Twilight and all it's characters are owned by the lovely Stephanie Meyer!
Bella's POV
I always believed my disinterest in sports was simply that, a lack of interest. I have since discovered that at least part of my aversion to sports was my lack of ability. Now that I'm a vampire,-I have more athletic ability in my pinky fingernail than I had in my whole body as a human,- I have no qualms with playing whatsoever.
Today we're playing football, it was Emmett's choice. I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that Emmett would choose to tackle anyone and everyone when given the opportunity. It was girls vs. guys. Again Emmett's idea. We stood in the center of the clearing, white spray paint marked the yard lines. I'm glad I will finally have a good memory associated with the place. If only I could superimpose a happy day like this over the memory of the last time I was here. I suppressed a shutter.
"Alright, shall we pick team captains?" Carlisle said with a smile on his face. He and Esme did not always play with us, but on this occasion they simply could not resist.
"I vote Jasper! Let's see you ladies out strategize a literal army captain." Emmett narrowed his eyes in a playful challenge.
"I will lead our team to victory, where our names will live on in glory and fame!" Jasper stood with his hand on his heart, playing up his southern drawl in mock humility.
"Well I vote Bella! Let's see you boys try and bust through a literal shield!" Alice shot back, throwing Emmett earlier exaggeration in his face.
I didn't know how comfortable I was with this plan. I barely even knew the rules of football, much less any plays. The only experience I had was very fuzzy memories of watching a game or two with Charlie, and even those were faded.
"I don't know Alice…" I said to her in a low voice.
"Are you sure you want to go with a tame newbie as your leading woman, Alice? You wanna just hand over the victory now?" Emmett laughed. He was constantly finding new ways to pick at me, calling me "tame" and "safe" and even at one point comparing me to vanilla yogurt. He was the big brother I never knew I wanted, but now could absolutely not live without.
Rosalie huffed. We were still barely on speaking terms, and my new friendship with her mate had done little to dissuade that fact.
I rolled my eyes. "You know what? I'm in. Bring it you little hooligans!" I puffed out my chest with faux confidence, standing on my tiptoes trying to meet Emmett's eye line.
Everyone laughed, well everyone except Rose.
I quickly ran over to Edward to peck a kiss on his cheek.
"Are you sure you're up for this, Swan?" Edward said in joking tone.
"Prepare to lose, Cullen." I said, while walking backwards to my side of the scrimmage line.
"Well alright then, let's flip a coin for offense." Esme said pulling a quarter from her back pocket.
"Jasper, call it!" She said while the coin was in the air.
"Heads!" He said while looking me dead in the eye. A smirk on his mouth.
"Heads it is." Esme called.
We headed to our sides. It was clear the boys knew their positions without having to speak. Jasper was playing quarterback, Edward was wide receiver. Carlisle was playing center and, of course, Emmett was defensive tackle. Like I said, any excuse to hit something.
I huddled up with the girls before we got into positions.
"Alright, what positions do you all usually play?" I asked, trying not to sound like a complete rookie.
"Alice is always the quarterback. I'm usually running back and Esme doesn't usually play football. But I guess our positions are really up to you, captain." Rosalie seethed with sarcasm but it didn't really bother me. I was used to it by now.
"We'll play whatever positions you want, dear." Esme said sweetly, while giving Rose a disapproving look.
"Okay. Alice you're still playing quarterback, let's see that pitching arm work in our favor. Esme you'll play center, I don't think Carlisle could stand to tackle you. And Rosalie you'll cover Emmett. I'll play running back." It was not lost on me that I was taking Rosalie's preferred position. She narrowed her eyes at me. I ignored her. "Okay, let's show these boys what we're made of, girl power on three."
"1, 2, 3, GIRL POWER!!" We all shouted.
We got into positions at the scrimmage line. I narrowed my eyes at Edward and he just smirked at me in return.
"Hut, hut." Carlisle called as he hiked the ball to Jasper. Edward ran past me in a blur and was nearly in the end zone by the time the ball was leaving Jasper's hand. I ran as hard as I could at Edward, hitting him in the gut with my right shoulder. We both flew at the ground so hard that clumps of grass and dirt went flying all around us.
"Ughhh." Edward groaned as I climbed off of him.
"Holy crow, I'm so sorry love! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" I tried picking grass out of his hair as I babbled. I was forever forgetting that I had newborn strength.
He laughed as he grabbed my waist and pulled me down into his lap. He was laughing so hard it shook us both, I couldn't help but join in.
"Okay, you wanna play rough? We can play rough!" Jasper said with a laugh.
I got off Edward's lap and stood up, brushing the dirt from my pants.
We were at the 20 yard line. This time instead of throwing, Jasper just passed the ball to Emmett. Carlisle blocked Rose and Edward blocked me. Esme tried to swerve around but Emmett was already in the end zone.
"TOUCH DOWN!!!" Emmett boomed while chucking the ball at his feet.
He then proceeded to do the most ridiculous dance I have ever seen, gyrating his hips in every direction all while doing disco arms.
Rosalie went and collected the ball from the ground while rolling her eyes.
"Aw come on baby, aren't you gonna say you're proud of me?" Emmett said while leaning down for a kiss.
Rosalie rose up on her toes and extended her neck, then whipped around throwing her long hair over her shoulder and into Emmett's face.
She smirked and walked back over to where we were huddled up.
"Okay does anyone have a play in mind?" I asked nervously.
"Just get me the ball, I have a plan." Rosalie said with such confidence it careened toward hubris.
"Rosalie I…" before I could finish, Rose interrupted me.
"Just. Get. Me. The ball." Rose said through her teeth.
