Days passed and as expected due to the short attention span of teenagers in general, all the drama reted tina didn't st more than a week and a few days. Gradually, the gossip about what happened faded away.
Also, sihe game of the season was about to happen, the animosity felt to my person by the male student popution ged to the usual pre-game mood.
By mid-October, the school hallways slowly filled up, surely due to the decision of the school cil, with Halloweeed decorations.
"So, are you going trick-or-treating this year?" Kat asked, o my locker in what had bee a regur event tely, surely also notig the increasing amount of decorations in the school hallway, with a smug smile.
"Oh, I think so," I replied shamelessly to her obvious attempt to embarrass me.
"Really?" Taken aback, surely not getting the response she expected, Kat asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I promised to go with Gabe," I said, "plus, a few dies as payment don't sound too bad," I tinued ironically.
"Yeah, not bad at all," Kat said, smiling slightly.
"Are you also going to take your brother for dies?" suddenly appearing from down the hallway, surprising both Kat and me alike, An calmly asked as he reached his locker.
"Yoing to give someone a heart attae of these days, man," I chided my friend, lightly tapping his shoulder iing. "Also?" I said, remembering his question, "Are you going to take Christian and Braxton?" I asked, dedug his response.
"Yeah, Mom's worried about Christian," my calm friend replied, anizing his things for the day.
"Well, then you should e with us. I'm sure Gabe will get along with them," I offered to my friend. "And the pany would be appreciated," I said again, lightly tapping An's shoulder, causing my usually stoic friend to smile a bit.
"You e too, Kat, only if you don't think going trick-or-treating with great pany is childish," I remihe present teenager, tinuing to take An, who still hadn't respoo my offer, into a shoulder hug, smiling exaggeratedly at the girl.
"Yeah, sure, why not. At least I'll get to meet another Dun guy and find out if they're all equally annoying," Kat sarcastically replied, adjusting her backpack, before leaving.
A moment after Kat disappeared into the growing crowd of teenagers, An, who hadn't said anything else, with a small chuckle, returned a weak tap to my shoulder. "You work fast, man. It hasn't evewo full weeks," he said with an almost imperceptible smile on his face.
"Oh, don't be gross, man," immediately uanding what he was implying, I said offended, "She's my friend, our friend," I tinued, "nothing more," I crified.
"Whatever you say," l the volume of his voice, An said ironically.
"What are you guys talking about?" immediately after, much louder than my calm friend, David arrived down the same hallway, asking cheerfully.
"Nothing," I quickly said, ign the knowing smile of my calm friend. Kat was certainly beautiful, but apart from being a great friend, I don't think I could see her any other way.
Again, a feassed without many ges in the daily routine. On Thursday, the day of the game of the seasoe having a small streak of losses, the stands were filled with spectators waiting for the game. In such a small town with few things happening, football season games were an ii, regardless of the result.
"They're out there thinking this game is easy," in the locker rooms, as a tradition, walking in front of my teammates, I said disapprovingly, receiving shouts of disagreement.
"They see a bunch of losers," I tinued, receiving the expected response from the other teenagers with a lot of shouts and insults directed towards the, frankly, even i opposing team.
"I want to ask you guys, is this game going to be easy for the other team?" I asked, shouting over the shouts of the other people, receiving aiegative from my teammates.
"Are we going to lose this game?" I asked again, receiviives from my teammates.
"So, who wants to go out there and show those idiots who the real losers are?" I asked immediately, receiving shouts from the excited teenagers.
"Let's go then," I tinued, making my appropriately fired up teammates quickly leave the locker room with excited shouts, banging their helmets as they trotted out of the room.
"Yettier every time," Mr. Cooper told me as he and I followed the others out of the locker room, "you know, if medie doesn't work out, you could do this for a living," the man tinued, putting his hand on my shoulder amusedly.
The game started after both teams ehe field. One person from the opposing team and I approached the head referee for the toss, unfortunately fav the opposing team, allowing them to choose the initial kickoff.
With the rest of my teammates, we watched as our defeeam prepared to stop the opposing team after the initial kick-off.
The game started, and we quickly found ourselves on the losing side of the scoreboard. With their first four downs, the opposing team somehow mao pass the defensive line, quickly sg the first touchdown of the game, and then using their try, they mao get ara point.
Encing the now crestfallen defeeam, along with my teammates, we went out to now catch the kick-off, after the initial whistle, An, who repared, mao catch the ball before quickly starting to run to the other endzone, surprisingly without help, he mao dodge tackle attempts on his way to almost thirty yards into the opposing team's midfield.
