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by Soapy » 28 Nov 2022, 20:34
Chapter One: When You Don't Have It
It was one of those balls that as soon as it left his fingertips, James knew it was a good throw...only for it to end up in the outstretched arm of a defender who rolled to the ground with it. Devon, the talented safety, quickly got up to his feet and sprinted past James, much too eager to wave goodbye as the defense celebrated.
James threw his head back, letting it rest against the back of his head as he looked into the heavens. Even Jesus couldn't save him.
It was one of his father's patented 'gotta have it' periods during practice where it was good on good, best on best with the first team defense going up against the first team offense in a full-out scrimmage for one possession. After James fumbled the snap on fourth down during the first period, it turned into two possessions and after another quick four-and-out on consecutive incompletions and negative players, the period was extended into another one only for it to end unceremoniously once more.
The defense that held teams to a league best 17.2 points per game returned most of its starters while the offense was a mash unit of transfers, JV call ups and career backups, including James. The only thing worst than being a coaches' son on the bench was being one on the field and stinking it up.
"Good read," coach Harrison gave James the obligatory pat on the ass as he walked past him, "Just gotta put more zip on that ball, man. You'll get there."
It had been an off-season of 'you'll get there' only for the season to be less than forty-eight hours away and James feeling like he was still far from his destination. He avoided eye contact with his pops as the offense meandered their way to the sideline while the defense continued to celebrate. They could afford to expense their energy as winning the period meant they had no conditioning for the day while the offense had a long night ahead of them.
…
"I don't think I can last a whole year of y'all not talking to each other," Leanne remarked as she gave her husband a side-eye before darting her eyes across the table until it locked with the eldest son, "Go on, now, I know y'all want to talk some football."
"It's not the whole year," James remarked with a chuckle, "Just a few more months."
"It'll be a couple of weeks you keep it up," his father replied back, his tone tethering the line between playfulness and seriousness.
"I'm already warming my arm up," Elijah, the youngest son, broke through the awkward silence with his laughter as he continued to move his right arm in a circular manner.
"You need to be warming up them grades," their father, who everyone called 'Big Bear Earl' ever since that fateful day in Tuscaloosa, was quick to shot his younger son down too. No one was safe that night, except for the pearl of the family of course.
"Whose dropping me off tonight?" Pearl asked as he looked up from her phone, her eyes scanning the table after being quiet for most of the dinner.
"I got you, baby girl. Just let me finish up here real quick," James Sr. took two more bites off his plate which drew the ire of momma bear.
"I really don't see the need to keep going back and forth just for you to live right down the street," she sucked her teeth at her eldest, "You just giving that money anyway."
"It's called a scholarship for a reason," Pearl sighed as she got up, "There would be no need for a back and forth if you didn't insist that I come home for dinner every night."
"Alright, alright, alright. No need to rehash this every night," James Sr. said to no one in particular but it landed squarely at Leanne's doorsteps as she angrily began to collect the dishes, even as Joshua, the middle son, was in the middle of eating.
"I don't know what boy got you hooked over there but don't be bringing nothing to my front porch," Leanne let out before disappearing into the kitchen.
"What boy she talking about?" James asked his sister, who blew him off.
"Come on," she urged her dad, "I still got some schoolwork to do, I don't want to be up all night at the library."
"Ain't going to be none of that," he corrected her, "Head straight to your dorm and stay there, too dark to have you walking around campus. Like I told you, we're right across the street so if it's ever late, just get one of them lazy bums to walk with you, they don't have nothing better to do."
"Who the hell is gonna be scared of them?" she teased her brothers, all of which flipped her off away from their father's eyes.
"Watch your tongue now," James Sr. warned her, a rare occurrence, "Y'all boys better be washed up and in bed when I come back. Junior, I just got the tape from Shaw's scrimmage last week so you best go set up the living room. They're gonna be on your ass this Friday after we put sixty on them last year, I fucking guarantee that."
Last edited by
Soapy on 25 Sep 2023, 08:37, edited 1 time in total.