Alice busted out laughing then.
"Oh that's good Rose!" Alice said through snickers.
Rose looked at me pointedly with one eyebrow raised and a smug smile on her face.
"Alright, Alice get the ball to Rose. The rest of us. Cover whoever you can."
We headed toward the 50 yard line again. Esme passed the ball to Alice, then Alice passed it to Rose. I had Edward by the shoulders. Alice was skipping around, blocking Jasper's movement the exact moment he made it. Esme had Carlisle around the waist, it looked more like an embrace than an attempt to tackle. Emmett was the only one left and he was barreling towards Rosalie with a fierce look in his eyes. At the 10 yard line Rosalie turned around and FLASHED Emmett, like actually lifted her shirt and whipped 'em out! Everyone groaned and turned away, Edward's eyes were filled with disturbed horror. But her plan had worked, Rose ran backwards into the end zone, all while Emmett goggled after her. He might as well have had hearts for eyes and drool dripping out of his mouth.
"Touchdown." Rosalie said in a seductive tone, while handing the ball back to Emmett.
"The things you do to me woman…" Emmett all but growled at her, his tone mirroring hers.
"Ughh guys get a room!" Edward nearly gagged on the words. I'm sure he was seeing exactly the things Rosalie did to Emmett.
"Okay guys, let's keep the game PG from now on. Okay?" Carlisle said pointedly at Rose.
"Haha, fine by me." Rose giggled.
The rest of the game went by similarly. The boys would get a touchdown, we would follow suit. The game was mostly PG other than some trash talk, mostly from Rose. Rose was mostly civil though, other than at one point when she close lined Edward and Alice had to hold me back.
"You can't decapitate her, Bella." Alice said under her voice, so only I could hear.
"I wasn't gonna…" I couldn't even finish my sentence before Alice was giving me a look. Seems like maybe Rosalie's neck was just saved by Alice's intervention. Oops?
Finally after a while longer Esme called out,
"Last touchdown wins, I'm ready for a gentler family activity."
Carlisle ran over to her to place a sweet kiss on her forehead.
"Yes, mom." The rest of us called in unison.
Each of our prospective teams huddled up on our side of the scrimmage line. Alright motivational sports movie speech time.
"Alright ladies, we are playing for women everywhere. Think of every time a man has made you feel less than, every time a man tried to take your power. Right now is our redemption, right now we fight and win. Let's kill 'em!" That was pretty good if I say so myself.
"Yea, kill 'em!!!!" Alice screamed!
"Okay Alice, I'm going to decide on a play, you tell me if it's successful."
"Oh honey, we don't use our extra gifts. It gives an unfair advantage." Esme said chiding.
"Come on Esme! You know the boys don't hesitate to use their gifts! I'm sure Edward's been cheating this whole time!" Rosalie whined.
"Just this once Esme?" I asked with a slight pout. Esme can't resist giving her children almost anything they ask.
"…okay, just this once." Esme sighed.
"Yes! Okay Alice, you'll pass me the ball and I'll run it to the end zone?"
"Nope, Edward tackles you."
"Okay, you pass Rose the ball and she take it?"
"Nope Emmett is on her like white on rice."
"Okay… we cover you and you bring us home?"
"Nope, there's no way. Sorry!"
"There has to be something we aren't thinking of!" Rose spat in frustration.
"Or someone…" I said slyly, turning to smile at Esme.
"Me? No. No thank you." Esme retorted with wide eyes.
"Come on, they'll never see you coming!" Rosalie begged.
"What do you see, Alice?" I peer over at Alice. Her eyes are glazed over, engulfed by a vision.
"Esme is going to score the game winning touchdown!" Alice said through a smile.
"Okay! Rose you get Emmett, I got Carlisle and Edward. Esme go long." I clapped my hands as I spoke.
Okay…" Esme said slowly, nervously pulling at her hair.
"Any day now ladies??" Emmett hollered.
We made our way back to the scrimmage line.
"Hut, hut." Esme called out as she passed the ball to Alice. I grabbed Edward by the shirt collar and Carlisle by the arm. Rosalie had jumped onto Emmett and straddled him around the waist, covering his eyes with both hands. Esme was flying down the field. 40 yard line... 30… 20… 10…
Alice threw the ball, it spiraled perfectly then landed in Esme's open arms with a thud.
"YES!!" Rose, Alice and I screamed.
"Oh no you don't!" Edward muttered as he bolted, his shirt tearing off his back leaving scraps in my hands.
Esme was so close! But Edward was faster. He caught her just before she crossed the end zone. They tumbled to the ground together and we all ran to meet them. Esme still had the ball, her hand lifted just slightly over her head.
"Edward, get off me! I'm a tiny little woman!" Esme huffed, she spoke more forcefully than I'd had ever heard from her before.
"Oh, sorry mom!" Edward got off, holding his hand out to her.
"The ball didn't touch the ground, it's still in play." I whispered so low only Alice standing right next to me could hear.
"I know! Shh!" Alice whispered back.
"Hey!" Edward shot out.
Esme smirked and ran just two feet over the line. She threw the ball down.
"We win!" She called out with a laugh.
Alice, Rose and I ran at her, giggling as we jumped up and down in a group hug. We broke apart and made our way back to our mates.
"Alright alright, I guess I'll have to concede, you're more competitive than I expected." Edward said while lacing his fingers through mine.
"It's all in the strategy." I mused, a playful smile on my lips.
"Is that so?" Edward laughed.
"But of course…You were playing checker, we were playing chess!" I whispered in ear before planting a soft kiss on his neck.
The end.