"Good job," along with my teammates, roached An to gratute the usually calm teenager.
After trying several pys, unfortunately, the score remaihe same for several minutes, while we failed to cover the ten yards giving up possession of the ball, fortunately, the defeeam mahis time to prevent the opposing team from sg again, allowing once again to make the ge.
With the new opportunity, trying not to waste each down, we mao advance a few yards, achieving a sed set of downs.
I down with a few seds left in the first quarter, being only ten yards from the end zone, seriously along with my teammates, we lined up, ign all the sweat on my face as I shouted orders to my teammates, I took a deep breath before shouting "set hut," initiating the cacophony of hits in front of me.
Taking a few steps back still with the ball in my hands, I moved looking for some free space among the pyers while my teammates pushed and cshed against the opposing team.
Geie, being physically overe by one of the tackles, fell to the ground, leaving space for the incredibly wide opposing pyer to run straight at me.
With a few seds before he reached me, I frantically searched ahead of me for the end zone, where a moment ter I found David raising his hands trying to separate from one of the opposing team's safeties, without thinking I immediately threw the ball being tackled practically the moment the ball left my hand.
"Eat some dirt, pretty boy," with the mouthguard in his mouth, it was difficult but I mao uand what the opposing team's tackle said, hitting my helmet while he was on top of me, a moment before he stood up releasing his weight from my chest.
Taking a little of the air that I now cked, I quickly stood up, hoping that my teammates were celebrating the touchdown to join them, unfortunately finding the opposite, beside me the opposing team's tackle ughing trotted to where his teammates were celebrating what seemed like an interception.
With the referee's whistle, both teams regrouped walking towards our locker rooms.
"That was an incredibly precise pass PJ, unfortuhe opposing safety was lucky enough to stretch his hand enough," Coach Cooper said, breaking an awkward silen the locker room.
"Now, what we're going to do to recover those points is as follows," apparently deg to ighe heavy feeling in the locker room, Coach Can to expin with the help of Coach Wilkins, who was drawing on a board with many arrows and figurines.
The game tinued following the coaches' instrus, and pying seriously both teams mao score several goals in the remaining quarters of the game.
I quarter with us in possession of the ball with five minutes left in the game, despite sg several touchdowns, the score was still in favor of the opposing team by four points.
After the third Doere owelve-yard line unsure of what to do, "get ready to ge position for the punt team," I said to those close enough to me before running to Coach Cooper who was discussing with Coach Wilkins.
Before I could get close enough, Coach Cooper from his pce with practiced gestures ordered me to go for it, he seemed sure of his decision while Coach Wilkins worriedly watched, we had enough time for the ge of possession and in the position we were everybody know you have to punt.
Following the coach's orders, I ran again with my teammates causing them to gather around me, "Coach says we're going for it," I said making my teammates, like me, surprised by the decision.
"Stupid breie muttered with annoyance beside me, speaking loud enough for seemingly only me to hear what he said.
Looking again at Coach Cooper, who had a fident look on his face, I quickly searched for Mrs. Cooper, who always attehe games alongside my mom. She seemed equally fident, uhe other spectators eared disgruntled with the coach.
If this decision was based on something Sheldon said, there might be a mathematical reason behind it.
Aowledging this fact, I felt much more secure about the py. "Power left jumbo owo owo, ready?" I asked, and immediately my teammates responded by shouting "break" in unison.
Breaking the huddle, we all trotted to our positions, lining up opposite the opposing team. The drums and trumpets of the band were loudly pying, and so were the cheers of the cheerleaders, where Regina and her friends were no longer part of.
"And the Wolves are going for it on the fourth down," the announcer said over the speakers iadium, elig appuse from the spectators, seemingly out of courtesy.
"You didn't have enough, eh, Goldilocks?" tauhe opposing team's defensive lineman from the line, ughing dryly. "I'm ing for you," he tinued rudely pointi.
Prepared in our positions and having shouted the ain, I prepared to receive the ball. "Set hut!" I yelled a few seds before receiving the ball.
The py tion py; I was going to either hand off or fake hand off the ball to my fullback, An, depending on the rea of the defensive line.
Notig a gap where I could run, I decided to fake the handoff and try to run on my own.
Managing to advance a few steps, I thought I was going to make it until suddenly a strong hit from my side knocked me to the ground quickly.
"I told you, Goldilocks, you're mine," I heard the annoyingw teenager's voiearby, ughing before my head was rudely pushed back to the ground again.
