Ever Since

Bradley

"Falcons!" I scream. "The crowd wants us and were going to give them a hell of a show they won't forget because we are the motherfucking best! Bring it in!"

"See, Attack, Achieve!" We say together.

"Let's get them!" I shout and we storm out the locker rooms filled with pure adrenaline. We stand in the hallway waiting to step out one when the announcer calls our name.

Breathe.

A roar sounds from the crowd and the blinding lights dim until it's pitch black except for hundreds of flashlights coming to life like little stars shinning from the stands. It's probably my favorite moment pre-game, it always runs chills through my body.

I'm last in line for the call-out and being the final one is nerve racking but I try to appear unfazed because the team need and expects it from me.

Show time. Breathe. You got this.

They run out one by one and before I know it, I'm the only one left, standing on the edge of the hall in front of the massive field.

"Cal State!" The announcer says and the crowd shouts and a few hundred new flashes turn on. "I think you all know who is missing out on this beautiful field"

My heart is beating fast so I close my eyes and get in the zone. I take a deep breathes in and blow them out, listening to the crowd call my name.

"Number...23!" The announcer says while the video montage of my best moments plays but my eyes are hyper focused on the stand I know Loren is going to be.

The video is over and I jump up and down and get ready to be called out.

"Our leading man, the heart and soul of the Falcons, the future NFL quarterback... Bradley...!" The announcer yells and the crowd shouts back "Underwood!"

I run out and the second I hit the grass, the stadium lights shine in their full brightness. The amount of students at this college game is unbelievable, it actually runs goosebumps on me when I see so many faces.

God damn.

"Underwood! Underwood!" The crowd calls and I wave in every section until I reach the rest of the team in the middle of the field. The opposing team is standing a few feet next to us as we prepare to sing the national anthem.

A girl comes up to the microphone and we sing along with her. While I'm singing I try to find Loren in the stand across from me where I know I saved her a seat.

I try to scan the rows but it's hard to focus without making it too obvious that I'm looking for someone when the huge screens around the stadium are fixated on me.

She has to be here...

I spot a flashlight moving back and forth and smile when I see Lexie along with Indie and Jade. I nod towards them so they know I saw and feel my heart skip a beat when I notice the unmistakable empty seat next to Indie. I don't know how I didn't see it earlier.

I catch a glimpse at myself on the screen and it looks like I've seen a ghost.

Fuck, I hope something didn't happen to her. No way she forgot about this. Shit. Shit!

"The land of the free and the home of the brave" We sing and the race to our positions.

"Let's go!" Wesley yells while clapping his hands.

"Focus, Falcons!" I shout trying to mask how stressed I am. "Let's bring it home!"

Before getting in position, I glimpse over at the stand and now that I've noticed the empty seat, it's all I see.