They had lined up in a weird defense. All their linemen were bunched up and standing over the guard and center. I suspected that they were going to try an all-out blitz to stop our drive. They were in man coverage, so the key would be to get enough time to get the ball away.
“Down, Set ... Hut, HUT!”
They sent five guys against our middle three linemen. They were trying to blow up the pocket. Three of them came free and I heard, “RED ... RED!”
I went to run out of the pocket, but their defensive end had floated outside, waiting for me. The sneaky guy had me dead-to-rights. I tried to backtrack, but three linemen were tracking me down. I spun again to find the defensive end was zeroing in on me. I needed to get rid of the ball or take the sack. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jeff come free. I had to throw the ball sidearm on a rope to get it to him. Of course, I never saw the catch, because four defenders buried me. Do the math: 4 x 250 pounds ... that one stung! Jeff gathered it in, in stride. He was about to be tackled for a first down when Wolf destroyed their safety.
Jeff slowed down because it looked like the safety was seriously hurt. Then he came back to himself and ran for the score. Wolf, at six-five and 240 pounds, had crushed their five-eight, 170-pound defender.
We got one more score to close it out 28–7. After it was done, I was glad we didn’t have to play Trinity again anytime soon. I was also glad their defensive end was a senior. He was going to be a beast in college.
I was proud of my teammates as they acted like they’d been in this position before. They were excited but showed sportsmanship when they went to shake Trinity’s hands. Trinity couldn’t say the same, as most of their team just ran off the field.
THE LOCKER ROOM WAS a different story: it was a zoo. Coach Hope brought us together.
“Great game! I’ve never been prouder of a bunch of young men in my life. You won as a TEAM, and that is what’s going to win State!”
He waited for us to quiet down.
“Earlier today, Mt. Carmel won their game. They’ll be here next Saturday.”
I was afraid we’d be on the road. Everyone was happy we got another home game in the playoffs.
“I’m sure you want to go celebrate. The Booster Club has reserved Monical’s, so I’d like to suggest you all attend. Let’s savor this win, but do it in a way where we’re all safe.”
I took a quick shower and then went to the training room. Becky checked me out and ordered me to ice my calf where I’d been hit with a helmet earlier.
I then went out to get my bike to ride home. Tim and Bill had waited for me.
“We’ll give you a ride,” Bill said.
He had a pickup truck. I just shook my head.
“Sorry guys, I’m grounded. I can’t go.”
“What did you do?” Tim asked.
“It’s part of what happened last weekend. I had to tell my parents, so I’m grounded for the foreseeable future.”
They felt bad, but I sent them to Monical’s. They’d have a good time. I rode my bike home and found my mom and dad weren’t there. I was going to order some food when I remembered my debit card was confiscated. I went to the kitchen and made myself some scrambled eggs and toast.
I went up to my apartment to watch some football before going to bed. I turned my phone off because everyone was texting me to invite me out to do something. I watched the late game between Utah and Stanford. That’s where Mom and Dad found me.
“Where have you been?” Mom demanded.
She looked pissed, and Dad wasn’t far behind her. I was confused as to what I’d done.
“I’ve been here all night. I’m grounded,” I said.
They looked at each other, and they looked guilty.
“Why did you turn your phone off?” Dad asked more gently.
“I was getting a ton of text messages and calls from people, trying to get me to come out. So, I shut it off.”
“Okay,” Mom said, and started to leave.
“Hang on, why are you mad at me?” I asked.
“We’ve been trying to get ahold of you. I just assumed you’d be at Monical’s after the game,” Mom told me.
“I wish, but you told me I was grounded. I wouldn’t go against your wishes.”
“There’s pizza downstairs if you want it,” Dad said.
That was when I realized they had gone to Monical’s. It felt like they were rubbing it in that I was being punished. I just shook my head ‘no.’ I turned off the TV and went to bed, leaving my parents in my living room.
Chapter 20 – Not Intentionally Hurtful
Sunday November 16
When I went for my run, it had just stopped raining. There was nothing I hated worse than being wet and cold. I decided to run harder than normal, to make up for cutting the run short, because it looked like it would start raining again soon.
I was settling into a nice rhythm when my fears were confirmed: it started to rain again. I wanted to use the time to think things through, but it wasn’t happening this morning. I ran back home and found Mom and Dad drinking coffee. Mom gave me a look.
“What?” I asked.
I guess she didn’t like my tone.
“I don’t know what’s eating you, but I think you need to talk to your uncle,” Mom told me.
“Why?”
Okay, I was on a roll. She gave me a hard look that made me reconsider challenging her.
“Because I said so,” she said, causing Dad to snort.
She turned her look on him, and he put his hands up in surrender.
“You two just crack me up, sometimes. ‘Because I said so.’ If your mother could hear you now,” he said, then made a hasty retreat to go take a shower.
I just went and did as I was told. I went to the office and called Uncle John.
“Hey, it’s David,” I said as he answered.
“I watched your game. Great job, they were a tough opponent.”
“Thanks, but Mom said I had to call you,” I said in a sullen tone.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“Why is it everyone thinks it’s always me doing something? Everyone else was involved, too! Yet here I am, the one taking responsibility, and end up the only one being punished. I swear I tried to do the right thing. I admitted I was wrong, but I was grounded. None of this would have happened if my ‘best friend’ knew how to keep his damn mouth shut. Then my other ‘best friend’ went and told his girlfriend. I’m so tired of everyone taking advantage of me. I could just scream!”
I slowed down on my rant because I could hear my uncle laughing.
“It’s not funny!” I yelled.
That just made him laugh harder. I hate my life sometimes. When he finally got it together, he talked to me.
“Let me get this straight: everyone’s against you. You took the blame for everyone else. You got punished, and it’s not fair.”
“... and my friends narc’ed me out.”
“Oh yes, the betrayal. We can’t forget that.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“So, tell me the whole story.”
I spent the next thirty minutes telling him everything ... well, the R-rated version. When I was done, I was ready to hear his pearls of wisdom.
“Congratulations. You’re a teenager,” he told me.
There was dead silence on his end of the phone after that so-helpful remark. I thought my head was going to explode because there was suddenly a throbbing behind my right eye. Then I realized he was pulling a Dawson on me. He was waiting me out. Normally that meant he didn’t know what to say. Two could play that game.
I finally crumbled. Dad always said that in a negotiation, the one who talks first loses. Uncle John 1, David 0.
“That makes no sense at all,” I told him.
“Okay, I’ll save you all the psychobabble and just say what you’re feeling right now is real. You have every right to be frustrated and mad. The reality is that most of what you’re feeling is because you’re a teenager. The good news is you’ll grow out of it.”