Colt's Game : A Playing for Keeps Story

And It's A Party

Colt

Game 2

From start to finish, it was like we owned the field. Granted, our opponents were one of the easiest we would face all year, but something about how seamlessly we all played together gave the team and me a renewed hope. Even Coach Mike and Griffin were smiling and joking with me now.

I walked into the game with a hundred and seventy-five yards for the year and came out of the game with four hundred ninety-seven yards. I had thrown for three hundred twenty-two yards.

The entire team jumps me in celebration when I make it into the locker room to change into my street clothes.

"That's what I'm talking about, boy! I knew you had that shit in you! I can't wait for next week's game. We're going to kill them!" Maddox squeezes my shoulder and pushes me playfully into my locker before going over to his and starting to get himself ready to leave.

"Hey, Colt, what are you going to do now?" Leo calls out to me.

"Nothing, hang out with my girl, go home, sleep." How messed up is it that sleep sounds the absolute best out of all those things. Even with us being a couple, Nikki's still running me ragged with the extra practices. Paired that up with the games, making sure my mother was okay and schoolwork, I was practically dead on my feet.

"No way, man. You can hang out with your girl anytime. Come over to the frat house. We're having a party to celebrate the win. Everyone wants the star quarterback there. You gotta come to at least show your face."

He was inviting me to a frat party? Really?

I'd never been to a frat party, mostly because I didn't live on campus and secondly because I never really liked anyone enough for them to invite me to a party. I mean, if it was for the team, I guess I could go.

"Cool, let me tell my girl and I'll show up for a bit." I nod, and a few of the guys hoot in excitement.

Maddox is already out of his gear and has a towel wrapped around his waist. He leans over to me so no one else can hear, "As fucked up as this sounds, I'm happy Frederick is out for the season. This is your time, Colt. I just know you're going to be the one to lead us to the chip. I'd put money on it." He shuts his locker and walks off to wash.

Lucky for him, he didn't have to. I'd already done that for him.

***

After letting Nikki know that I was going to my first college party, she made fun of me a bit and we set up to resume our practices for the night after next. She had to go to her parents' house the next day and wouldn't be on campus tomorrow. 

I only intended to stay at the party for an hour tops, but the minute I walked in the door, it was like I was a celebrity. Everyone flocked to me. Women, other teammates, hell, I was asked to pledge for the fucking fraternity. 

Of course, I turned both the pledge and the women down. I had enough going on in my life without adding to the drama. Besides, there was nothing that any of these other college girls could give me that I didn't already get from Nikki. I was going to stay true to that girl for as long as she would have me.

I'm riding high when I make my way home. Happy that we won the game. Happy that after two games, I'm just about halfway to the goal of a thousand yards. Happy that I have a girl that still wants to be with me no matter how fucked up my life actually is. For the first time in a long time, it seems as though everything is going right.

Everything is going right until I walk up to the door of my house. Another paper flying in the wind.

Bright red letters and the words shut off stand out.

"Motherfucker!" I roar in the air as I open the door to my house. I quickly reach for the light switch, and nothing happens. They shut off the electricity.

"Goddammit." I clench my hands together and walk over to the sink. I turn the knob, and nothing happens. They shut off the electricity and the water. Here I was living my best life, and my mother is living in a home not suited for animals.

So much for being a celebrity, I'm nothing more than a fucking failure.