Chapter 1: The Same Deep Water as You

To say that it was hot as hell outside probably would have been a vast understatement. It was hotter. Hotter than hell—or at least, that's what I liked to think. I fanned my face with my hand as I walked the familiar path from the asphalt parking lot to the football field with my kid sister, Sheryl, in tow. Well, if I was being honest, Sheryl was several paces ahead of me skipping toward the field, but that was just a minor detail. What really mattered was that we practically lived on the football field, even before Mama had left us. But now it was just Sheryl, Coach, and I. A broken family held together by one thing: football.

I didn't even want to think what would happen to our family if that game was no longer a part of our lives. You see, Daddy was the head coach of the Hammond High School football team—and they were pretty damn good, thanks to my daddy. Sheryl, was a spitfire at nine years old, helped Coach out with the team; but it was obvious that she lacked frequent interactions with a motherly figure. I tried my best—but that wasn't my job. I was only seventeen years old and on the football field, I preferred to observe—not wanting to get too caught up in the game, despite my harbored passion for it.

I was already made fun of enough simply for all the time I spent on the gridiron by both boys and girls. High school was rough enough as it is and I didn't need to make it any worse. I knew my classmates would think less of me if they knew I could throw a football just as well as most of the boys on the team—maybe even better. Well, there was one person who knew; but I had sworn him to secrecy when we were little and so far, he hadn't betrayed my secret…yet. Although, I wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last.

Sheryl started to run farther ahead of me onto the practice field while I sat down on the bench nearest to the shade. I was here because I had to be, not because I wanted to be…or at least, that's what I wanted people to think. If I was being completely honest, I was really looking forward to seeing the team win this year. We had a good team. They were going to win state, I just knew it. As I sat down on the bench I adjusted my blouse which was sticking to skin, it was so humid. Summers in Alexandria could be brutal.

I reached into my book bag and pulled out my copy of Pride and Prejudice before I began to fan myself with it. At least good literature was good for something, right? I'm just kidding. I'm a bit of a bookworm in between my tomboyish ways. Yet another reason for the girls to make fun of me. I haven't exactly been trained to be ladylike or a future homemaker. Coach ain't much of a lady and Mama ain't around. So, I've been teaching myself…fine, more like miserably failing at teaching myself. While my Mama may have abandoned us, she did have some influence over me and a love of literature was one of those things. But I would much rather read the book than fan myself with it. So I looked around me to see if there was anyone watching.

The coast looked clear, so I dug in my bag once more and pulled out the Hammond baseball cap Coach had given me for my birthday two years ago. I piled my long sandy-blonde hair on the top of my head before pulling the baseball cap over. I opened my book up to the page I had marked.

Pride and Prejudice was only my favorite books as cliché as that may sound. I tried to read it at least once every summer break since I was fourteen. There was just something about Elizabeth Bennett's relationship with Mr. Darcy that makes one's heart swoon. While I had never gone steady with anyone, I really was a romantic at heart. It's not that I didn't want to go steady with anyone, it's just that…well, Coach could be a bit intimidating.

I heard that Alan once was going to ask me to a dance, not even going steady or anything, just a dance; but whatever Coach told him convinced him not to. I tried talking to Coach about it, but he just denied anything ever happened. I still think Coach sees me as a little girl, not as a nearly grown woman who was probably going to leave him for college next year—to pursue some sort of degree that I was pretty sure would once again make me the odd-one-out in a man's world.I was going to be a senior in high school this year, not starting the third grade; but I suppose that's just daddies for you: overprotective.

I adjusted the brim of my baseball cap before I turned my attention back to my book. I was to the part where Mr. Bingley came back for Jane. And soon I'd be to my favorite part: Elizabeth and Darcy finally admitting their love for each other. Sometimes I wish a Mr. Darcy would swoop-in and find me, but then I got a reality-check and realized that there were no Mr. Darcy's in front of me, especially not on the gridiron. I turned the page when I was rudely interrupted.

"Hey there, Julie," Gerry Bertier greeted me.

I looked up to find him standing right in front of me. Shielding my eyes, I commented, "You're blocking my sun."

