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Chapter 20

TOBIAS

It's weird how fast time can go by. One second, everything is going in slow motion, and nothing is progressing. Then, you don't know where the time has gone. That's what happens when we play in close games. I like them more than completely destroying a team, because it's so much more exciting.

The referee's whistle screams through the cooling fall air, signaling the two minute warning. I look up at the scoreboard, and I am disappointed with what I see. We're losing 10-3, and the other team has the ball with two minutes left in the game. How could this have happened?

It's the Homecoming game, and our stands are packed. A huge mass of black sends rumbling cheers in our direction, and the Bombsquad is even bigger tonight than usual. There was a pep rally at the end of the school day, and it got everyone pumped. Before the game, we could hear the tailgating all the way from the Field House. The night air is getting colder with each passing week, and because the sun has exited this part of the earth. There is more black than skin shown in the bleachers.

I don't want to lose, but losing isn't what really scares me. The loss' effect is a lot worse. The team losing, in my father's eyes, is my fault. The beating will be brutal. My skin was just beginning to heal from the last time. Not to mention losing the Homecoming game would be pretty pathetic after going into the game undefeated. I can't let the school down like that.

Then there's Tris; if we lose, the deal is off. I don't make a habit of looking up at the stands, but I need to see her. I need to see the strength in her eyes. She's sitting in her normal spot just like every other week. I need her here at the games; she has this effect on me that no one else has ever had. I can be in a sea of people and feel totally alone, then I think of her.

Our eyes connect, and I feel a bolt of energy pulse through me. She sends a smile my way, or at least I think she does. She tries to mouth something, and all I can get is, "Don't give up". She has faith that we can win, and all I want to do is wrap myself around her and feel her warmth. Just looking at her eyes makes me feel electrified; her touch is nuclear.

I join the guys in the huddle, refueled. "This is it, guys! It's Homecoming and this is our house. We're not going to let them walk over us and break our losing streak. We're going to show them what these Firehawks are made of! Don't back down! Now let's fight these next two minutes to win back the ball. We can do this!"

The guys explode with energy and the defense jumps onto the field. They take their places at the line of scrimmage, low and poised, ready to pounce. The other team is only running the ball, and they haven't called a passing play in 10 plays. Tony, one of the bigger guys on the line, jumps right when the ball is snapped and he is a stone wall. He cuts off the lanky runner dead in his tracks and Tony drills him to the ground, making him lose two yards.

The same thing happens the next two plays, and they are forced to 4th and 15. I sneak a peek at Tris behind me, and she gives me a confident smile. But the second she has my attention, she starts doing this weird thing with her hands. She holds up one finger then spreads her arms out and brings them to a point in front of her. It takes only a moment for me to realize what she is trying to say. I think back a few days ago when we watched some film together and talked about the other team's weaknesses. One of them being their set-up for punts.

"Are you sure you're cool with this? I don't want you to miss out on being with the others." I ask her.

"It's fine, believe me. I need to get out of that stuffy cafeteria every once in a while."

"Good." I say. I hope this becomes a weekly thing, skipping lunch once a week and watching film together. Two minds are better than one. I turn my attention back to the screen, but I can't focus all the way. I try to look at her, without it being too obvious. She's staring at the screen, attentively and curiously. I can see the screws turning as she processes each play, step by step.

"Look at that." She says as she snaps me out of my daze. I stare up at the screen, and in front of us is a punting play. She walks up and points her finger up at the screen. "See how they're set up?"

I look and I see what she means. Normally when we do punts, we set up three guys in front of our punter to give him the most security possible. They, on the other hand, only have one guy. The other two are placed at the line of scrimmage.

"You guys could easily break that line and attack their kicker from the outside. You never know when that could come up useful."

I smile to myself as I remember our time away from everyone else, but I quickly snap back. I run up to our specialty team coach and relay the message as fast as I can. With the ball about to be snapped, our guys move around to get in the perfect position to block the punt.

The ball is snapped, and our guys charge from the outside. The ball is about to fly to the other side of the field when a body dives out and stops the football's ascend into the air. We quickly recover it on our own 47 yard line with a minute and five seconds left to play.

I run onto the field, knowing this will need to be the drive of my life. The adrenaline is pulsing through me and I need to focus. I try to focus on my breathing, the same thing I was taught when I learned to through knives and shoot a gun. I just have to stay focused and keep my energy narrowed on the task at hand. But it isn't completely working.

She slips into my mind, and a new strength fills my body. Don't think of yourself, think of the bigger picture. I think of the school, the guys, the fans, and her... always her. Her words slip into my mind, as they have done so many times before.