"Hey!," I heard a buny teammates shout as I quickly got up, trying to stop any attempt at a fight. A momehere was another collective shout, but this time of surprise. Turning quickly to find out what had happened, I found the opposing tackler on the ground in a very unfortable position while An somehow had him subdued on the ground with one of the tackler's arms trapped between his legs.
"Let him go, An, it's okay," I quickly said, trying to avoid any kind of san.
Fortunately, my usually calm friend heard my plea, releasing the arm of the much broader pyer and pushing him a sed ter before he could get up.
I hoped that at least the teammates of the opposing tackler would try something ialiation, but strahey only looked worriedly scared at An, even some of our teammates looked at him the same way.
"You okay?" I asked my friend, pulling him gently by the helmet. "Yeah, I got your back," An responded seriously and a bit agitated.
"Yeah, I tell," I said jokingly, nudging his helmet.
A momehe referee blew his whistle. I was sure we would be penalized for An's as as I walked with my teammates troup and prepare to switch with the defeeam.
"Too many men on the field, defehe referee shouted, throwing a yellow fg. "Repy fourth down," he said, to everyone's surprise on the field.
"What?" I asked incredulously while still standing. Hadn't they seen what An did?
While the pyers from the opposing team argued with the referee, even taking the tackler with them, I gestured to the coach to see what we should do.
As Coach Cooper seemed to pte the decision, Coach Wilkins seemed to say something serious to him.
After Coach Cooper respoo something visibly displeasing to Coach Wilkins, he signaled me to repeat the py.
The arguments from the opposing team didn't ge the referee's opinion, so the fourth down was repyed.
"Set hut!" After we reformed in the formation, I shouted agaiing the same option py, this time handing the ball off to An and running in the opposite dire, pretending I still had the ball to deceive the other pyers.
Fortunately, I could hear the crowd starting to cheer excitedly moments after An received the ball.
Dodging the other pyers and running much faster than I could have, An carried the ball down the field "he's at the thirty," the announcer shouted as A running, "the twenty, the ten, touchdown, Wolves!" the man shouted, causing the spectators iands to rise excitedly, cheering along with us on the field.
Running with my teammates, we surrounded An, who, despite panting from the sudden sprint, maintained his calm expression, receivi taps as gratutions.
The celebration sted several seds more before the referee made us stop.
After sg another extra point by field goal, we went out to allow the defeeam to enter, everyoill excited by An's feat.
"That's what I was talking about, well done son," proud Coach Cooper arrived o An, pressing his shoulder and shaking him slightly.
Sittio me, An with an almost imperceptible smile silently stretched out his fist waiting for a blow that I happily gave.
Apparently inspired by An's run, the defeeam mao stop the opposing team's attempts, quickly allowing us to ehe field again.
The scoreboard didn't ge even though we had advanced several tens of yards before the final whistle sounded, allowing us to finally celebrate a won game after some lost matches.
After bidding farewell to the opposing team, we ehe locker rooms again, still excitedly celebrating our sed victory of the season, my teammates and even I shouting with excitement.
"Okay, okay," Coach Cooper ehe locker room with the game ball in his hand and a big smile on his face, trying to quiet the shouts and ts of my teammates.
After a few seds , he finally succeeded. "Incredible game, guys, great run, Treveiler," Coach Cooper said, pointing at An. "I have a feeling this is the beginning of a winning streak to e," the man tinued seriously, causing my teammates to cheer again. "But for now, what you guys o do is hit the showers, it stinks in here," Mr. Cooper said after a moment of silence admiring the game ball with a wide smile.
Letting my teammates leave the locker room, I approached Coach Cooper in his office, who was still looking at the ball in his hand. "You should wash it before handing it over," I said, surprising the man.
"What?" he asked, not uanding.
"The ball, Sheldon won't accept it if it's dirty. You should wash it," I said, smiling at his incredulous look. Now I uood House; it's fun to show you know something you shouldn't know. Before Mr. Cooper could ask anything, I bid him goodbye, quickly walking to the showers.
After everyone ed off the sweat and dirt from the game, we returo the lockers.
"An, are you some kind of ninja?" Suddenly brave, David asked, catg the attention of many present.
"Yeah," my calm friend responded with a hint of sarcasm, ign the strange looks from everyone as he dressed calmly.
"Yeah, I thought so," David said cheerfully, apparently ign the sarcasm in An's response. Brock, beside David, tapped the back of his head as a reprimand. "What?" David asked sincerely puzzled. "We all saw what he did; it was like a ninja from the movies. One sed he was walking towards the stupid ogre, and the he had him on the ground with his arm about to break," David said, making exaggerated movements.
