-*_*_*
Chapter 4
Sunshine quickly swallowed the pills he was holding, shoving the empty bottle back in his bag, wishing his hand would stop shaking. This was insane; he hadn't had pre-game jitters for years. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the conversations around him. Before the game, the locker rooms nearly vibrated with nervous energy. Talk ranging from the new cheerleader, to the game plan, to who was hosting the victory party. It was easy to lose yourself.
He was so focused on the voices; he jumped when he felt a warm hand on his arm.
"Calm down, man, it's just me." Petey was staring at him, eyebrows raised.
"Hey Petey. Where've you been?" He tried to act casual.
"Trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. You were
starting to scare me there, man."
"Sorry." Wincing slightly, Sunshine pulled off his shirt, turning to throw it in the locker. He reached up, worrying with the knot in his choker.
"Jesus Christ, Sunshine!" Petey was staring at his chest, almost as if he was expecting something to pop out of it.
"Keep your voice down." He had gotten used to the sore ribs, forgetting no one else had seen them. "Just a couple bruises, it's nothing."
"That's a whole lot of nothing, man."
Blue rounded a corner, followed by Alan, both already geared up for the game. "What's wrong Petey? Sunshine been kissing people ag-". Blue's comment fell flat. "Sunshine! What the hell happened to you?"
Petey answered at the same time, rolling his eyes. "Nothing." "Yeah right."
Sunshine cradled his ribs protectively, uncomfortable with all the attention. " Just some souvenirs from a fight. It's no big deal."
"Fight?" Blue tried to catch his eye, but Sunshine was staring at a spot on the wall beside his head. "This happened Friday. Didn't it?" It wasn't really a question, and the other boy's silence confirmed his theory. "Uh- huh only a block away huh? You'd be fine huh? Fine my ass."
"Calm down, it looks worse than it is."
"That ain't sayin' much Sunshine"
Sunshine pulled on his shoulder pads, trying to settle them comfortably, and tugging on his jersey. He could hear the band warming up near the locker room. His heart started beating faster. The adrenaline was starting to seep into his veins, making him slightly dizzy. As long as he could keep the rush going, he wouldn't be able to feel the pain. Piece of cake.
"You sure you should be playing, Sunshine? You don't look too good."
"I've been playing with bruised ribs for years, I'll be fine." That seemed to satisfy Alan, but Blue still didn't look convinced.
"Sunshine, -"
"Lay off Blue." Sunshine snapped at the defensive tackle, as Coach Boone walked in and jumped right into his pre-game pep talk. " Now, We're going to walk out on the field, we're going to hold our heads high."
Sunshine tuned out after the first few words. He didn't mean too, but he was just too nervous too listen. It wasn't the pain he was worried about, he was scared his reflexes would be too slow. He needed to be a hundred and ten percent on his game.
"We are the Titans! And no one's greater than the Titans!"
'Dunno about that one Coach, The Greek Gods finally did chain them
down' Sunshine broke out of his morbid thoughts and glanced at Blue.
The big mother hen was still staring at him.
He grinned as they danced out on the field, to the roar of the crowd. "Don't worry Man, I'll be fine."
"I've heard that one before." _*_*_* Sunshine kept his eye on the ball, the world fading around the boundaries of the field. The nervousness he had felt in the locker room had shifted to a calm resolve. There was no place in his current mindset for pain. As soon as the game was over, he would deal with it. But right now, it was time to play.
The Titans lined up to receive the kickoff, Rev charging forward to catch the ball. Sunshine flew to block for the boy, slamming into the offensive tackles heading for the running back with the ball. Rev was taken down at the thirty-fourth yard line.
The rest of the game passed in a blur, each team gaining and losing ground in turn. They were too evenly matched, too good. Neither yielding enough for the other to secure a lead.
So the Titans found themselves with the ball at the end of the fourth quarter, the game riding on the last play. Sunshine wiped the palms of his hands on his legs. Just one touchdown. That's all they needed. No. problem.