Gerry chuckled to himself and sat right beside me on the bench. I rolled my eyes and turned so that my back was to him. I tried to continue reading my book, but he obviously wasn't giving up. Instead of giving up, the obnoxious boy started to poke at my back until I turned around and glared at him. He just smiled. "What ya, readin'?"

"None of your beeswax, Bertier."

"C'mon, Juju don't be rude. I'm sure Coach won't like about hearin' 'bout you bein' rude to his best player."

"First of all, it's Julie. Ju—lee. Not Juju. Just because you heard my kid sister calls me that, doesn't mean you get to. Second, the only way Coach would find out is if you told him. Thirdly, if you really think you're his best player, you've got another thing coming, Bertier. You hardly rank in Daddy's top ten."

I turned my back toward him once more. He remained silent for a moment as I hoped he didn't see through my blatant lie. Gerry Bertier was by far Coach's best player, but there was no way in hell I was going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I thought so. Gerry Bertier was probably the most self-centered, egotistical, arrogant boy on the team. Well, besides Ray, but Gerry was in a close second.

It was funny because Gerry and I were friends when we were younger. We both had a parent walk out on us, giving us something to bond over. He used to come over to the house quite a bit. Most folks thought he was working on his game with Coach, which was partly true; but he also used to come over to play with me, but when we got to high school things changed. He became the popular, well-liked football player while our friendship was left trailing in his dust. Not to mention that his girlfriend was probably the person who hated me most. He claimed he was just in a hard place with Emma, but really he should just man-up and not let her dominate his life. But then again, going steady with someone meant that you had certain hold on someone else and sometimes stooped to their level of pettiness.

"You stayin' for practice?" Gerry asked breaking the silence.

"You already know the answer to that," I retorted.

"Hey, I'm tryin' to be nice here."

"What would your girlfriend think of you bein' nice." Gerry didn't answer. I turned my head to look back at him, as he appeared deep in thought, but I just shook my head at him. "That's what I thought."

I roughly stood up, not even noticing my book fall from my lap. I just wanted to get away from that boy who infuriated me. I stormed away from the immature football player across the field toward the table where my sister was filling up cups of water for the team. Coach was over there too, talking with her as she worked. I only hoped he didn't see me stomping away from Gerry, otherwise, I was in for some trouble. But it's not like housework was much of a punishment. I already was doing most of the housework: cooking, cleaning, laundry, and babysitting; but Coach's silence and disappointed looks were enough to drive one mad.

I was almost to the table when I hear Gerry Bertier calling my name from behind me. I groaned before I turned around to see him hurtling toward me, with my book in his hand. I stop and fold one arm across my chest while I hold the other one out for him to place the book in.

"You forgot this," he said.

"I can see that," I retorted holding my hand out to take it back. "Give it here."

"Pride and Prejudice; what's it about?"

"Something you and your tiny brain can never possibly begin to understand." I attempted to snatch the book from his hand, but he then held it above my head. I couldn't reach the thing. I jumped a few times to get it, but he then just raised it higher. So, I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. He smiled at me before he handed the book back, saying that he was just teasing. I gave him a fake smile before I turned around on my heel and walked toward my little sister, Sheryl.

"You're welcome!" Gerry called after me. I raised my hand in the air to acknowledge his response. If my sister and Coach hadn't been there, I would've considered being very unladylike and flipped him the bird; but I refrained. I walked over to the table and took one of the paper cups filled with water and drank it quickly. Sheryl yanked at my arm causing the paper cup to go flying to the grass.

"Hey! That's for the team," Sheryl complained.

"I'm close enough to being part of the team," I responded. Sheryl gave me a pointed look. She had near perfected that look and no doubt she had learned it from me.

"You know what I mean."

"Do I? Maybe I have amnesia or something."

