Chapter 5
Again I do not own Ranger's Apprentice and I never will. Enjoy the chapter.
A week had passed; every emotion was running high. It was finally game day at Meadow Ridge High School. Tension of school pride had never been more intense as the Eagles took on their bitter rival, Miller Knights. Both Will's emotions and George's emotions were running chaotic in their minds; their crushes were both attending the football game and the worry of performing less than perfect had dropped both of their tolerance levels to significantly low. Will's #23 dark green and silver jersey was draped over top of him like a tabard. He and Alyss had gradually overcome their shyness towards each other and were escorting each other to classes. Will's friends were goading him to ask Alyss, but he had something special planned. He remembered that Alyss had invited him and his friends to her birthday party and he planned on telling her then. Horace, George and Cassandra jumped at the idea of a pool party, but Jenny and Malcolm were not all excited, but accepted the invitation anyway. Malcolm wearing his #18 jersey and George in his #25 jersey had taken to throwing a football in the cafeteria. Horace wearing his #51 jersey, paced back and forth muttering to himself while Will sat with Halt on a table nearby George and Malcolm, reviewing their playbook. Halt had ceased his interventions in Will's and George's love lives and was growing less mysterious. However, the contests were still in place; Will and George were very confident in their chances of defeating Halt. Jenny and Cassandra came into the cafeteria dressed in their dark green and silver cheerleading uniforms. Jenny walked up to George and startled him so much that the ball had hit his face instead of his hands.
"What?" he demanded, rubbing his cheek. Malcolm was doubled over on the floor, howling with laughter. Jenny stared at him strangely.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Jenny asked them concerned. "You've been tense all week! Lighten up!" Horace looked at her, a reproachful glare in his eyes.
"We're playing a team that we haven't beaten in five years!" Horace growled. "How are we supposed to 'lighten up'?" Jenny remained silent; she sat down beside Will at the table, watching George and Malcolm resume their throwing. Cassandra took the seat underneath Halt.
"What are you two reading?" she asked them. "A wedding portfolio?" Halt glared at her from behind the binder.
"Leave us alone, we've got a lot to go over," Halt told them, returning his gaze to the various defensive and offensive diagrams. Cassandra turned her attention to Will.
"I guess there's no need to ask how you're feeling," she guessed. Will said nothing. He kept his eyes fixed on the binder as if there a large bug on it, but nodded. Cassandra laughed. Stressful minutes ticked away as Jenny and Cassandra listened to Will and Halt discuss plays and reverse plays. Malcolm leapt to the side, snatching the ball out of the air. His hands were inches from Jenny's face. She slapped his hands away playfully; Malcolm dropped the football. He looked at Jenny and smiled jokingly. Jenny picked the ball back up and threw back to George. Horace dropped his pace and sat down next to Cassandra. Will looked up and saw Alyss walk in, her books clutched tight to her chest. He shot Halt an inquiring look. He waved his hand lazily.
"Go ahead," he allowed. Will pushed himself off the table and made his way over to Alyss. Her brilliant had formed the moment their eyes had met in a sweet gaze. After a few seconds of silence, Alyss cleared her throat.
"So, you uh, ready for tonight?" she asked him. Will nodded, his eyes not daring to take their sight off of her.
"Yeah, I'm just really tense though," Will admitted. "We haven't beaten Miller in five years." Alyss nodded, hanging on every word he said. Her beauty seemed to be relieving him of the burden that hung on his shoulders that was his tension. The pressure of asking her was mounting though. He mentally shook it off.
I'm going to be with Alyss, I'm going to be with Alyss! This thought repeated itself over and over inside his mind. They walked the halls until the bell tolled. Will and Alyss bade a reluctant goodbye and made their way to class. The rest of the day felt amazing; Will and Alyss had rarely spent a moment apart from each other for every second of not breathing the air of the other person was like being stabbed in the chest. Will almost wished that he didn't have to go to the field house; he'd much rather be with Alyss than be driven to the ground repeatedly by a team whose bodies looked as if they were built of steel. Will could guarantee that George felt the same way about Ashley, but then again, George and Horace spent more time putting people on their backs so it wouldn't have the same affect. Will and the rest of the team finished up their last minute practice and the team changed out and sat in the locker room, awaiting the order to get dressed. Will turned on his IPod, listening to his pump up playlist to recreate his mood for the game. He chose the song Here to Show the World by Downstait. He pictured himself sprinting down the field, dodging linebackers and safeties, and gliding smoothly into the end zone. A slick smile appeared on his face. He then pictured Alyss in the stands, smiling impressed at his heroism as he paraded down the sideline. The next song Invincible by Adelitas Way depicted a clip of Will running over a hulking linebacker in his mind. Horace sat next to him and requested Will's headphone. Will handed it to him; Horace pushed it into his ear and leaned his head back, taking in every lyric of the song. At long last, the doors of the Varsity locker room opened and Coach Duncan had given the signal to dress. Will and Horace strapped each other's shoulder's pads and pulled on their pants. They then put on their cleats, tying them so tight that their feet might not have space to breathe. Horace called a last minute gathering before the coach had given the signal to make their way onto the field.