"Red 54. Red 54. Hike!" He received the ball, stepping back. He hesitated a fraction of a second, and then launched the ball. His head snapped back, watching the football spiral, reaching the height of its arc, as the linebacker tackled him, helmet slamming into his chest.
A bright flash of pain distorted his vision, warping the stadium lights until they became streaks of fire at the corner of his vision. It was getting hard to breathe, and he could feel something give in his chest with every gasp.
"And the Titans win again! 14 to 10!"
Sunshine closed his eyes, smiling past the pain. They had done it. Still undefeated. Greater even than the gods. Damn it hurt to smile. He slowed his breathing, allowing himself to control the pain.
Lying there, hours seemed to pass, though it must have been only seconds. The crowd was still roaring.
"Sorry about that" The linebacker that had tackled him had gotten to his feet, holding out a hand. Sunshine gratefully accepted the help, gasping.
"No problem. That's how it's played." He smiled up at the larger player. "Great Game."
"MacLawhorn! Get over here!" The Linebacker looked over his shoulder at the coach.
"Yeah. Great Game." He jogged off to join the rest of his team. "Coming!"
Sunshine took off his helmet, letting it dangle from his fingers. He tried to ignore the sharp spikes of pain in his ribs. Shaking his head, he joined the celebrating Titans, staying near the edge of the crowd.
"Alright." Coach Boone whistled to get the boys' attention. "All right. We did good tonight. The whole team did good. Now go get dressed." _*_*_
The locker room was filled with laughter and high spirits, a radio sending out tendrils of soul music. Sunshine brushed the wet hair out of his eyes, tucking the unruly strands behind his ear. He had managed to avoid too much attention, concentrating instead on getting dressed and getting out as soon as possible.
The pain wove through his chest, tightening like a band of steel around his ribs. It was a fight, keeping it at bay. He hadn't been lying, he had played with worse than bruises before, but it had never felt like this.
"Hey Sunshine man, great game." Julius slapped the quarterback firmly on the back, heading for the showers.
Sunshine didn't even have time to brace himself. A tongue of fire singed his chest, spreading through his body, freezing his lungs. A fog creeped into his vision, staining the locker room red. The voices buzzed in and out, only the soft strains of soul , unaffected, becoming louder.
The music took over, as the pain overloaded his senses. And for the first time in his life, Sunshine let go.
"Sunshine?" the locker room rang , everyone noticing the fallen quarterback . "Jesus." blue said hurrying over to his unconscious friend. Julius turned around abruptly, staring in shock at his friend. "Someone call boone!" Petey yelled over the buzz kneeling down with blue. Alan nodded quickly and full out ran to the coaches main office.
Sunshine stirred , opening his bright cerulean eyes and gazing around the room. He tried to move but the pain protested immensely, sending him into another whirl or colors. "Bro.dotn you dare even try to move this time.fine my black ass." Blue said half angrily..pushing sun down by his shoulders.
"I'm fine" Sunshine grunted, pushing blue off of him. He carefully rose to a sitting position on the cold locker room floor, swatting at anyone who tried to touch him. Gerry stood over him, shaking his head.
"You aren't invincible sun...a mans gotta admit when he is hurtin bad." Gerry said eyeing sunshines heavy and labored breaths.
"Move." a firm voice echoed through the locker room. Boone made his way through the sea of players and knelt down next to the fallen titan. "You better have a pretty damn good explanation for this one Ronnie.." boone said.
"It's nothin' coach..just some bruises and fatigue." Sunshine lied through gritted teeth...why couldn't they just let him get out of here and home.
"Show him the bruises ..." Blue demanded...
Sunshine grimaced and shot a nasty glare at blue. He slowly lifted up his white shirt to reveal a sea of blacks blues and yellows. Boones eyes widened, as he took in the almost gutwrenching sight. "Hospital..now." He stated not even asking whether it was okay with sun or not.
"I said I was fine coach.." Sunshine said angrily, now trying to get to his feet. He grunted several times, pulling himself up by holding onto the locker. He could feel the cold beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, the locker room started to faze in and out once again. This was serious.
"Sunshine?" the words echoed through his head as he felt himself falling once more.but this time it was different... no strength left... sunshine knew he was in serious trouble.