"You'd better be nicer to me or I'll tell Coach you was arguin' with Gerry Bertier again." Damn, she was good. For being nine, she was already becoming a professional at manipulation. But I really didn't want to get in trouble again. I was still in trouble from two practices ago for arguing with Gerry in front of Coach. For once I just wanted to be on Coach's good side. For once I wanted to show him that I was capable of some maturity and that there was a reason he depended on me as much as he did. It was just that everything Bertier did made my blood boil. I leaned close to my sister's ear.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing now, but you'll know when I do."

"Fine." Coach walked up to us and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Was that Gerry bringing you your book back?" Coach asked. I nodded my head in response, not really wanting to voice the words. "Nice boy; he's a real nice boy."

I bit my tongue as Sheryl looked over to me with a smirk on her face. She's had it in her mind for years that Gerry and I were gonna wind up married someday. And the only way that would happen would be if hell froze over and he was the only man left on the planet…and even then it was still a slim chance. Coach patted my back before he walked away toward the field where his football players were beginning to huddle around the fifty-yard line. I looked back to my sister and she shook her head.

"There's no way this is gonna last," Sheryl said.

"You just do your part and keep your mouth shut," I responded.

"It's not me you need to worry about." I ruffled my little sister's hair to which she responded by pushing me away. So I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her from behind.

"Juju, stop. I'm tryin' to watch."

"They just started. I doubt anything interesting will happen anytime soon."

"Let. Go." I released my sister and placed a kiss on the top of her head before I told her to get a drink. In this heat, one had to drink plenty of water. "You ain't my mom."

"Good as." Sheryl rolled her eyes as she plopped herself in front of the water table to watch the practice. I sat on the grass too, but I turned my back to the practice and opened my book again.

"C'mon Kurt, don't let Ray back you down like that!"

"I'm trying to read," I hissed at her. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at me before she went back to watching the team practice.

"You're twice his size!"

"Sheryl!"

"Aargh, what are they doing?" I turned around to see Gerry sack Alan. As much as I loathed, Gerry, he was going to lead this team to victory this year. "If they keep playing like that, we'll lose every game!"

"I didn't think that was so bad."

"Shows what you know."

"Hey, I've been on a football field since before you were born."

"I thought you didn't care about football."

"I—I don't. I just happen to know about it."

"Mhmm, right, you keep telling yourself that."

I shook my head and tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear. Little sisters could be so annoying sometimes. But then again, it wasn't easy playing mom to someone who was only supposed to be your sister. I never really knew what my role was as far as Sheryl was concerned. Was I supposed to suck-it-up and act like the mother? Or was it a moment when playing the annoyed older sister was appropriate? This time, I just let the conversation drop. There was no use in getting her all riled-up. I sighed and reached over to ruffle Sheryl's hair when she knocked my hand away and pointed off in the distance.

One of the senior boys who wasn't out for the football team, but was still popular with the guys came running down the field. He was screaming at the top of his lungs for the other boys to get down to the store. Something was happening, but after that, the only words I could make out were colored and shot. My heart sank and I instinctively reached for Sheryl's arm. This wasn't good. A colored kid had recently been shot not too long ago and now the town was up in arms, especially with the forced integration they were planning. Everyone and everything was tense in Alexandria. To be honest, it was all somewhat terrifying and I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about the situation. I just wanted to make it out of high school alive.

I could see Coach tense up as I held on tight to a struggling Sheryl. He started yelling something at the boys; but without even listening to a word Coach was saying, the boys took off in a sprint headed for downtown. I was somewhat thankful when Coach Herb came running for us. He opened his arms for Sheryl to run into. He swiftly picked her up with one arm and wrapped his other arm around me. I tried to watch the boys, but Coach Herb told me to keep my head down until we got to the school.

After one last glance at the boys who were becoming small black dots, I lowered my head and focused my eyes on the ground. Coach Herb opened the door into the school for me, still holding onto Sheryl before he led us into Coach's office. I opened the door and stopped suddenly in my tracks, causing Sheryl, whom Coach Herb had let down, to run into my backside. She went crashing down to the floor, but I stayed there as if I were frozen in place. I definitely wasn't expecting someone to be standing in my father's office. And I especially wasn't expecting to be seeing him.

Author's Note: I'm reposting stories I deleted in a rash decision. Sorry.