Don't Go Through Life Without Field Goals

Three Years With No Luck

Three years. That is how long I have waited for my dad to find me a flag football team to be accepted to. Three years of waiting. And the search still continues. We have not found one football team that would take me. Three years. And still, no luck.

"Connie! Supper is ready!" My mom called, from down the stairs of our two-story, brick house. After I ran a brush through my long, dirty blond hair, I jogged down the stairs to see my red-headed mom and my muskular dad sitting at the table.

"Where's Matt?" I asked, noticing his seat was empty. Matt is my older brother. He's seventeen, which is only four years older than me.

"He'll be here in a minute." My mom assured me. "He's at the creek, getting some wood for a bonfire that he's inviting his friends to." As if on cue, Matt bursted through the doors, dirt all over his new jeans and a gray (now a black color) shirt.

"Sorry it took me so long, mom." He huffed, out of breath. Clearly, he had been running.

"That's okay, Matt. Go wash up." She ordered. While passing by me, he ruffled my hair and when up the stairs. I sat at the far end of the table so he could sit on the other side and mom and dad could sit in front of each other.

"Any luck finding a football team?" My dad asked, taking a seat while my mother set the table.

"No, but I didn't expect anything different." I mumbled, keeping my eyes on the table.

"Keep looking, I'm sure there's one somewhere." He offered.

"Yeah, right." I breathed. Before my dad could protest, Matt was walking back into the room, taking a seat across from mine. When my mother was finished setting the table with our white plates and silver forks, she took her own seat and we began passing around bowls that held pork chops, greenbeans, and mac-and-cheese.

"Any luck?" Matt asked, sounding like he already knew the answer. I shook my head and my father cleared his throat.

"I knew pork chops are your favorite." Mom said.

"Mmm-hmm." I grumbled, my mouth full. This is what was always wrong when we tried to eat. Everyone wanted to bring up the fact that I havn't found a team yet, so it made me have a bad mood. Everyone knew how much I love football, so this was the only time of the day we try to bring it up.

The rest of our meal was silent and me and Matt took up everyone's dishes. It was our turn to clean. Before I could gather the damp rag to wash the table and counter tops, Matt was already finished with that. Next, I washed dishes and he dries and puts them up.

"Still no luck, huh?" He asked, trying to keep his voice down so our parents couldn't here us.

"Nope." I mumbled, passing him a white plate.

"It's okay, Connie. I'm sure you'll find a team, soon." He soothed, placing the plate in the pantry and drying the next.

"Don't hold your breath." I snapped. He chuckled, under his breath, and I clenched my jaw.

"I'll keep looking, too." He said.

"Thanks, Matt, but we both know that's a waste of time." I groaned. It may seem like I'm a brat, but I'm so sick of looking for a team. This has been going on for two years (the other year I spent practicing).

"Mabby not." He offered a smile and I faked one, walking back to my room. After I shut the door, I took my touch screened phone and found my best friend, Nicole, under my contacts. Nicole is head cheerleader of her school with brown hair and hazel eyes.

After the third ring, she answered.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey, Nicole. It's Connie." I said, flopping on my bed.

"Hey, Connie!" She chirped. "Any luck with the football thing."

"No." I mumbled. It was easyer to talk to Nicole about it rather than my family.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She didn't sound as happy now.

"It's fine, I'm used to it." I let a small giggle out of my lips.

"You know, I can try to get you on the cheerleading team." She offered. I tried to picture me in a short skirt and a half top and smiled to myself.

"No thanks." I chuckled. "I think I'll just keep looking for a football team. You can have fun with your tumbling and stunts."

"Fine, but you'll come watch one day, right?" She asked.

"Of course! As long as you come to one of my games."

"Duh, I have to check out the boys that will be on your team!"

"Nicole! What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Nicole!"

"Just kidding." She laughed.

"Why do you always have to bother me?" I demanded.

"Because it's so easy."

"Nicole!"

"Fine, fine. I'm done!" She announced. "Hey, I have practice in the morning so I'll call you after, okay?"

"Sure, bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and checked the time. It was 8:34, so I thought I would go to bed early. When my football pajama pants and a black tank top covered my body, I slid under the warmth of my blue bed sheets as sleep took over.