Our next to last game was an away game against the Altoona-Midway Jet's , in a small town called Buffalo, over a hundred miles northwest of Chouteau. During a normal year, football season would have already been over, but after the events of September 11 th , the season had been postponed for two weeks. The game was far enough away that I wouldn't be expected to meet up with Laura afterward.
Brian and I hadn't discussed it, but I think we both knew the next time we were together, probably tomorrow, what was going to happen. I sure hoped he was thinking the same thoughts I was. Even if he wasn't, just being alone with him would be so wonderful. It was all I could think about. I'd been obsessed with it for days, ever since we'd blown each other. it was something I'd been wanting to do ever since I'd met him earlier this summer.
Todd and I sat together on the way to the game. He seemed to be back to his normal self now, but I was still a little leery. After some of the things he had said about Brian, and gays in general, I knew I had to be careful about what I said around him. I wish I could tell him about me being gay, but I feared what his reaction would be, so we spent most of our time talking about tonight's game, as well as our girlfriends. Yes, he had managed to find himself another girlfriend. He had briefly dated Stephanie, but that hadn't worked out. He was now dating Allison, my old girlfriend, and he has already been bragging about her giving up the pussy. If I hadn't known better, I would suspect he was talking shit, like most teenage boys, but I knew from experience that she was willing to give it up pretty easily. I was happy for my best friend.
So far, I haven't even tried to feel Laura up, not that I want to, but most girls seem to expect it from the boys they're dating. I'm sure she's happy about that, but I sometimes wonder what she thinks about that.
It was a long trip, almost two hours, and my butt was numb by the time we got there. It felt good just to stand up and stretch. I was so filled with energy I was ready to explode. The entire team piled out of the bus, screaming and hooting. I led the charge.
"Let's kick some ass!" I yelled.
"Yeah!"
As we changed in the unfamiliar locker room, I felt like a warrior getting ready to do battle. I almost felt sorry for our opponents. I was in the mood to kick ass and I was just the guy to do it.
I watched as Todd and my other teammates pulled off their shirts and slipped into their uniforms. I felt myself growing stiff as I looked around the locker room. I felt guilty for a second, but realized that what I was doing was perfectly natural. I know that Brian thinks the same thoughts when he's in the locker room at his school, and I don't resent him.
I quickly tore my eyes away from my naked and half naked teammates and tried to concentrate on the game. The Jet's were tough as nails, but I knew if we could score soon enough, it'd shake them up. If we couldn't score fast, we could still win, but it would be a struggle. That was okay too; football was my kind of fight. I thought of each game like a battle, a battle I intended to win. I think the coach thought of it that way too, but he took things far too seriously. I wanted to win so bad I could taste it, but Coach Benson took it much farther. His attitude was 'come back with a win, or don't come back.' Sometimes I think he lived his life vicariously through his players.
I slapped Todd on the butt as we ran out of the locker room and onto the field, and he smiled at me. He loved the struggle of the game as much as I did. We both loved the exertion, the sweat, the tactical maneuvers, the swift, split-second timing, the raw strength, the ancient male against male competition. There was something powerful and even erotic about the struggle to win, something primeval, almost sensual. I think I felt the most alive when I was fighting to win; the more desperate the fight, the more intense the feeling. Even losing didn't dimmish how I felt, all that really mattered was the struggle itself.
I was pumped. Football always got me charged up, but thinking about what might happen this weekend gave me a surge of adrenaline like I'd never had before. I was champing at the bit at the opening kickoff. I caught the ball and charged down the field like a freight train ready to plow down anyone who got in my way. I was so wild; I was nearly out of control. My eyes were practically bugging out of my head.
I was unstoppable as I cut through the Jet's defense like a hot knife through butter. I charged down the field, dodging one player after another as I ran toward the goal line. We scored on the opening play of the game. That really shook our opponents up, just like I knew it would. We had them by the balls, and I intended to squeeze.
It didn't take the Jet's l ong to adjust their defense. I was clearly the one to watch and they stuck to me like glue. That slowed us down, but it gave the rest of the team a chance. The Jet's couldn't watch us all. The more they focused on me, the more Brendan, Todd, Robert and the others slipped through. We were a team. It didn't matter who scored, as long as someone scored.