Sunshine quickly swallowed the pills he was holding, shoving the empty bottle back in his bag, wishing his hand would stop shaking. This was insane; he hadn't had pre-game jitters for years. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the conversations around him. Before the game, the locker rooms nearly vibrated with nervous energy. Talk ranging from the new cheerleader, to the game plan, to who was hosting the victory party. It was easy to lose yourself.
He was so focused on the voices; he jumped when he felt a warm hand on his arm.
"Calm down, man, it's just me." Petey was staring at him, eyebrows raised.
"Hey Petey. Where've you been?" He tried to act casual.
"Trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. You were
starting to scare me there, man."
"Sorry." Wincing slightly, Sunshine pulled off his shirt, turning to throw it in the locker. He reached up, worrying with the knot in his choker.
"Jesus Christ, Sunshine!" Petey was staring at his chest, almost as if he was expecting something to pop out of it.
"Keep your voice down." He had gotten used to the sore ribs, forgetting no one else had seen them. "Just a couple bruises, it's nothing."
"That's a whole lot of nothing, man."
Blue rounded a corner, followed by Alan, both already geared up for the game. "What's wrong Petey? Sunshine been kissing people ag-". Blue's comment fell flat. "Sunshine! What the hell happened to you?"
Petey answered at the same time, rolling his eyes. "Nothing." "Yeah right."
Sunshine cradled his ribs protectively, uncomfortable with all the attention. " Just some souvenirs from a fight. It's no big deal."
"Fight?" Blue tried to catch his eye, but Sunshine was staring at a spot on the wall beside his head. "This happened Friday. Didn't it?" It wasn't really a question, and the other boy's silence confirmed his theory. "Uh- huh only a block away huh? You'd be fine huh? Fine my ass."
"Calm down, it looks worse than it is."
"That ain't sayin' much Sunshine"
Sunshine pulled on his shoulder pads, trying to settle them comfortably, and tugging on his jersey. He could hear the band warming up near the locker room. His heart started beating faster. The adrenaline was starting to seep into his veins, making him slightly dizzy. As long as he could keep the rush going, he wouldn't be able to feel the pain. Piece of cake.
"You sure you should be playing, Sunshine? You don't look too good."
"I've been playing with bruised ribs for years, I'll be fine." That seemed to satisfy Alan, but Blue still didn't look convinced.
"Sunshine, -"
"Lay off Blue." Sunshine snapped at the defensive tackle, as Coach Boone walked in and jumped right into his pre-game pep talk. " Now, We're going to walk out on the field, we're going to hold our heads high."
Sunshine tuned out after the first few words. He didn't mean too, but he was just too nervous too listen. It wasn't the pain he was worried about, he was scared his reflexes would be too slow. He needed to be a hundred and ten percent on his game.
"We are the Titans! And no one's greater than the Titans!"
'Dunno about that one Coach, The Greek Gods finally did chain them
down' Sunshine broke out of his morbid thoughts and glanced at Blue.
The big mother hen was still staring at him.
He grinned as they danced out on the field, to the roar of the crowd. "Don't worry Man, I'll be fine."
"I've heard that one before." _*_*_* Sunshine kept his eye on the ball, the world fading around the boundaries of the field. The nervousness he had felt in the locker room had shifted to a calm resolve. There was no place in his current mindset for pain. As soon as the game was over, he would deal with it. But right now, it was time to play.
The Titans lined up to receive the kickoff, Rev charging forward to catch the ball. Sunshine flew to block for the boy, slamming into the offensive tackles heading for the running back with the ball. Rev was taken down at the thirty-fourth yard line.
The rest of the game passed in a blur, each team gaining and losing ground in turn. They were too evenly matched, too good. Neither yielding enough for the other to secure a lead.
So the Titans found themselves with the ball at the end of the fourth quarter, the game riding on the last play. Sunshine wiped the palms of his hands on his legs. Just one touchdown. That's all they needed. No. problem.
"Red 54. Red 54. Hike!" He received the ball, stepping back. He hesitated a fraction of a second, and then launched the ball. His head snapped back, watching the football spiral, reaching the height of its arc, as the linebacker tackled him, helmet slamming into his chest.
