It was the first game of the season, and Sheridan's stomach was
filled with butterflies. She was bouncing on her tiptoes, burning off
nervous energy, or maybe creating more of it. She wasn't sure which,but
she couldn't stand still.
The stadium was a sight to see, with all the white spectators sitting on one side, all the black on the other. She looked for Sheryl. She was probably playing football with some of the little boys. No. There she was, sitting between Mrs. Maria, Coach Tyrell's wife, and Alan's dad.
Sheri smiled politely at Coach Boone's family. Mrs. Boone smiled back at her.
"Come on, Sheri, let's cheer or dance or something," Precious Johnson said. "Everybody's here now."
Sheridan looked at the tall black girl. It was the same girl she had given a bloody lip for talking bad about Coach at camp.
"Okay, what cheer?" She asked.
"Ain't my place to decide, Captian," Precious replied. Sheri knew she was to be Captian of G.W.'s sqaud this year, if it had closed down and she was still sore about losing the position to Sheridan. Oh, well, she had won the position fair and square.
"Okay," Sheri smiled. "Thunderation." Sheri also knew Precious hated that 'childish' chant. "Line up, everybody. 1, 2, 3, 4, Thunder.., THUNDERATION!!! We're from T.C. Williams'..., CONGERGATION!!!, When we meet it's..., DETERMINATION!!! When we beat, it's..., EXTERMINATION!!! Thunder..., THUNDERATION!!!"
The next time she asked Precious her opinion she gave it.
The first touchdown of the night went to Hayfield, due, in part, to Alan blowing his blocking assignment.
"Come on, Alan!" Sheri yelled. "Stick him! I can block better than that!!!!!!! Come on!!!"
Then Petey fumbled the ball and Boone took him out, and Bill put him back in on defense.
"What is he putting him in for?" Sheri wondered, but Petey stuck with #23 and the Titans won the game. Ray invited Sheri to go up to the hill with him and some friends. Seeing that one of the friends was Emma Hoyt, she declined. The last thing she wanted to see was Emma and Gerry sucking face all night. Then Ronnie invited her to go eat with him and some of the guys from the team, but she passed on that one too. She was hot and tired and all she really wanted to do was get out of her uniform and into her pj's. So in the end, she went home with Coach and Sheryl.
Once there, they all stayed up half the night, laughing and talking, and playing games, all to jazzed about winning the game to sleep. Sheryl nodded off somewhere around two thirty. By three thirty, Sheridan was having trouble keeping her eyes open as well.
"To bed," Coach commanded, picking Sheryl up. He held out his other hand to Sheridan and helped her up. After he put Sheryl in her bed, he went to say goodnight to Sheri.
She was already in bed, curled up with a ragged old teddy bear, looking more like seven, instead of seventeen.
"I saw you tonight, at the game," he said, sitting down beside her. "And I was proud of what I saw. You're a good captian. You gave those girls a chance to choose what they wanted to do instead of just doing what you wanted. That's a good thing to do."
"Thanks, Coach," She smiled. "But, when did you have time to see me?"
"I always find at least a minute to check on you and your sister," he answered. "Besides, even when I can't see you, I can always hear your big mouth out there. Yelling over everyone else." He teased. "By the way, I'm sure Alan loved the fact that you yelled out you could block than he did."
"Well, I could have," she laughed.
"Maybe I'll put you in next game then," he replied. "Now, get some sleep." He kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight."
"Night, Coach." The last thing she saw before she drifted off was her alarm clock reading 3:37.
The stadium was a sight to see, with all the white spectators sitting on one side, all the black on the other. She looked for Sheryl. She was probably playing football with some of the little boys. No. There she was, sitting between Mrs. Maria, Coach Tyrell's wife, and Alan's dad.
Sheri smiled politely at Coach Boone's family. Mrs. Boone smiled back at her.
"Come on, Sheri, let's cheer or dance or something," Precious Johnson said. "Everybody's here now."
Sheridan looked at the tall black girl. It was the same girl she had given a bloody lip for talking bad about Coach at camp.
"Okay, what cheer?" She asked.
"Ain't my place to decide, Captian," Precious replied. Sheri knew she was to be Captian of G.W.'s sqaud this year, if it had closed down and she was still sore about losing the position to Sheridan. Oh, well, she had won the position fair and square.
"Okay," Sheri smiled. "Thunderation." Sheri also knew Precious hated that 'childish' chant. "Line up, everybody. 1, 2, 3, 4, Thunder.., THUNDERATION!!! We're from T.C. Williams'..., CONGERGATION!!!, When we meet it's..., DETERMINATION!!! When we beat, it's..., EXTERMINATION!!! Thunder..., THUNDERATION!!!"
The next time she asked Precious her opinion she gave it.
The first touchdown of the night went to Hayfield, due, in part, to Alan blowing his blocking assignment.
"Come on, Alan!" Sheri yelled. "Stick him! I can block better than that!!!!!!! Come on!!!"
Then Petey fumbled the ball and Boone took him out, and Bill put him back in on defense.
"What is he putting him in for?" Sheri wondered, but Petey stuck with #23 and the Titans won the game. Ray invited Sheri to go up to the hill with him and some friends. Seeing that one of the friends was Emma Hoyt, she declined. The last thing she wanted to see was Emma and Gerry sucking face all night. Then Ronnie invited her to go eat with him and some of the guys from the team, but she passed on that one too. She was hot and tired and all she really wanted to do was get out of her uniform and into her pj's. So in the end, she went home with Coach and Sheryl.
Once there, they all stayed up half the night, laughing and talking, and playing games, all to jazzed about winning the game to sleep. Sheryl nodded off somewhere around two thirty. By three thirty, Sheridan was having trouble keeping her eyes open as well.
"To bed," Coach commanded, picking Sheryl up. He held out his other hand to Sheridan and helped her up. After he put Sheryl in her bed, he went to say goodnight to Sheri.
She was already in bed, curled up with a ragged old teddy bear, looking more like seven, instead of seventeen.
"I saw you tonight, at the game," he said, sitting down beside her. "And I was proud of what I saw. You're a good captian. You gave those girls a chance to choose what they wanted to do instead of just doing what you wanted. That's a good thing to do."
"Thanks, Coach," She smiled. "But, when did you have time to see me?"
"I always find at least a minute to check on you and your sister," he answered. "Besides, even when I can't see you, I can always hear your big mouth out there. Yelling over everyone else." He teased. "By the way, I'm sure Alan loved the fact that you yelled out you could block than he did."
"Well, I could have," she laughed.
"Maybe I'll put you in next game then," he replied. "Now, get some sleep." He kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight."
"Night, Coach." The last thing she saw before she drifted off was her alarm clock reading 3:37.