that had started at one edge of the field. He looked at his watch and then grimaced and held up his hand. “Whoops. We went over by about fifteen minutes.”

  North groaned. Everyone took a short break to regroup and figure out their final quarter plans.

  Early on in the fourth quarter, North’s team took the lead, taking advantage of tired kids. Silas did one last play for the ball and the rush of little kids ran after him, this time including Nathan, with two little girls holding onto his hands. This caused an uproar of laughing from everyone.

  Silas ran in slow motion. Nathan carefully lifted each girl to place them gently on his back, telling them to hang on. Once this happened, all the other little kids that were still participating were asking to be lifted and put on Silas, anywhere on his back and arms that were free. One small boy hung on around his neck—the same one Silas had collapsed on top of earlier.

  Eventually, Silas went down, just a mere few feet from the end zone. Nathan continued to collect the smaller ones and pile them directly on Silas’s back, some on top of other little kids. It seemed nearly all of them, including the one in my lap, rushed out to join in the pile up.

  This gave everyone a bit of a breather. Most of the kids had given up the game to sit on Silas or to play other games. Kids ran through legs and were too excited to pay attention. It seemed like they would try to collect on legs no matter what team they were on, and the adults played through like a normal game.

  This last bit of the game, however, seemed to be more serious, with North directing more orders to Gabriel and adults and teens.

  Dr. Green spent time on his end redirecting kids to go ahead and sit on Silas it keep them from playing around in the field. He treated a few more stubbed toes or knocked heads, before sending kids on to their parents—mostly by licking his palm. Each time almost instantly, crying stopped and the kids went on their way.

  The game was close, with the makeshift scoreboard someone made with a white board, drawing in numbers. Kota was able to get his team to catch up, and after that, it was point after point, back and forth, the score evening out.

  Eventually, even the teenagers were worn out. Kota asked for a time out and returned to our side. He bent down, holding onto his knees in front of Mr. Blackbourne and me. He was breathing heavily. While everyone else had been in and out of the game, Kota and North were always on the field.

  Victor leaned into the small huddle. “What now?” he asked.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Kota said. He looked at me and smiled. “Want to play?”

  I shook my head. “I’m wearing a skirt. What could I do?”

  “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to,” Victor said. “I can go in.”

  “I’ve just got an idea,” Kota said. He looked at me. “I think it’ll throw off North if I put you in. It’s a simple plan. You won’t have to do much. The game’s almost over anyway.”

  I hesitated, unsure, but wanted to help out. If it was almost over and we only had a few minutes left, what could I really do? I sucked in some air, and then nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”

  He looked at Mr. Blackbourne. “Could she borrow your jacket to tie around her? If the little boys try to tug her skirt, they’ll just get the jacket, I think.”

  And ruin Mr. Blackbourne’s jacket? He was crazy! He’d never...

  “Of course,” Mr. Blackbourne said, and then smiled slightly. He reached back to where he had placed his jacket behind his seat, and then stood up. “Let me help.”

  I blushed, feeling awkward but hoped I could help. I pondered where I could help. The rules seemed to change every quarter, and the kids tended to make up their own rules anyway. Even the point board showed 108 to 108, a really high number of points, considering they only gave out one or sometimes two, per touchdown. Sometimes, like in the case of Silas, they gave points for being cute.

  Kota urged me to stand up and carefully tied the arms of the jacket around my waist. By the time it was wrapped around, it seemed the jacket could have been a skirt after all.

  I didn’t like the idea of being in the middle of the game where everyone was watching. As much as I wanted to help, I didn’t want the attention.

  Still, if Kota thought I could help, I guess I could try. “What should I do?”

  “I need you to go after North,” he said. He finished making sure the jacket was secure and wouldn’t fall off if I had to run. Then he grabbed my hands and held them in his, getting me to focus on him. “No matter what, be in his way. Keep both hands on him at all times. Make it impossible for him to get to the ball.”

  “I thought we were trying to help him lose,” I said in a whisper.

  “It’ll be harder than you think. You’ll have to keep up.” He leaned in quietly, kissed me on the forehead—a gentle peck near my brow—and then backed up and smiled in a huff of exhausted breath. “I know you can do it.”

  I was suddenly aware of every boy around us, and how they were all watching and saw him kiss me.

  It was innocent, something a relative might do, like an older brother with a sister, or even close friends.

  In this group of friends, however, it spurred something else. My nerves shook, afraid to see any spark of jealousy. Kota was becoming more open about his affection. Had it been innocent? Or was it to show the others that he had an interest in me?

  I wished he had been told about the plan before I knew about it. Despite North waiting to talk to him about it, I was uncomfortable keeping such an important secret from him.

  What would Kota say when he found out the truth?

  The game was about to start and I shook off my thoughts so I could focus. I kept my eyes down as I entered the main part of the field. There was some clapping, some kids laughing. I was only partially paying attention, thinking about what I was in for. I’d watched North bulldoze strong guys on the football field before. There was no way I could keep him down if this were regular football.