"There's a movie my mom watches about a man who does the same; he's like a super spy," one of our teammates said. "But like the neck-breaker type," making a strange h his mouth, the same teenager said, aggressively moving his head on one side with the help of haures.
"It's just a wrestling move," An said, closing his locker firmly, symbolically ending the versation. "Whatever it is, it retty cool," David said, supported by everyone.
When everyone except my four friends at my request, finished dressing. "Let's go grab some pizza," I said, grabbing my things. "I'll drive," I said, pying with the key to 'Debbie' on my finger.
"Yeah," Brock said excitedly, also grabbing his things and walking out of the locker room. "I'll let my parents know," he tinued before disappearing much faster than I had ever seen him run.
"I will too," David and Geie said equally excitedly, also leaving the locker room.
"Well, then, I have to go too," An said calmly, taking his things from the bench. "Yeah, I'm sure your parents didn't e today either," I said, forcibly hugging my friend's shoulder. "Let's go; I have to tell my mom," I said to my friend, dragging him out of the locker room.
"I don't have any money with me, PJ," Aantly said, easily removing my arm from his shoulder.
"I'm inviting you; I didn't ask if you had money," I said, pulling the teenager bader my arm, squeezing tighter this time.
"No, PJ," An tried to remove my arm again, saying, "none of that. Don't be stupid, An. We're friends for a reason. I got your back, remember?" I repeated his words, amused, making him stop struggling to break free.
"Mom, Mrs. Cooper" ing up o Mom who was chatting happily with Mrs. Cooper and Geie, "gratutions PJ" Mrs. Cooper said happily while carrying Geie's backpack, "Thank you Mrs. Cooper" I respoo the woman.
"Oh, PJ, that was an incredible game," excitedly, Mom jumped up, hugging me. "What's your friend's name?" she asked after letting go of me. "An," I quickly replied, dedug what Mom was about to do from her body nguage. "An, that st run was impressive. e here," pulling An into a hug too, Mom tinued, firming my dedu.
It was amusing to see my incredibly skilled in fights friend being easily handled by a woman the size of my mother. "Although what you did with the opposing pyer was wrong, young man," Mrs. Cooper, always religious, scolded my friend, who seemed unsure how to react again. "Yes, it was, but I uand you did it food reason. I saw how that goril treated PJ," letting go of the hug, Mom said, softening the scolding from Mrs. Cooper a bit.
"Yeah, I wasn't looking for a fight," surprisingly embarrassed, An admitted, avoiding Mrs. Cooper's judgmental gaze.
"Well, Geie here says yoing for pizza," Mrs. Cooper spoke again, inquisitively. "Yeah, I take him home, Mrs. Cooper," I assured the woman, who silently thanked me with a smile befiving some bills to her son.
"Then give me your backpack, PJ," excitedly, Mom said. "An, don't you have to ask your parents if you go?" looking towards the stands, Mom asked, surely trying to expand her circle of friends.
"My parents couldn't make it," An calmly expined. "Oh, that's too bad," Mom said sadly, probably for not being able to meet more people. "Well, do you need more money?" Mom asked, taking her purse. "No, I got it," I quickly said, avoiding her pulling out her wallet. "But if you take An's backpack too, that would be perfect. We swing by to pick it up ter," I said, practically snatg the backpack from An's hands, who seemed especially nervous about letting go of his bag.
With my friend's backpa my hand, I noticed it was surprisingly heavier than mine. "You know, Mom, why don't we apany you to drop the backpacks off in your car, and when you get home, you ask Gabe or Dad for help so you don't have to carry anything," hanging my friend's backpack over my shoulder, I said.
"Always so siderate," probably due tnanones, Mom said, inhaling through her nose and wiping her eyes.
After apanying the two women to their cars, we regrouped with my other three friends before heading to the parking lot where 'Debbie' was waiting.
Brock, who was the biggest of my friends, sat in the passenger seat, while my other friends sat in the back of the car. And since Brock was sitting in the front, he had the mission of choosing the music disc that would py on our way from the variety that Kat made me buy.
Eating pizza at the local joint wasn't much different from any other day in the cafeteria, except this time it was to celebrate the victory of a game.
The versation practically revolved around what happened several minutes ago in the game.
"We could go to the arcade ime. I went with my siblings the other day, and it's a fun pce," as I drove after eating, towards David's house, I said, receiving positive responses from my friends.