The Jet's were really tough on offense and broke through our defense several times, scoring twice before halftime. As the buzzer sounded for halftime the score was 21-14.
At the beginning of the second half, the Jet's came out roaring, quickly scoring another touchdown. The score was now tied 21-21. Neither side was able to score until the end of the fourth quarter.
There was one minute left in the game. The ball was snaped and Brendan dropped back, looking for a receiver. He spotted me and passed the ball.
I snagged it out of the air and raced down the field, past the forty-yard line, then the thirty. Only two Jet players were anywhere near me. The others were massed too far away to have any chance at all to stop me. I wasn't even the intended receiver. The play hadn't gone down as planned, but I found myself in the open and Brendan rifled the ball to me with his powerful right arm.
I feinted; the Jet player lunged. I vaulted over him as he dived for my legs. I hit the ground running with only a single Jet player sprinting after me. He was fast. I was racing down the field with everything I had. I didn't dare look behind to see if he was gaining on me. I could hear him panting as he tried to catch me. We were tied 21-21, and there were only seconds left in the game. I raced the Jet player and the clock. There would be no time for another play. I had to score!
I hit the twenty-yard line, then the ten. I blocked out the crowd, the player behind me, and even thoughts of the clock ticking down precious seconds. I put everything I had, mind and body, into running as fast as possible.
Eight yards, seven, six, five. My legs screamed; my lungs felt as if they might burst. Four, three, two. I felt a hand jerk my jersey and tug. One. Touchdown!
The clock ran out. My opponent crashed to the ground and pulled me off balance. I went down, still clutching the ball. We were both gasping for breath. Strong hands pulled me to my feet, but I was too dazed to focus on anything. We'd won, and I'd scored the winning touchdown! It was the highlight of my football career.
The few Chouteau fans who had made the drive ran onto the field. I was surrounded by all my teammates, and fans congratulating me, so it was all a blur. I felt as if I could explode with happiness. Brendan grabbed me and hugged me, as did Todd and several of my friends. My back was getting sore from so many of the guys slapping it. I was going nuts. I just kept screaming "yeah!" at the top of my lungs.
It was a few minutes before we could work our way into the locker room, but for those few minutes between my touchdown and escaping to the locker room, I felt like a rock star.
It was nearly as crazy in the locker room as it was on the field. Beating our opponents was something to celebrate in itself, but beating them in the final play of the game made the guys go wild.
I stripped off my jersey and my pads. I peeled off the rest of my uniform and headed for the showers. My breathing had long ago returned to normal, but my muscles ached. I turned on the hot water and let it hit my aching body. I actually moaned with pleasure.
The shower room was loud with shouts and laughs, and horsing around. My teammates were in rare form. I don't think I stopped grinning for a moment. I knew our win was a team effort, but I'd scored the opening and the winning touchdowns. I knew this was a moment in time I'd remember for the rest of my life.
I subtly checked out Brendan as he showered near me. He had the most incredible body I'd ever seen in my entire life. I burned with sexual need. I even had to face the wall for a while to hide my obvious arousal, as I thought about what was going to happen with Brian tomorrow. When I turned around again, there was Todd, soaping up his smooth, muscular pecs. Two months ago, I would have wanted him more than anyone, but everything had changed. Still, he was nice to look at, as were Brendan and my other teammates.
I was almost panting as I rinsed off and headed out of the showers. I dried myself off and dressed. I knew I had to get out of there or risk revealing myself. I quickly left the locker room and headed toward the bus that would take us home. All the while I was thinking of the hot, steamy water running down Todd's and Brendan's muscular chests. They were so fucking hot!
We were famished after the game, so we stopped at Burger King on the way home. I loved the food at this place, especially the whopper and fries. I wolfed down a double whopper, a large order of fries and a large Dr. Pepper. It was a wonder I wasn't fat, but I guess I just burned it all off. I was always lean. I wasn't the only one who was starving. Todd ate almost as much as I did, and so did Ashton and Ryan, who were sitting with us. Ryan was one of my best friends on the team. He had hair as black as coal and an incredible build. I never thought of him as anything but a friend. In fact, he was more like a brother, almost as much as Todd. And even though Ashton could be a wise ass sometimes, he and I were really tight, too. It was great having close friends like that. Those guys meant a lot to me.
