Untamed by Lauren Landish

Author:Lauren Landish [Landish, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-07T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Aubrey - High School - Senior Year

The stands look nearly empty, but it’s still the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of. I mean, Great Falls High plays in a stadium that seats eight thousand . . . and State U’s stadium seats over fifty thousand. Tough for our little town to fill that many seats, even if everyone and their long-lost cousins attended.

I’m not worried about most of the fifteen thousand people in attendance. I’m worried about the Barton defense, which has been giving me hell this second half with their whip-fast adjustments. Their head coach was a pro in his younger days, and his defense plays like he’s drilled their playbooks into their heads.

We line up, and I take the snap, dropping back five steps just like I’m supposed to. I’ve grown another inch over the past year, and I can see over the defensive line, easily seeing Brett already with two steps on his guy. I let it go and watch as Brett takes it in stride, running as fast as he can . . . Touchdown!

I do a little dance as I run up the field to congratulate Brett, banging helmets with him. “Fuck, yeah!” Brett screams as the crowd cheers. “Title’s ours!”

His prediction proves right as the final seconds tick off the clock and we win the 2A State Championship for the first time in our school’s history. Dozens of fans crowd around me, pounding me on the back as they yell their congratulations.

“Good game, O’Day!” says one while I bro-hug with Roger Illium, the linebacker who’s led the defense all year. He’s got the MVP ball, and he earned it with two sacks and an interception that was a key turning point in our favor.

“Yeah,” Roger adds. “Glad you finally pulled up and I could stop carrying you. My back was starting to hurt.”

“Fuck you,” I laugh back, but Coach Orton runs up as we laugh, maybe more excited than any of his players. Then again, he’s been coaching high school ball for twenty-five years and this is his first state title. “Boys, you both worked your asses off today and earned this win.” He smiles wide, a little lost in the moment, just soaking it all in, but then he seems to remember he had a mission. “Oh, Roger . . . there’s a man from the paper wanting an interview with you. And Aubrey, I need to talk to you for a moment alone.”

I scan the crowd, wishing I could find Ana, but it’s a madhouse around us on the field. Where is she? The disadvantage of falling in love with a short girl, I guess. That’s okay. If I don’t see her, I know she’ll be waiting with my folks right outside the locker room like we arranged.

I’ve been with Coach a long time, and this is the cherry on the top of our years of work, so I take the moment he asks for. “Sure, Coach.”

Coach leads me toward the goalposts, where the crowd’s thin.

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