Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte

Author:Robert Lipsyte [Lipsyte, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-02-08T13:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

On Sunday, the e-mails starting piling up from screen names he didn’t recognize. He never got that many messages except from the football coaches and managers, mostly schedules and reminders and pep talks. He was no writer, so he never encouraged e-pals. He preferred quick cell phone calls or even text messages. But by the time he checked, late on a long, sluggish Sunday, there were at least two dozen unopened messages. The sight of them drained what little energy was starting to seep back from protein shakes and amphetamines. He hadn’t felt like eating and his ribs ached. The Vics were making him nauseous.

Dad had left early for a wedding. After a while, Mom and Junie had given up trying to drag him out of bed. They were going to church and then to a town fair. Junie loved fairs. But there was no way Matt was going to be around people today.

Brody had called to invite him over to watch the NFL games on his monster plasma screen, but Matt said he had to go with Mom and Junie. Brody forgot lies, too. The thought of Mrs. Heinz in her bikini made him remember last night. What happened? Am I losing it? I’m not gay. Was it the steroids? Who could you ask about that? Monty? Feel weird.

What did Sarah really think about a guy who couldn’t get it up? Mandy called her a fag hag. Maybe that’s why she likes me.

He’d pushed her out of his mind and slapped the mattress until Romo understood she was welcome to jump onto the bed. They snuggled for a while, then went downstairs to cuddle on the couch and watch the games. These guys are so huge, Matt thought, so ripped and fast, so willing to sacrifice their bodies on every play. Imagine the drugs they were taking. What do I have to do to get to the NFL? Switch to cornerback? Gain fifty pounds?

After the Giants game, he’d caught the back end of a Yankee doubleheader. He loved Jeter. Class and talent and guts. And a real captain and role model. Didn’t have to call meetings and yell at guys, he thought, just showed them how to act by example. Baseball was my game, too, until the football trophies started coming in. Man, I loved the outfield, all alone until suddenly you are the only one between the ball and an extra-base hit. Some great catches sophomore year on the JV, hitting a ton. They brought me up to the varsity for the final two games of the season. Got hot.

But Dad and Coach Mac said he had to make a choice. The lifting programs for baseball and football were different, and spring football practice was too important to miss. This is the age of specialization, said Coach Mac. You’ve got to pay the price, Matt. Dad thought his chances for a full ride in Division One were better in football than baseball. More scholarships available. More TV exposure.

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