Everything Changes

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Hazel the Reporter

In late August, the crowd roared as Jake stood in the center of the field, football in hand. His adrenaline was pumping - the pregame jitters running through his bones.

When he heard the shriek of the referee's whistle, he was quick to follow his coach's orders and make a break for the left side of the field. The opposing team's defense was quick to charge in his direction. He dodged past a few defenders as he tried to make his way up the field. He felt alive and free as his legs quickly carried him forward. He heard the crowd cheering, his teammates encouraging him, and the cheerleaders chanting. As a quarterback, he never did much running, so he was thankful the play allowed him to do so.

It wasn't long after until an opposing defender tackled him to the ground. However, it was the most forceful tackle he'd ever experienced, as he and the defender dived out of bounds and in the direction of the student sportscasters. In the process, they slammed into one of them, who was innocently reporting in front of the camera, bringing her to the ground as well.

As Jake was helped off the ground, his eye caught the girl he and the opposing defender fell into. She was brushing the turf feeds off her jeans as the other student sportscasters were asking if she was alright. He mouthed out a 'sorry' as he walked back onto the field. She smiled, putting her caramel brown hair behind her ear before returning to the newscast.

When the team was on defense, Jake couldn't help but once again glance over at the girl he knocked over. She spoke into the microphone as students stood behind the camera, making sure the production was going smoothly. He wondered why he hadn't seen the girl before, assuming she wasn't a freshman. He figured she may have been new to the student sportscasting program - but he wasn't complaining. He thought from the quick look he got of her face, she was cute. He wouldn't mind watching her report a sports game on his television.

Okay, Jake. Focus on the game... he thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the field. Keeping his attention on his teammates, he tried not to think of how badly he wanted to know the sportscaster's name.

When the game was over, Jake practically ran out of the locker room in hopes the girl was still on the field. Luckily, she was packing up the camera equipment, along with her fellow sportscasters. He was relieved to see she hadn't left just yet.

"Hey," Jake called out, walking towards her. She was quick to look up from the bag in her hands and in his direction. She looked confused at first, not recognizing his voice, but when she met his eyes, she smiled. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for knocking you over. I didn't think that would happen."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Neither did I," she said, making light out of the situation. An older man, most likely one of the facility members that directed the student television program, laughed at her comment. It was something no one could have prepared for, as it happened in a matter of two seconds. "It's fine, though. It didn't hurt... and it was only a little bit embarrassing."

"Yeah, well... I'm really sorry about that," he apologized again, adjusting the gym bag that sat on his shoulders. "I'm Jake Flemming, by the way."

She nodded her head, gathering the rest of her things. "Yeah, I know," she said, alarming him. Had they met before and he didn't remember? "Jake Flemming. Quarterback. Number thirty-four. Junior. And from Fort Lauderdale, right? Or, wait, no... West Coral," she stated as he stood in front of her, astounded. He was at a loss for words. "You look faint. I had to study the roster in order to report on the football team, silly. I'm not your creepy stalker."

"That's impressive," he told her, realizing he would never be able to remember so much information about a team full of one-hundred players. He hardly knew that much information about his own teammates. "I guess it's nice to formally meet you."