After dropping off David and Brock at their homes, before I could drop An off at his own house, I had to go get his backpack at my house. Upon arriving in front of the house, I parked the car, allowing Geie, who had won the fro, to get out before letting An out.
"See you tomorrow," Geie said excitedly, as a farewell, walking to his house.
"You really are neighbors," An said amused, watg Geie enter his house. "Yeah, sometimes my dad and Coach Cooper have barbecues; you should e to one," I said to my friend, walking towards my house.
"I'm home," I announced upoering, greeting Bob who was sitting on the couch reading his i magazine. "Oh, champ, I heard gratutions are in order," Bob said, getting up, affeately patting my shoulder. "And you're An, right?" smiling kindly at my friend, Bob also patted his shoulder. "Yes, sir, o meet you, sir," straightening his back, An quickly said. "Wow," taken by surprise, Bob said, "I'm Bob, champ," tinuing Bob said joking about my friend's as.
"I heard you guys went for pizza, but if you want to stay for dinner, you're pletely invited," Bob said kindly.
"Oh no, I don't want to be a bother; we just ate, and we had a lot of pizza, but thank you very much for the invitation," matg the man's kindness, An deed the offer.
"Pizza?" before Bob could say anything, from behind him, through the hallway that ects the rooms in the house, Gabe shouted incredulously, "you went for pizza and didn't invite me?" with a hurt expression on his face, he asked again.
"Sorry, kiddo, it was just for those who were at today's game. I don't recall seeing you there," I immediately replied to the little boy, although I knew he couldn't go because of his music csses.
"I was in music css," offended, he said, raising his hands.
"ht," I said, pretending not to remember that fact as I shrugged.
"I'll remember this," raising his finger, Gabe threatened before running back to our room.
"Do you know where An's backpack was left, Dad?" I asked Bob. "Yeah, your brother took it to your room," the man replied, giving my shoulder o press before walking back to the couch.
"Let's go get your backpack," I said to my friend, who followed me a few steps behind. "What's all that otion?" as we passed by Teddy's door, it suddenly opened, letting out the usual music racket from my sister's room.
"Did yht pizz—" Teddy was saying but upon seeing someone she didn't reize in front of her, she suddenly fell silent, letting out a small, sharp scream and quickly closing her door.
"Your sister?" An asked amused.
"Yeah did you also see her face peeling off?" after nodding at my friend's question, I asked.
Thinking erroneously that she was safe inside her own house, Teddy, upon opening her bedroom door, had some kind of wet paper c her face along with some tubes of pstic holding her hair in a strange hairstyle.
"Let's ighe fact that my sister's face was pletely falling off; a's get your backpack," I tinued amused, walking to my room.
After getting my friend's backpack, I took him to his house. After being there at least three different times, I already khe way to get to his street by heart. "See you," befetting out of the car, An calmly said, bidding farewell with a fist bump.
Standing at the beginning of his garden, it seemed like An wasn't going to move until I left his street. Uanding that he possibly didn't wao see or hear something in his house, I relutly moved out of the street, watg my calm friend follow 'Debbie' with his gaze until he was no longer visible.
---
Author's Thoughts:
As always, I'm not Ameri and not a doctor.
If anyone was expeg Kat to have a romantic retionship with the MC, I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen, at least I didn't pn in that way. Obviously, as the retionship develops, there may be mixed feelings from one or both parties, but I won't delve into that topic. Why? It's necessary for some points in the plot that their retionship remains a close friendship, nothing more.
From now on, there will be a few time skips. Since I follow the timeline of the "Young Sheldon" show, there are some things that don't align, so I'll make them up. Certais in the world's development occur on specific dates, and I wouldn't want to ge those things. I may also leave out some things reted to the development of the "Young Sheldon" series, simply to make my job easier.
In terms of shows episodes, in "Young Sheldon," we're only on Season 1, Episode 5. There are still a feters (of the novel) left before it jumps to Season 2 of the show to take aep in world and character development.
I'm very ied in having the friendship with An evolve for future importas. Given the family I pced him in, many probably imagihe general aspect of these events (while writing this chapter, I imagined a development with this character that I'll have to review in my notes for what I have pnned; it could be iing or not; I read theories).
I know what a face mask is; I have sisters, and although it may seem strange, I've used them. They're really like a wet wipe for your face.
I'm ied in knowing what you think so far. If I could divide this first volume into ses, I would say I'm about to finish the first se of this volume, with possibly two more to e.
With that said,
I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.
Thank you for reading! :D
PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.
