Made in America
Ensemble, No time period, PG, 1072 words, Title from the Sopranos

America. The land of the free. The home of the brave. The place where all your dreams come true. And where football is king. Especially in Texas. America's heartland. It's a whole new ballgame in Texas. And it's not the big leagues that drive these people. No, they live, they breathe, they die with high school football. Under those Friday night lights.

I don't want to be anywhere but here.

Coach adjusts his coat and places the headphones on his ears. He's been waiting for this night for weeks. It was his first game as head coach of the Dillon Panthers. He couldn't be any more nervous. He felt his hand shake as it held onto his clipboard.

He began looking around the field. His players. Those in the stands. They were prepared. They were ready. It was time.

Coach felt his hand stop shaking. Everything was in slow motion, no one moving, no one saying anything except for him. He breathed deep, and let it all out.

This was his life. This was his dream. And he didn't want to be anywhere else but here on this field.

I wish I could just quit.

Matt painfully got out of the shower and saw the bruises all over his body. All from football of course. He sighs as he walks into his room. Ever since he took over as QB1, it felt like things got tougher. Even the simplest task like getting dressed in the morning was a struggle. He doesn't understand why he should bother. No one believes he can do this. He doesn't even believe in himself. Things would just be easier if someone else took over. Or if he just quit.

Man, wouldn't that be nice?

I don't get why this is such a big deal.

Tyra sits in the cafeteria as a few players pass her by. She rolls her eyes. Nothing but a bunch of dumb-ass jocks. Tim's with them as usual. She feels the vomit forming in her stomach. She would never understand what she saw in him (but she'd never deny that the sex was amazing). She would never understand what the obsession over football was about either. To her, it was just some stupid game that had absolutely no lasting appeal. But being at the game was a good way to kill time on an otherwise boring Friday night. Tyra feels her skin crawl at the thought. She needs to find a hobby.

Not only that, but she can't wait to leave this place and never come back. But she can't shake the feeling that she'll miss everything when she's gone.

Tyra stands up and walks out of the cafeteria. She just lost her appetite.

I'm living out my dream.

Smash can't wipe the huge grin off his face as he's getting ready for the game. He looks at himself in the mirror he has on his locker door and his smile gets even bigger. Damn, I am beautiful, he says to himself. Except he says it out loud for everyone to hear. Some of his teammates talk trash, saying all he does is talk, talk, talk, while some of the others just roll their eyes. Smash doesn't let it fade him though. They're just jealous that the Smash has what they all want. He's a star. And all his dreams are coming true right before his eyes. He'll be in the NFL in a few years and all these guys will really be jealous.

Smash takes one more look at himself before shutting his locker and putting his helmet on. He knows he always talks the talk, but he can walk the walk better than anyone in Texas, hell, better than anyone in America.

Time to go and prove it.

I have this when I don't have anything else.

Tim takes his helmet off and shakes his hair around as he walks back to the locker room. Finally. He was finally back on the field. It brought him peace when nothing else did. The bad decisions and the lack of parental advisement brought him nothing but pain. Pain that the countless number of girls and beer bottles couldn't completely heal. But that field, that field took it all away. For a few hours each day, and especially on those Friday nights, every pain, every problem, was gone. Nothing mattered more than tackling the shit out of someone on the other team. It brings a smile to his face.

But the smile soon leaves as he makes his way to his truck after getting showered and dressed. Time to go back to the pain.

I wish I could be anyone but me.

Julie watches her dad sit on his chair and watch his football tapes. She can't speak to him, because she knows he won't listen. Can't talk to mom either since she's off at book club. Before Julie even realizes what hit her, she has tears falling down her eyes. She quickly gets up and rushes towards her room.

It's not fair. Why can't she be a normal teenager, with normal parents? But no, she can't. She's the coach's daughter. Football will run her life forever.

She wishes… that for just one day… someone else could take her place.

I wish I was out there.

Landry sits in his cars and waits. Just like he did yesterday, just like he'll do tomorrow. It's not that he doesn't like driving his best friend to practice (the fact that he still associates with him is a plus), but rather, he wants to be inside with him in that locker room. And not like that. Landry wishes that he was on the team. That he was a Panther. Because he's sick of being in the stands. Sick of being labeled as "QB1's BFF" instead of by his actual name (even Coach can't get it right). And just sick and tired of never being noticed. Landry knows that if he put every ounce of energy into it, he could get the job done.

But when he watches Matt and the others walk out like the tight groups of friends that they are, he sighs.

Maybe it's better off just being a dream then ever turning into reality.

The stands are filled now. The lights are bright. The air is cool. Everyone's ready for the Panthers to take to the field.

This is the dream. This is America.