"I want to be strong, to prove to myself and others that I'm worth something."

The ball is snapped into my hands and I know we can't waste time. I reach back and throw the ball as hard, yet calm, as I can. It goes straight to its target-Zeke's hands. We move up the field 15 yards. 1st and 10, the clock still clicking away. I know it is all happening around me, but before I know it we are on the 12 yard line and there are 24 seconds left in the game.

The first down is an incomplete pass and we want a flag for passing interference, but there isn't time. 2nd and 10. I hand the ball off to the running back who runs five yards before getting knocked out of play. Good, the clock stops. 3rd and 5. We group up and decide to call a new play we haven't tried, one that the other team won't see coming. I walk out of the huddle, and the nerves rush in again. Instinctively, I think of her words.

"I've been scared for what feels like my whole life, so you go and prove that all the stuff I said is true." I've got your back, Tris. Always.

The ball is snapped. I know where to throw it, even if no one is there right now. I trust Zeke to be where he needs to be. I let the ball fly out of my hand and I see Zeke zig-zag to the ball and catch it. And he's in the end-zone.

Everyone in black erupts with life. The distinctive sound of cow bells mix with long plastic horns and our band. The guys swarm in the end zone and yell in excitement. I run up to Zeke, and we both jump into the air and slam into each other. I'm so excited, I can't contain it. Coach calls a timeout, because we have a decision to make.

I already know what I am going to push for. We can either play it safe, or we can take a risk. With only seconds remaining in the game, we have the choice between kicking an extra point and tie the game or going for two and possible missing it. I don't want to play it safe. Nothing is truly safe. I just want to win this game and win it with a pow.

It looks like coach agrees with me, and we begin to advise a plan to win this game. We have to win... We have to win... We have to win.

We take the field and land in our positions. The plan is to fake a throw to Zeke and have Will come out of nowhere and catch my throw. Our play begins, and the blitz is coming. I am forced out of the pocket and to think on my feet. I can no longer fake to Zeke, and Will is being covered. I see a path to take, and I run as fast and as hard as I can into the end zone.

I drain out the rest of the world, and I hear nothing, I feel nothing. I look up at the score board. The score is 11-10, and there is no time left in the game. We are victorious.

If things were crazy before, they are absolutely chaotic now. Somehow, the student section managed to storm the field and we are in a sea of black. At first, I live off of the energy the crowd is making-jumping and smiling and hugging with my teammates. But everything gets closer and closer, as more people come around me.

I can't breathe; I need to get out of here or I'll suffocate. I look up at the stands and I see my salvation. Tris still waits in the stands, but she is leaning against the railing. In her hands is a sketchbook, and her pencil is scribbling so fast I can see smoke. I ignore everyone around me trying to talk to me, and I start to jog up to the fence.

My jog quickly turns into a run and I hop the fence in one quick move and sprint up the stairs so I'm right next to her. She gives me a double take as she almost drops her book.

"Where did you come from? You were down there just a second ago."

"Doesn't matter, I'm here now." I say as I reach for her hand. I want to feel her warm skin against my own, but she is wearing gloves. I give her hand a squeeze, and she tightens her own grip. My heart flies. I can feel the body heat in her gloves from her hand warming my own hand. I point to her book with my other hand. "What were you drawing?"

"The celebration."

"Can I see?"

She gives me a hesitant look, but begins to flip to the page. "It's... umm, of you."

She holds out her book and I can see that she has clipped a moment out of the air and placed it on the page. It's nowhere near done, but I can see the outline of what she wants. It's Zeke and I leaping into the air and slamming into each other. I flip to the page previous, and it's of me throwing the ball.

"This is so good."

"Thanks." She replies, "That last play... it was pretty ballsy."

"What can I say? Go big or go home."

"I agree with the play, and you did a good job with what you did. Just remember it doesn't always work." As she says this, her face goes darker, like a bad memory is sweeping through her mind. I place her notebook down, and my free hand reaches for hers.

I speak softly, "I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because that won't help. Just tell me what I need to say for you to be happy again."

Her eyes look up at mine, and they drill through to my soul. Her expression warms slightly, but the coldness is still there. Does it have to do with your brother? Please tell me. I don't ask because I know I can't. She'll tell me when she wants to.

"... I just need a distraction... That, umm, punt, you guys did it."

"Yeah we did... You know, Zeke and Uriah are having a bonfire at their house, do you want to come?"

"I don't know..."

"Please come... Let it be a thank you from the guys for the punt thing."

"Who will be there?"

