Loving Storm

12. First Time

"Blue 42...Blue 42...hut!"

Football practice took place after school on the Broadhollow field that stood on a terrain of five acres, the largest property owned by the school. It was the beginning of the football season, and already four players were absent, Todd, Peter, and the twins Kyle and Lucas. It was strange. The Wolverines had a big game coming up—now was the worst time to skip practice. Coach Barley made it priority to remind them of his previous life as a military drill sergeant and recited the vows of being a Wolverine.

Hudson was stretching his arms out on the field his cheeks glistening of sweat and a bright pink from the sun's heat as he looked across the field. Liam had stopped the drill abruptly now bending over and vomiting violently on the ground.

Coach blew the whistle, now marching towards him from the bleachers. "Who gave you permission to vomit on the field?!"

Liam straightened himself up wiping away at his mouth, but within seconds he was bent over again heaving. This time he ran holding his stomach towards the locker room. Hudson recalled, Peter this morning was in and out of the bathroom and now, during practice, he was running in the same direction as Liam.

Either this was just an eerie coincidence, the universe proving there were consequences to every bad deed you commit or they were all suffering a bad case of food poisoning. Liam and his passé of arrogant jocks had taken their shots at him and his girlfriend. Now they were paying for it.

"Walker!!!" Coach Barley hollered, a face as angry as a failed once upon a time football athlete.

"Get your ass over here!"

Hudson jogged over, his cleats stabbing into the dirt.

"You're taking Henderson's place," Coach Barley commanded.

Coach Barley continued his speech, explaining what the star quarterback is supposed to do as if Hudson hadn't been playing football since freshman year.

He glanced over at the bleachers and spotted Storm and Jack, they came to watch him and he was replacing the quarterback. An instant rush of pride consumed him, this was an opportunity to impress Storm to make sure she kept her eyes on him and didn't wander off with the many guys that were after her.

He waved at them from afar with a bright smile, his blonde hair glistening under the sun. He noticed his usual admirers on the other side of the bleachers, the girls he knew since the first grade. They were townie girls, popular girls that desired him for the all American small town gentleman he was. But they knew very well his heart belonged to Storm Pierce, the rebellious wild child every girl hated but every guy wanted.

He jogged towards the water boy where his helmet lied awaiting him on the grass and secured it on his head.

"Hudson!" Hudson turned to see Storm standing in the bleachers cheering him on and sending a big heart written in the air towards him. Jack shouted "Kill em Huds! Knock their fuckin teeth out!"

Hudson laughed and shook his head, he couldn't imagine a better moment in his life than that moment—his life was utterly perfect. And for a second he felt fear, no ones life could be that perfect. Not for too long and certainly not forever.

"Four down, six more to go," Jack said under his breath.

Storm looked at him. "What?"