I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “I know. Well, since I’m here, let’s get on with it.”
Ben would be mad about this, but I organized this session with the guys. The team was ready for the season, but for one problem. They didn’t have a running back, which was what I was here for. Even just for practice, they’d at least need a guy in place.
They had enough players to form a team, but with no guy in the running back position, one guy from the bench had to fill in the position. The team was a few years old, so I figured they must have had a running back before, but I had no idea what happened to the guy. They needed someone fast for the position, too, so using guys from their reserve wouldn’t help the team in any official games.
Zoe had tried so hard to get me to join up because they needed one but if they weren’t so desperate for a running back, I didn’t think she would have approached me knowing my reputation. Ben only accepted me initially because he didn’t know, but it wasn’t hard to find out, after asking the right people the right questions, even if it was never made public and my old team gave a fake reason as to why I quit.
“What are you guys waiting for? Get back on the damn field!” The team captain shouted.
They ran back, getting into their positions, and I followed behind them.
“You sounded like the coach that time, captain!” The guys laughed.
Someone already had the balls. The team captain arranged everyone into two teams. The numbers fell short, but this was just a practice session. Before, or during, the season, the coach could choose to set practice games with other teams, but we just needed this much for now.
We weren’t planning on doing much, it might as well be considered a warm up, because I wouldn’t call it fooling around. We were all much too serious about the sport for that. Someone already had their phone set up.
“Are we streaming?” I asked.
“Yeah. We should be live now, so let’s start.”
This was something new, but plenty of other people were doing it. With how much social media had grown over the years, a good way to grow fans was to go online. This practice session was going to be broadcasted on Instagram.
As soon as we started, everyone stopped goofing off. I got serious, and the team captain started off the game. My blood started pumping as soon as I heard the call, and everyone moved. My muscles ached as I ran around the field, but it was almost comforting. Ever since I stopped playing, I kept up with some exercising to keep my form, but it was nothing like the real thing. My eyes focused on the ball, my senses getting me around the other players. It was just practice, but it felt like a real game.
Then, Ben showed up.
I wasn’t the first one to see him. We were in the middle of playing, and I was far out in the field when I saw him. The others stopped, one by one, and when I noticed, I did, too. I felt some dread seeing Ben. I’d hoped he wouldn’t make it today, but there he was. The captain had already gone up to him, and even from too far away to hear, I knew he was shouting. Feeling dread make my steps heavy, I walked over.
Ben turned to me as soon as I was in sight.
“You!” he pointed at me, glaring. “You planned this, didn’t you? I told you after I kicked you out, that you were no longer allowed here.”
What the fuck???
“But coach, we need him,” the captain complained. “Even if it’s just for practice, having a good running back–”
Ben cut him off. “None of you had the right to do this behind my back. I was sitting at home making some last adjustments to your training schedules, when an alert showed up on my phone, and what do I see, huh? My team having a practice session I knew nothing about, and it was being broadcast on online. I was actually a little proud before I saw this guy was here, too. By the way, I hope you already shut it down? Hurry up and do it, if not.” He turned to the phone’s owner, who’d gone to pick it up.
“It’s already down, coach...”
“Good. Now, Howard. Get the hell out.”
“Coach,” the captain cut in. “We really need him. Unless you can find someone else to take the position before our first game, we’re going to be screwed.”
He scoffed. “We were just fine without him. The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves. You shouldn’t be playing with a drug addict, and if any of you pick up that habit, I will kick you out in a heartbeat, too. No special treatment, not for this new guy.”
I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t back it up. He had every right to be angry, every right to not want me on the team. My old team kicked me out, too. I was only twenty-eight, not that old, but not that young, either, and there was plenty of young talent looking to go pro. Maybe not in time for this season, but they could definitely get another guy, it didn’t have to be me. Zoe had been the only one to think that which was why she was on my back for so long until I just gave in, since the Southern Eagles were a weak team compared to my old one.
My motivation now was different from back then. I told Zoe I’d give it a try, even though it had been months since I was out on the field, I just didn’t mean to get quite so deeply involved with her, to the point that I couldn’t think of pulling away. If I looked for a position on another team, even if I could get one, she’d look at me as an enemy. I didn’t doubt she’d dump me for the team she loved.
Shit!
There were times when I thought that if I could, I would go back and slap my idiot self. I got full of myself, I got arrogant, because I graduated college with several teams asking me to play for them. I had my pick of teams, and I let the easy fame as a star rookie go to my head. I also had the worst taste in friends, seeing how they all abandoned me the moment I got kicked off of my team. There wasn’t anything I could do about it now, no matter how much I wanted to.
“Get moving, Howard,” Ben said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Or do I have to call for security to drag you out?”
“I’m clean, though,” I said. “I know I made a mistake, but I really am clean, coach, I’ll take whatever drug test you want to prove it.”
For once in my life, I wasn’t messing around and as usual. But, peeps just think once a druggie, always a druggie
“Don’t call me coach, and I don’t care what you say. So, what if you’re clean now? Drugs are bad habits, you’ll just go back to it the moment I let you in and you relax. Now, out. Oh, and also, this is the only time I’m going to warn you, Howard. Stay away from Zoe. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how close the two of you have been getting. I don’t want my daughter to end up with a loser.”
I scowled. “That has nothing to do with this. What Zoe and I decide to do is none of your business.”
“My daughter has everything to do with me, Howard. I mean it. You will stay away from her, or I’ll tell your mother to tell you to stay away from her.”
I grit my teeth, irritated. I couldn’t punch him out, I knew that. He was the team’s coach, and he was Zoe’s dad. It would be a major fuck up if I tried to start a fight, but Ben definitely had no reservations getting up close and personal, looking as if he wanted to throw a fist of his own.
“Whoa, coach! Calm down.”
The captain got in between us while the other guy went to hold Ben back.
“I’ll calm the fuck down when this bastard leaves my daughter alone.”
That wasn’t going to happen. No matter how badly I wanted to play for this team, I knew I couldn’t promise to stay away from Zoe and then keep it. When Mom told me she was dating Zoe’s dad, I did try to end it. I took a trip and stayed away from her for nearly a whole month, but I somehow found myself coming back. Of course, then I had to make it up to Zoe before she’d forgive me for disappearing on her.
It was around that time that I tried out for the team and subsequently got kicked out before I was even officially part of it. I was lucky, Zoe wasn’t giving up on me, but her dad wasn’t nearly so forgiving.
Ignoring Ben, I turned and stormed off. He was looking for a fight, and I did
n’t think I could back down and do nothing if he actually did throw the first punch.