"Last year, we came this close…" Horace brought his fingers, showing a miniscule space in between. "To breaking our losing streak against Miller! Do we want this year to be a repeat?" His voice bounced off the walls as the team roared in refusal.
"Are we going to be the stepping stone for Miller to have the state championship a third year in a row?" Horace bellowed. The team roared in defiance again. "We were regional champions last year! What say we take that one step further! What say we begin our legacy tonight?" The sound of the team's uproars could probably be heard outside in the stands. Horace gestured for Will to come forward.
"Last year, we were 15 – 1 with Miller as the blemish on our record!" Will began. "What say we erase all that tonight? What say we take back the perfect record that should be ours?" Defiance filled the air once again.
"This is our field, our turf! It begins tonight!" Will shouted. "Our past success is forgotten! Are we going to let them take another state championship away from us?" Screams of a united no filled the air once again. Will started to feel the blood pumping against his veins.
"WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS?"
"OUR HOUSE!"
"WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS?"
"OUR HOUSE!"
"WHOSE TIME IS THIS?"
"OUR TIME!"
"WHOSE TIME IS THIS?"
"OUR TIME!"
"HANDS UP!" Will shouted. "EAGLES ON 3. 1…2…3!"
"EAGLES!" Almost on cue, the coach gave the signal. As one, the team pulled on their helmets, motivational yells issuing from behind every facemask. The doors of the locker room banged open as Halt led the team onto to field. Miller was on the other side of the field, preparing for the long battle that was to come, pulling their gold and burgundy jerseys over their shoulder pads. Will, Horace, Halt, George, and Malcolm fixed the stretching lines. The coaches then separated them by position going through last minute plays and drills. Horace and Will then were called to the fifty yard line, standing across three massive captains from Miller. Will called the toss, choosing to defer at the coach's request. He noticed the smirk on the biggest player across from him. Will remembered him well; he was a safety and had made it his point to try to hurt Will just enough to take him out of the game. Will gripped his hand when told to shake hands. He felt as if the guy was trying to break his fingers. If this were Halt instead of Will, it would certainly be necessary. He snuck a glance over at Horace who was shooting a death glare at the other two captains. They turned away from each other, standing to face the American flag as they listened to the national anthem. They pulled on their helmets and readied themselves to burst through the banner the cheerleaders had made.
"Welcome to first game of the season as we see Meadow Ridge Eagles take on the Miller Knights!" the commentator introduced. The stands and the teams listened as each player and coach was introduced. Will turned around saw Alyss in front, sitting beside her friends Delia and Julie. The stands went silent as the kicking team was called to the field. Will held his breath as he saw the kicker John Buttle's cleat emit a thunderous kick, sending the ball soaring through the air as if it were a bird. The returning runner received the ball and began sprinting down the field. Will watched with pride as Horace rampaged through blockers and crashed into the ball carrier. Will's heart jumped as he saw the Football jumped from the runner's grip and onto the ground. George noticed it and dove, securing the ball against his chest. Whistles were blowing from every direction ever thought possible as players piled on, trying to dislodge the ball. As the crowd dispersed, George came up with the ball. Will rejoiced as he strapped on his helmet and ran after Halt onto the field. They were only 25 yards from the end zone, already in field goal position.
"Tackled by number 51 of the Eagles, Horace Altman, fumble recovered by number 25, George Carter of the Eagles!" the commentator called. Halt listened for the coach's call to make the play.
"I 80 reverse," he informed us. "I 80 reverse on go, on go, ready break!" The huddle dispersed and made its way to the line of scrimmage. The crowd went silent as they watched breathlessly, praying for an early touchdown. Will crouched down, awaiting the snap.