  But here all I had to do was get a hand on his body.

  Once Kota positioned me in the line, I sought out North; he was angled directly ahead of me.

  There was a call, and the whole line started to move. In a rush, I ran forward, while North tried to go in another direction. In a panic, thinking he’d get away, I ran headlong into him, crashing into his side while reaching to touch him.

  He stopped, turned and grunted. “Sang,” he grumbled. “I think you missed the point of touch football. No tackling.”

  “Oh,” I said. “I couldn’t stop my momentum. The kids do it.”

  A down was called with the others scrambling after the ball. North stopped dropped a hand on my head, rubbing at my scalp. “You’re not one of the kids,” he said with a small chuckle. “You just put two hands on someone, as best as you can.”

  “Sorry,” I said.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded, although embarrassed for the tackling bit. I couldn’t help but feel everyone was watching me and laughing.

  We had to line up again. This time when I ran after North, he made it much more difficult, zooming and zigzagging between people.

  Each time, however, before anyone could pass him the ball, I managed to chase him down. It only took me a minute to catch up, and then I had my hands on him.

  After the third time, I had to lose the shoes and socks that were slipping in the grass; it was easier to r
un in my bare feet. Kota tossed my shoes to Victor, who caught them.

  Time and time again, I chased North.

  Finally, he grumbled at Kota. “Why do you keep sending her after me?”

  “Because it keeps working,” Kota said, tossing the ball in the air in a spin before catching it in his hands.

  After two more times of me catching up with North, North called for a time out. Their team gathered on the field, including all the kids on top of Silas, who wanted to pretend to be in the huddle, too.

  Dr. Green and the blue princess were in the middle of their huddle. Kota and I, along with Luke and the rest of our team, were together on our side, looking on.

  “He’s about to throw in the kids,” Luke said. “We’re no match for all of them.”

  “Then we’re going to think of something else. Something smarter.” He looked at me and then smiled. “How are you at catching?”

  I shrugged. “Catching?”

  “North is going to think you’ll be after him. He might send the kids after you. Try to get them to chase someone else.”

  “What about me?” Luke asked. “I could start a random tag game in the middle of everything.”

  Kota laughed, clapping his hand on Luke’s back. “Brilliant. Yes. Do that. Start a tag game.”

  “And then Sang stands near the end zone?” Luke asked. He turned to me with a big smile. “Just don’t catch the ball with your face.”

  I wasn’t so sure that wouldn’t happen. Kota could throw a powerful ball. “Just go easy on me,” I said. “I can’t jump-catch like you guys do.”

  Kota told me he’d have me facing off North again, just to throw him off and let him think we’re on the same old plan. The guys laughed and the team broke off, ready in a line.

  North’s team assembled on the field, only this time he had a group of little kids with him. It seemed nearly all of them had lined up, including the blue princess. I supposed if one co-coach had joined the field, it was okay if the other did.

  There was a countdown, a loud shout to start, and then a rush. North stood back as a flood of kids went after...everyone.

  It was a mad dash to continue on. Two adults were mobbed by the kids, jumped on by several of them. Two little boys chased after me, and I ran with a hand on the knot of the jacket around my waist, fearful they’d try grab on.

  North had riled them up. Even after a down was called, they raced around in circles after us.

  That was, until Luke shouted above all the noise, “You’re it!”

  The kids stopped, turning toward the shouting. It seemed the kid Luke tagged was in shock as well, as he paused, seeming to work out what had just happened.

  Luke stood—barefoot and sans his shirt now—in his blue jeans and the red bandana. His blond hair was whipping around his face, loose from the bandana. He reached out, touched one little boy who had been chasing him on the shoulder, and called out, “Tag!” and then started to run.

  The boy turned to the closest other kid, a girl, and touched her on the elbow. “Tag!”

  The little girl turned on the others, and the kids started to scramble toward the street, to other yards, and a good distance from the field. It became a crazy game of tag, distracting most of the little kids to join in. A few still remained, but not enough for North to pull his trick again.

  “Luke!” North cried out, although with a smirk on his face. “You can’t start a tag game in the middle of touch football. Most of my team is gone.”

  “Half of them are our team,” Luke said with a chuckle. “We’re out players, too. And since when did we start following the rules here?”

  North kept a few of the little kids on his team and had them all line up ahead of him. “Go after Kota,” he said openly. “And Sang.”

  I was considering how much time we had. North was trying to score points. I looked at Kota, questioning.

  “Stick with the plan,” he said.

  Did he really want North to win?

  The line started to move, and I ran around people and toward the goal line. Some of the kids started to follow me, until Luke intervened and tried to trick them into a second tag game.

  I almost stopped paying attention to watch Luke play with the kids when I spotted a ball zooming in my direction. It was a strong throw, and I reached up to catch it, sure that it would smack me in the face.