A bright flash of pain distorted his vision, warping the stadium lights until they became streaks of fire at the corner of his vision. It was getting hard to breathe, and he could feel something give in his chest with every gasp.
"And the Titans win again! 14 to 10!"
Sunshine closed his eyes, smiling past the pain. They had done it. Still undefeated. Greater even than the gods. Damn it hurt to smile. He slowed his breathing, allowing himself to control the pain.
Lying there, hours seemed to pass, though it must have been only seconds. The crowd was still roaring.
"Sorry about that" The linebacker that had tackled him had gotten to his feet, holding out a hand. Sunshine gratefully accepted the help, gasping.
"No problem. That's how it's played." He smiled up at the larger player. "Great Game."
"MacLawhorn! Get over here!" The Linebacker looked over his shoulder at the coach.
"Yeah. Great Game." He jogged off to join the rest of his team. "Coming!"
Sunshine took off his helmet, letting it dangle from his fingers. He tried to ignore the sharp spikes of pain in his ribs. Shaking his head, he joined the celebrating Titans, staying near the edge of the crowd.
"Alright." Coach Boone whistled to get the boys' attention. "All right. We did good tonight. The whole team did good. Now go get dressed." _*_*_
The locker room was filled with laughter and high spirits, a radio sending out tendrils of soul music. Sunshine brushed the wet hair out of his eyes, tucking the unruly strands behind his ear. He had managed to avoid too much attention, concentrating instead on getting dressed and getting out as soon as possible.
The pain wove through his chest, tightening like a band of steel around his ribs. It was a fight, keeping it at bay. He hadn't been lying, he had played with worse than bruises before, but it had never felt like this.
"Hey Sunshine man, great game." Julius slapped the quarterback firmly on the back, heading for the showers.
Sunshine didn't even have time to brace himself. A tongue of fire singed his chest, spreading through his body, freezing his lungs. A fog creeped into his vision, staining the locker room red. The voices buzzed in and out, only the soft strains of soul , unaffected, becoming louder.
The music took over, as the pain overloaded his senses. And for the first time in his life, Sunshine let go.
"Sunshine?" the locker room rang , everyone noticing the fallen quarterback . "Jesus." blue said hurrying over to his unconscious friend. Julius turned around abruptly, staring in shock at his friend. "Someone call boone!" Petey yelled over the buzz kneeling down with blue. Alan nodded quickly and full out ran to the coaches main office.
Sunshine stirred , opening his bright cerulean eyes and gazing around the room. He tried to move but the pain protested immensely, sending him into another whirl or colors. "Bro.dotn you dare even try to move this time.fine my black ass." Blue said half angrily..pushing sun down by his shoulders.
"I'm fine" Sunshine grunted, pushing blue off of him. He carefully rose to a sitting position on the cold locker room floor, swatting at anyone who tried to touch him. Gerry stood over him, shaking his head.
"You aren't invincible sun...a mans gotta admit when he is hurtin bad." Gerry said eyeing sunshines heavy and labored breaths.
"Move." a firm voice echoed through the locker room. Boone made his way through the sea of players and knelt down next to the fallen titan. "You better have a pretty damn good explanation for this one Ronnie.." boone said.
"It's nothin' coach..just some bruises and fatigue." Sunshine lied through gritted teeth...why couldn't they just let him get out of here and home.
"Show him the bruises ..." Blue demanded...
Sunshine grimaced and shot a nasty glare at blue. He slowly lifted up his white shirt to reveal a sea of blacks blues and yellows. Boones eyes widened, as he took in the almost gutwrenching sight. "Hospital..now." He stated not even asking whether it was okay with sun or not.
"I said I was fine coach.." Sunshine said angrily, now trying to get to his feet. He grunted several times, pulling himself up by holding onto the locker. He could feel the cold beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, the locker room started to faze in and out once again. This was serious.
"Sunshine?" the words echoed through his head as he felt himself falling once more.but this time it was different... no strength left... sunshine knew he was in serious trouble.
