Chapter 19
But Stephanie didn't head to play with her friends right away. She walked for a while trying to organize her thoughts. Before she knew it she ended up near the bench. It wasn't just any bench; it was the bench that Sportacus had collapsed on five years ago when Ziggy accidentally fed him sugar. She was confused back then about her feelings and today was no different. Stephanie knew she loved Sportacus and she knew that he loved her but they had never thought about Uncle Milford, her friends, or the age difference. Then a thought occurred to her. It didn't matter what they thought or how old they both were as long as they loved each other they would make it work. Stephanie wanted to rush back and tell Sportacus but she realized he was sleeping, so she went off to find her friends.
Sportacus wasn't sleeping. He had just asked to sleep so he could collect his thoughts. Did he do the right thing by expressing his feelings? She was only 13, could she really know love? What about the age difference? He was 24, that made 11 years difference. Could their relationship last? Would it ruin their friendship if things ended badly? But then he had another thought. If he really loved her than he owed her the chance to make it work. He would have to make sure they could make it work. Then he grabbed a piece of paper from his wheelchair pocket.
Stephanie joined Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie, and Stingy at the sports field. The kids asked how Sportacus was and she told them he was resting. Then changing the subject, Stephanie asked what they were playing. Ziggy explained that they had already played baseball and badminton but were unsure of what to play now. Trixie suggested they play Frisbee but no one wanted to play that. Stephanie suggested soccer but no one wanted to play that either. Finally, they settled on playing football. Since there were five of them Stingy agreed to snap the ball for each team since he didn't feel like running around. Pixel and Stephanie were on one team and Ziggy and Trixie were on the other. Stephanie and Pixel said they wanted to be the Buffalo Bills (my home town team). Trixie and Ziggy agreed as long as they could be the Green Bay Packers. Pixel and Stephanie had no objections and they began to play.
The Mayor was explaining everything to Bessie as they sat at their desks. Bessie could see that Milford was feeling a lot better than a few days ago. She got up out of her chair and came over to the Mayor's desk. Bessie knew that Milford had a thing for her but was never able to admit it. She wouldn't admit it but she had a thing for him too. The had come close very many times to admitting to each other what was going on in their minds but something always came up. Bessie had decided after 5 years it was time to spill the proverbial beans.
Sportacus had memorized what the sheet of paper said. Before the whole fight with Robbie's doubles he had looked up some words to a song. They were in his pocket when he had been taken to the hospital. One of the nurses had dropped them off for him after his X-rays. Then he wondered what had happened to his uniform that he had been wearing. Mayor Meanswell had brought him another uniform to put on at the hospital. Sportacus would have laughed at the Mayor climbing up the ladder to the airship if it didn't hurt so much to do so. He smiled as best he could as he thought about Stephanie and what he hoped they would talk about tonight.
The score was tied as the "Buffalo Bills" and "Green Bay Packers" entered the fourth quarter. Stephanie had thrown two touchdown passes to Pixel and they had made a field goal late in the third quarter to make their score 17. Ziggy had run for one touchdown and caught another and just at the start of the third quarter Trixie hit a field goal. As the fourth quarter progressed neither team could score. Trixie had thrown an interception but when Pixel was tagged from behind by Ziggy, he lost the ball. Trixie had scooped it up but Stephanie managed to stop her before she got anywhere. Now with only five minutes left and the ball on the twenty yard line, Trixie and Ziggy got into the huddle. Stephanie and Pixel realized that their only hope was to either intercept it or hold the "Packers" to a field goal. Both teams lined up for the snap. Stingy snapped the ball and Trixie tossed it to Ziggy who took off like a rocket. Before they knew what was happening Ziggy was at the fifteen then the ten. He was finally tagged at the five yard line. It was now first and goal. Trixie decided to try a running play and Ziggy got into the formation. Pixel read that they were going to try to run and told Stephanie to hold her ground. There was only four minutes left to go. Ziggy tried to cut up the middle but Pixel stopped him. On second down Trixie threw to Ziggy in the end zone but Stephanie knocked the ball away. Third down Trixie tried a quarterback sneak but that too failed. There was only two minutes left on the clock and it was fourth down. Trixie and Ziggy set up for a field goal. Stingy snapped the ball, Ziggy held it, and Trixie went in for the kick. The ball left Trixie's foot and sailed toward the uprights.
To Be Continued…