Troy's POV
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I stared at the guy in front of me, my heart pumping, blood rushing through my veins. The rain was pelting on our helmets, but thunder was nowhere to be heard. I painted as I looked over to one of my buddies before I looked back to the guy I was up against. It was almost like everything was in slow motion, but the adrenaline rush certainly wasn't.
The screaming crowd came back into focus. I waited a second more before I screamed, "24 RED, 15 YELLOW, 8 RED, HUT, HUT, HUT!"
And the ball flew through the air. Chase, one of my main men, grabbed the ball and ran. Boy, did he run. I kept the other team off his back, but soon they gained on him. I nodded towards Peter as he nodded and opened his arms to say he was open. Chase kept running, but flung the ball as hard as he could across the yard. Peter caught it and bolted. He was one of the fastest runners out there.
The cheerleaders in the background screamed their little chant and screamed for us to go encouragingly. I ran as fast as my legs would pump. Everything was in fast forward now. I ran up to Peter as the others started to gain on him. I indicated that I was open and before I knew it, the ball was in my hands and I was just feet away from getting a touchdown. Ten feet... Five feet... So close...
And that's when I got tackled. Hard.
I felt myself flying for a second before I landed with a ginormous pound. The air seemed to leave my lungs as I felt disabled for what seemed like forever. I stared up at the sky, the rain pelting down on my face as I gasped breaths. My head hurts. I must have hit it.
I don't even realize that I'm being carried off the field until I feel myself in the air and I can see the crowd getting closer. I look over at the cheerleaders, looking at my girlfriend's face as concern washes over her face. I see her scared eyes as well.
The crowd is hushed for a split second before murmurs of "is he okay?" come rushing from all over. I look up at the band that's sitting on separate bleachers and see Melody. Her jaw is dropped and her eyes are wide and scared. I try to move but it takes everything I have to just breathe. The wind seems to be knocked from my lungs still as a sharp pain hits both my chest and my head and immediately my eyes close and a grimace comes over my face. I try to hide it for the crowd, but the pain is just too much.
I'm getting moved to the locker room as I hear some cheering and a "break!" shouted over the claps. Obviously they're continuing with the game.
I open my eyes what seems like hours later and see my mom and dad watching me carefully and worriedly. I peer over at them and moan softly since it takes all I have to move my head. Apparently someone's getting the ambulance closer to the locker room since the doctor called for me to go to the hospital - or so I heard through the pounds of pain shooting through my head.
"Oh baby, are you okay? Can you hear me okay?" My mom asks as soon as she sees my eyes open.
It hurts to think, but I manage to say, "Yeah. I can hear you alright."
"You took quite a tumble, bud." My dad chimes in, frowning. "The player that knocked you over into the pole had to sit on the benches. He got too rowdy... obviously."
I wince but nod as I squeeze my eyes shut for another few seconds. I sigh and look at the ceiling before I hear my dad talking again.
"The doctor thinks you might have a concussion... You're going to the hospital so they can make sure, but either way you're staying away from football for at least a few days."
"I'd like a week or so..." Mom says before she purses her lips.
"Babe, you probably can't keep him away that long. Unless he really does have a concussion. Then it'll be more like months."