  A broad hand reached out, blocking the ball before I had a chance to catch it. It held firm, and I’d heard the loud smack of the material against his palm. My heart raced, sure it hurt. I recoiled as if I’d been hit by it.

  North recovered, pulling the ball back and then looked down at me, holding the ball in his hand away from his body. “You good?”

  “Yeah,” I said, thinking I could easily reach out to him and touch him, causing a down.

  “You’re getting good at this game,” he said. “But if you’re ever looking at a ball coming toward your face, back up a few feet and catch it in the stomach, or somewhere else. Just not the face.”

  A blush radiated from my cheeks. “I think I’ll leave the football games to you and Silas.”

  “Swimming seems to be more of your sport,” he said. “Unless you like something else.”

  I glanced at the sidelines where someone was urging North to start running. They were also telling me to reach out to get him.

  And then I realized we were still in play; he was running the clock down.

  I let him distract me! I lunged at him, reaching to touch.

  He let the ball drop on the ground, and then went in after me, scooping me up around the waist, and holding on carefully so I wasn’t showing any underwear, and held me over his shoulder.

  I smacked against his butt. I couldn’t believe he would stoop to this. “North! Put me down.”

  “Nope,” he said. “We’re about to win. You’re going to stay right here until it’s over.”

  A dropped ball meant a free ball. Any team could grab it. No one on my team seemed to be able to get to it, though. I held myself up, calling to Luke and Kota, but both were preoccupied with little kids. Our adults were trying to pull them off of Kota. As soon as one kid was put down, he’d run right back, crashing on top of Kota again.

  Right behind North was the blue princess. She’d followed North, and seemed to have been waiting for this. She scooped up the ball, but then hesitated, looking at me on North’s shoulders.

  North turned to her. “You! Run!” He said to her. He pointed to the long distance down the yard to their goal line. “Go! That way!”

  The girl stared at him with wide eyes.

  Dr. Green was jumping up and down wildly on his side of the goal line, encouraging her. Everyone else seemed to be shouting at her, too.

  The girl seemed confused, standing where she was. Her face started to turn red as her eyes darted around to everyone who was shouting.

  “Hey,” I said, in a cheerful voice, giving her a large smile. I spread my hands out. “Little princess.”

  She looked at me, seeming perplexed as she hugged the ball.

  “Dr. Green wants a hug,” I said to her. I pointed to Dr. Green, who was jumping around wildly, bright-eyed and excited, and yet always so friendly. “Remember your buddy?”

  North whipped around to try to turn me away from her. “Don’t listen to her,” he said to the princess. “Go run down there.”

  I squirmed, getting upright on his shoulder so I could look over it back at the girl. “Dr. Green wants a hug!” I cried out. “Hurry and go give him one.”

  The girl looked down the field, at the long route it would take to get to their goal, where there were scrambling kids and a Kota trying to get other kids to run after her. Some adults were closing in from our team.

  “Go give Dr. Green a hug,” I said again and then laughed. I was trying not to scare her, since everyone else was yelling. “Sean. Your friend Sean. Over there. He needs a hug. Hurry, hurry!”

  She spotted Dr. Green, and then started to march toward him. The cr
owd laughed and Dr. Green was waving his hands at her, trying to encourage her, but to go in the other direction.

  North started to put me down. “You did not,” he said, although he seemed to have given up by this point. I couldn’t tell if he was just tired or he was allowing it to happen. He put an arm around me, and we watched as the girl, excited that Dr. Green was excited, raced toward him, holding onto the ball, but clearly looking for Dr. Green to give him the hug he needed.

  When she was close enough that she would have crossed the line anyway, Dr. Green surrendered. She was too determined to get to him for him to resist. When she was close enough, he scooped her up, crossing the ball over the line.

  “Three points!” the crowd cried out. “That was worth three!”

  North slapped his palm to his face. “Jeez.”

  “Time!” Kota called out under a pile of kids. He encouraged them to get off of him and waved at the timekeeper.

  The timekeeper looked at his watch and then laughed. “It ended ten minutes ago.”

  There was a good laugh among everyone, although North argued that they had been ahead in points ten minutes ago. It didn’t seem to matter. They declared Kota’s team the winner for scoring the last point.

  After that it was a confusing mess of people walking over the field. Some of the older kids took the ball to the street for a real game of touch football amongst them, and the parents found chairs and settled themselves together, talking.

  North, with his arm around me, walked me back toward Kota. The others had gotten up, Luke and Mr. Blackbourne, Victor and the rest or our own family, and gathered in a circle.

  “Well, well,” Dr. Green said with a laugh in his voice. “Sang’s a little too clever for you, North.”

  “I thought for sure she’d run to the goal line,” he said. “She’d been talking about getting the goal all day.”

  “She did,” he said. “Just not for our team.”

  “Maybe next year,” Kota said in a huff. He had little dirty feet marks all over his shirt where the kids had walked all over him. Silas was the same way. Most of the ones who played were incredibly dirty. Even Mr. Blackbourne was rumpled, with dirt in his lap from the pebble collection.