First Down

9. Adrian Brown

I sat outside on the weight lifting bench watching niggas goof off. Our game wasn't scheduled to start for another two hours but coach always liked us there early. I had my AirPods in, listening to Drake's newest album as I mentally prepared myself for this game, it was a big one seeing as how the other team was undefeated as well.

If it was up to us, they would go home defeated tonight and it was up to us so we know what we had to do. One of the players came over to me loud and active as ever, I took one of my AirPods out to hear him. "What you say?" I questioned as I focused on him, "my little sister Jayla want your autograph and shit." He said as he kissed his teeth, "and I told her I'd get that shit. Gotta make sure she meet you at the Homecoming game too so her ass can stop talkin' bout you every time I talk to her ass." I shook my head, "autograph? Tell that girl I ain't nobody." He smiled, "man I told her that shit, I said that boy lame as fuck." We laughed, "I ain't say lie to her. But nah, I got you." I let out as I put my headphone back in as my mind went to Jaelyn just off of hearing his sister's name. She didn't go to class yesterday and I knew the death of her father was taking a toll so I decided to check in on her. I went to our text thread and sent her a quick text.

I wanted her to come alright, I could be a major flirt, easily. I debated if I was going to keep it PG or take it there, fuck it I was taking it there. Our friendship was easily growing and she flirted back the first time we turned it up.

I laughed as I imagined her reaction on the other side, she quickly texted back.

I laughed as I liked the message and locked my phone. My attraction to Jaelyn was growing quickly, I already thought she was cute but this budding friendship we had and the flirting we did took it up a notch. I wanted to bed her, and I couldn't flex on that shit. But I felt that probably was easily noticed with how I flirted heavy as hell and alluded to sex. 

I stood up taking my AirPods out as I heard Daquan and Hassan arguing about who could bag some girl first. I shook my head tuning them niggas out as I stepped outside, the temperature was already dropping and fall didn't hit officially until next week. It was coming in fast, that was for sure. I looked out onto the field and my thoughts ran rampant on everything I wanted to accomplish before I left this field. I wanted to set more records, I wanted to leave as a legend. I thought big, I always had and I believed I could reach whatever I set my mind to and that was courtesy of my parents. I sent a prayer up asking God to guide my path and give me the strength I needed tonight.

Savon came out, interrupting my peace as he noticed me and made his way towards me. "What's up?" He asked with a smile, "what's up?" I questioned back. I couldn't flex, I fucked with Savon more than I did the others, he was chill like me and never did too much. If there was anyone on the team that I would consider confiding in, it was him. "How you feeling?" he asked. I nodded, "good, you?" He nodded, "same, ready for us to win this shit. That's the only option." I smiled in agreement, "hell yeah."

My text tone went off as I grabbed my phone seeing a text from Samoa, I quickly texted her back. "You still dealing with Samoa?" He questioned almost as if he knew she was who texted me. I nodded, "yeah." I let out a sigh, "still rocking with her. You still dealing with uh," I snapped as I tried to remember her name, but I ain't know that shit. "Candice." He let out for me, I nodded, "yeah, her." He shook his head no, I felt like he had just told me about her a few weeks ago. Savon was a lover boy though, fell in like easily and was ready to tie them down. As crazy as it was, he was struggling to find a girl who wanted that, but maybe it was because he wanted it too fast. "Damn, what happened?" I questioned, he waved it off, "you know what I'm on A, these girls don't be on shit."

"Damn Say, you'll get you one." I let out in confidence. "Shit, your ass gets them all. Give me some of your juice." He let out as I brought my hand to my chest, "me? Nah, not even." He gave me a look like I was lying, "we all see the comments that get left under your post. You have your pick of the litter, shit even with Samoa but your ass don't want to tie her down."

"Yeah cause I don't want to tie nobody down, just like I know what you be on, you know what my focus is. I'm not interested in that shit, and them girls under my comments ain't shit. I don't know them or even pay attention to that shit." And I didn't, I read through the comments and my DMs every once in a while but it wasn't often. I had the notifications for all that shit off.

That was the only thing with Savon, he always seemed to be zoned in on my "fame" as he called it, that shit was annoying cause I would gladly give it to him, I did not give a fuck about that shit. But he was hyper focused on it, there were few conversations where it didn't get brought up. I stood up and stretched as more players came outside. "Imma head to my car real quick. I'll see you in a minute." I started heading towards the parking lot as I checked the time. I knew my pops was about to call soon, he always called me before a game and gave me a pep talk. I was forever grateful for him, he was who instilled the love of football in me and made sure I knew the importance of my mind and expanding it.

He called not even five minutes later, "What's up pop?" I could hear a game going on in the background, my guess was that he was at my brother's football game. He was following right in my footsteps in a sense. "Not shit, at your brother's game. He out here giving these boys hell." I smiled, "he better, we taught him not to give them nothing less." I could imagine him nodding, "you damn right. You ready for your game?" "Yeah." I responded, "y'all gon' win this shit?" I sighed, "shit that's the plan" I instantly regretted saying it like that, I already knew he was about to say his favorite quote, "there's nothing more powerful than a made up mind, so let me ask again. Y'all gon' win this shit?" I smiled hearing the quote I knew was coming, "yeah dad, we gon' win this shit."

"That's more like it!" He let out, "remember there ain't a damn thing you can't do. And you're braver than believe, smarter than you think, and stronger than you seem. Show up and show out tonight." My dad was a man of quotes. "I will." I let out, we talked a little while longer before hanging up.

Time had flown by and I knew I needed to get to the locker room and get changed, we had a game to win.