A couple of cute girls were staring at Todd and me. We smiled at them and pretty soon they came over and started flirting with us, big time. I rolled my eyes. Girls just couldn't be encouraged at all. I just smiled at them to be nice, and there they were, practically drooling on me. The other guys were all thrilled, but I just wanted them to go away. We talked to them for a while, but I didn't do anything to indicate I was interested. Jesus, wouldn't they ever leave? I had to admit, they were cute, but they were girls!
I could've been in a tight spot, but my 'girlfriend' back home rescued me, even though she wasn't there. A thought crossed my mind. Maybe I could get these girls off me, and do Ashton and Ryan both a favor at the same time. I smiled sweetly at the girl who had singled me out, then racked my brain trying to think of something really nice to say to her. A compliment can be disarming and I didn't want her all pissed when I tried to pass her off to my friends.
"You have beautiful eyes, uhm…"
I hesitated. I didn't even know her name.
"Shirley," she said.
I could tell she was eating up my compliment. Girls always seemed to go for that crap. I wasn't lying, however; she did have beautiful eyes, though I felt pretty corny saying it to her like a line from a really bad novel.
"Shirley," I repeated, smiling. "You have eyes just like my girlfriend back in Chouteau."
That brought a frown to her face. She looked more than a little disappointed.
Her friend quickly looked at Todd.
"I have a girlfriend, too," he said.
Both Ashton and Ryan sat up a little straighter. They were smart enough not to say anything, but they looked like starving dogs drooling over a juicy steak.
"These two are free, however," I said indicating my friends. "If you don't mind ugly, that is."
"Hey," yelled Ryan.
"Butt ugly," said Todd, totally deadpan.
Ashton punched him on the shoulder, but he was grinning.
The girls laughed. I could tell by the way they looked at Ryan and Ashton that they thought they were anything but ugly.
"Maybe…" I suggested, arching my eyebrows and tilting my head toward my friends.
Your average girl would've probably been insulted by being passed on to another guy, but these weren't average girls. I don't like to label anyone, but if I had to put a label on them, I would've called them 'sluts.' It was pretty obvious what they were after, they were a teenage boy's dream come true.
The girls seemed intrigued by the idea. Ashton and Ryan were both pretty cute and I could see why the girls would go for them. Since Todd and I were unavailable, and they had no idea how unavailable I was, I guess they figured our friends would suit their needs. I wasn't sure just what those needs were, but I knew what my friends were fantasizing about as they sat there. They were trying to be cool, but their eagerness was hard to hide. It was kind of funny. Their eyes were glazed over with lust and I bet neither one of them could have stood up just then, if you know what I mean. It's just too bad, for them anyway, that the bus would be leaving in about fifteen minutes. I guess they'll just have to go home and take care of the problem the way thousands of other teenage boys did every night.
"Here, take our seats," I said, sliding out of the booth and clearing my stuff out of the way.
Todd got up, too, and wondered off for some ice cream. I gave Ashton and Ryan a 'you owe me one' grin as we left.
Todd handed me a chocolate shake and we walked out toward the bus. Ten minutes later, Coach Benson rounded everyone up and we all boarded the bus for the long drive home.
It was after midnight when we finally arrived home. During the whole drive all anyone could seem to talk about was me. I don't want to seem like I'm bragging or anything, but I had had a pretty good game, especially scoring the winning touchdown.
I finally arrived at my house and went straight to bed. Mom and dad had long since gone to sleep, so I'd have to tell them everything tomorrow. I would also get to tell Brian everything that had happened.
I planned to spend the day at his house, before me and my friends Halloween party tomorrow night. Halloween is on a Wednesday this year so we're having it a few days early, at the town cemetery of all places. Should be fun, right? A bunch of high school boys getting drunk in a cemetery. What could possibly go wrong?
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