Running The Miles

Chapter 10

        I was contempt with the way things turned out. I wasn't a big fan with being on two football teams, and being on the college team was too much work. All I wanted was to play football, not be noticed. Now, everytime I change classes, people are always walking up to me and talking to me, asking mehow I've been, what I was doing this Friday. Frankly, it was starting to piss me off. These people wouldn't have even talked to me a week ago.

        Practices are the same. If anything, nothing changed. We still prank eachother with bleached shampoo in the showers, with mud in our trousers, and woopie cushions in our helmets. Even eggs in our coach's hat. We've won our games, we've gone through our practices, and so far, we've been marked as the undefeated team of the season. A first for this school's football team. The next game would be at the highschool uptown, the game before the final. If we win, we make it to the 'super bowl' as we call it. And we go against the ones who wear grey and purple. 

        After practice today we were planning on going to a paintball arena with the whole team. It would be on a huge open field with wooden forts, barracks, paintball guns, amo, cover, ziplines, poaintball grenades, armor, the whole bit. Just as a getaway, and also as an excuse to pummel each other. The coach would be there too. And then the next day, we would prepare for the game, in hopes of winning. 

        It's almost the end of practice now, and everyone is all hyped. We rented a schoolbus to take us to the arena. We decided to wait when it's dark, so we could use the glow in the dark paintballs, and so we could have the option of using laser guns. The grenades will create epic explosions.

        We arrive at the arena, and we head to the building to get our supplies. We had ordered pizza before we left, so we could eat dinner. I dont know why, but I think I'm the only one who like mushroom pizza. When that's done, we equip ourselves. It was like an unlimited stock of guns, laser guns, grenades, armor, everything. I got a helmet, armor to prevent the paintballs from hurting, a paintball sniper, a laser pistel, some grenades, night vision goggles, paint machine gun, and a smoke can. 

        Yeah, we're taking this seriously. 

        We grouped into pairs. I paired with Jody, number 3 on the team. Some people stayed by theirselves, they were the first targets. When nightfall came, everyone left the building, and moved through the field, running to campouts and hiding places. 

        The entire thing took several hours. I didnt get home till 11:00 pm. My team staked out every possible hiding place, and we took out all of the single teams. On the other side of the field, other teams were yelling, laughing and shooting at eachother. Splats of glowing paints of yellow, orange, green, etc were all over trees and people's armor. When you were shot, you went to the edge of the field where it was out of bounds, and you watched the rest of the game play out. 

        Our team and one other team were the last ones standing. For short, they won. Those cheaters had grabbed a bunch of smoke cans and went overload. We couldn't see a damn thing. Shot us to death. 

        When it was over, we went back to the building, talked, ate some more, laughed, and then went back to the buses to go home. The fun element only enhanced. 

        Tomorrow was the game. 

        Sense it was the determining game of the season, all football players got to leave in the middle of their second period classes to go to the field and prepare for the game. We did the warm-ups and drills, including several games of scrimmage where the coach pointed out some flaws in our positions and our plays, where we fized and went over them. 

        It seemed as if no time had passed before the stands started to fill with people, and the buses started to park in the parking lot. We were doing our runs when the colors of grey and purple came jogging out of their buses, hootin' and hollerin'. I wasn't intimidated. None of us were. It only made us that more excited. 

        Maybe this game would actually be a challenge. 

        When the whistle blew, the energy on the field increased immensely. I tackled down the person in front of me, it was their ball, so i ran for the quarter back. He was really slow to throw, because i tackled him to the ground. He lost the ball. I scrambled to pick it up, and I did. Our ball now. 

        This game was challenging though, despite the multiple fumbles. They fought dirty. The thing that was really a punch in the face, was the fact that we won by three points. 

        We started practicing even harder.