"Well, Zeke and Uriah, obviously. And if it'll make you feel better, Will and Christina will be there, along with Marlene and Shauna."

"I guess I can go for a little bit."

A wicked grin crosses my lips and I feel like I'm frozen in time, like my feet are glued to the ground. What gets me moving is Tris starting to walk away. I don't want to let go of her hand, so I follow after her, only connected by one hand. I get a mixture of looks and glares, but that's all they are-looks. All I can focus on is the blond hair bouncing in front of me.


The fire cracks and burns in front of me. The crowd of ten people sits around the crimson fire that Uriah insists on poking at every five minutes. Things are very chill and low key. I even catch Tris laughing every once in a while. I'm sitting next to her, but the circle of chairs around the fire are spread out, and it feels like there are miles between us.

After a while, Uriah, Marlene, and Christina stand up and begin to walk to the front of the house. Christina stops and turns around; she walks over to Tris, and Christina drags her with them. They disappear around the corner and all I catch them say is, it'll stay for two weeks.

Left sitting is myself, Zeke, Shauna, and Will. The silence doesn't last long as Zeke speaks up.

"What'd you talk to Tris about after the game?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Well you pretty much sprinted up to her. And you were holding her hands."

Shauna pipes in, "Yeah, what's going on?"

I haven't talked to anyone about Tris, not even Zeke. I try to keep my emotions on check, but with her, they burst out. My face must be changing a different color, because Shauna giggles while Zeke and Will high five each other.

"What?" I ask.

"It's so obvious that you have a thing for her, but that's only because we've known you for so long." Zeke says.

Will chimes in, "You'll blow off people and act like they aren't there when she's around. Some girls are getting pretty pissed off."

"Don't worry about them." Shauna says as she punches Zeke in the arm. "They're being dick-heads."

"You don't ever really like a girl, so we have to take every opportunity we get." Will says. And this time Shauna gets up and walks over to Will to punch him in the arm.

"Like I said," She says as she walks back to her seat, "dick-heads."

They laugh, and I feel my scowl melt into something warmer. I really do like her. I really do. She's nothing like the others; we both are. We're similar in the fact that we are different from the others. I have to believe she feels something for me, even if it is small. My biggest fear is that I'll push her too hard and it'll ruin everything.

Shauna speaks up again, "Being serious, what's going on?"

"I don't know, really. It's complicated, and you all know from Tori that she's been through a lot; I don't want something she's working through worse."

"Too bad she isn't going to Homecoming." Zeke says.

"Actually," says Shauna, "that's only half true."

"What do you mean?" A spark ignites inside me.

"She's getting ready with us and that means we will get her to take pictures with us." My heart rate picks up speed.

"What do you mean 'get ready'?"

Shauna laughs, "We'll do hair and make-up and all of that together. I guess she has a dress or she'll borrow a casual one from Christina... She's not going to actual dance, but she's doing everything before-hand with us."

"I'm sure if it involves a makeover, Christina didn't give her much of a choice." Will says. We all agree to that.

A few moments later, the rest of the group comes back. Christina and Marlene both wear smiles, while the corners of Tris' mouth turn slightly upwards. Uriah, though, he sports a devilish grin that sends a pulse of uneasiness in me. They all sit down in silence, but in moments that silence is broken with Uriah's laughter.

"What'd you do?" Zeke asks, but he doesn't answer because he's laughing so hard. Now Zeke turns to Marlene, "What did he do?!"

"Don't ask us, he walked away towards your car and advised us not to go near him." When those words reach his ears, Zeke jumps out of his chair and begins to sprint to his car. A few others chase after him.

I turn to Tris. "What'd you guys do?"

"Well, we tried to decorate your guys' cars for the rivalry game coming up, but it's supposed to rain this week so we decided to wait until it gets closer. And Uriah, well, we have no idea about that."

We hear a yell, and the rest of us run to the front. On the ground around Zeke's car are empty water bottles and red Kool-Aid packets. All over his car are damp, red Kool-Aid tampons. While Zeke is running around the cald-a-sac, we all laugh till our stomachs hurt.

I look over at Tris and her hand is covering her open mouth. I nudge with my elbow, and it is like I released a barrier because she begins to legitimately laugh. I love her laugh. So, so much.


Author's Note

No one was pranked in the making of this chapter, yet. Please review!

Be brave, everyone!


QUOTES

1). (S)he's dead, and all I have left of her(his) is the voice in my head, and I'm afraid that voice will fade away and I won't be able to hear it. –Glee, television show

There is one (movie) quote in this chapter.