"Down, 180…180 set go!" Halt growled, taking the snap. A loud crack filled the air as the offense collided with the defense. Halt pitched the ball out to Will's awaiting arms. Will took off down the sideline, hunched over the ball as if it were a treasure he was trying to hide. He felt the rush of wind in his helmet as he sprinted. He leapt over a diving linebacker, danced out of reach of a lone safety, and thundered into the end zone. The whistle sounded, the referee held his hands in the air. The stands were celebrating once again; the banging on the metal could be heard amongst the yells of spectators. Will celebrated with his team, waving his hands upward to increase the volume of the stands.
"TOUCHDOWN MEADOW RIDGE!" the commentator boomed through the microphone. Will watched as the zero underneath the home team quickly changed to a six. The field goal unit sprinted onto the field with vigor, as if drawing strength from the touchdown. A loud kick emanated; Will, the rest of the team, and the stands watched as the ball spun through the air and through the rows. The referee once again held his hands up and the kicking unit returned to the sidelines, celebrating their success. "The extra point is good!" The angry shouts of Miller's coaches could be heard on Will's side of the field; he could feel their displeasure at the defense and their failure to stop the touchdown. Horace and George strapped back up for kickoff, running onto the field, ready to inject more frustration into the Miller coaches. John Buttle punted the ball across the field once again. Miller's return team looked as if they had devised a new strategy, keeping three stocky blockers nearby their return runner. Horace engaged two of the blockers; George darted past the third and dove onto the ball carrier. Unlike the last attempt, the ball did not leave the runner's hands, but it still had put the defense in an exemplary field position. But to add tension to the teams and the spectators, yellow flags were thrown through the air.
"Flag on the play against the returning team," the commentator announced. The referee looked up at the box.
"Personal Foul: block in the back, number 44 on the returning team. 15 yard penalty, 1st down!" the referee announced. Will saw the anger of the other coach clear across the field as the Meadow Ridge supporters cheered at the call. Coach Chubbs, the defensive coordinator called out a play to Horace as the other gathered around him. Those who were watching heard Horace's gruff voice announce the play and break the huddle. The defensive line crouched down into their flawless stances, Horace and the two other linebackers squat down, balanced and awaiting the ball. George remained upright as he stood across his respected receiver.
"Down, wide 80, wide 80 set go!" Miller's quarterback shouted, taking the snap from the center. He shoved the ball into the fullback's grasp as he pounded up the middle. Horace spotted his opportunity; he lowered down and drove his body into the fullback, driving him onto his back.
"Number 22 of the Knights, Keren Skinner on the run. Tackled by number 51 of the Eagles, Horace Altman for a short loss," the commentator informed the spectators. Horace and the defense celebrated with one another, until five different whistles sounded and flags had been thrown about. "Flag on the play and looks to be against Meadow Ridge." Will groaned, wondering what they could possibly be penalized for. But then again, Horace had led with his head slightly. The referee turned to face the spectators.
"Personal Foul: Unnecessary Roughness, number 51 on the defense, 15 yard penalty, repeat first down!" the referee announced. The anger of Miller's coaches seemed to have dissipated at the sound of the call. Coach Chubbs told Horace to forget about it and called the next play out to him. That was one thing about Horace that Will loved; he could shake off any mistake and still perform exceptionally well. Once the defense had broken its huddle, they created their formation, awaiting the next snap.
"Down, wide 80, wide 80, set go!" Miller's quarterback growled. He faked a run to the full back which worked perfectly. Horace had taken the bait and plowed through the decoy. But the confusion on his face had told the story. Miller's quarterback dropped back to pass, scouting around for an open receiver. He lobbed it into the air; Will's heart sank as he watched it fly deep down the field. George noticed it too; his eyes were fixed upon the ball as he sprinted like a gazelle towards it. He flew as if he had somehow grown wings and snatched the ball out of the air. He then took off down the field dodging desperate linemen and a running back. He glided smoothly into the end zone as he heard the stands erupt in another wave of excitement. Will could hear Ashley calling out his name in a combination of impression and deep admiration. George tossed the ball back to the referee as he dashed back to the sideline and pointed in her direction; Will pictured her clutching her chest in honor as her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"Interception by number 25 of the Eagles results in a touchdown!" the commentator shouted. The scoreboard increased by six, making it 13 – 0 Eagles. The field goal unit was once again called to the field. Will greeted George and Horace, congratulating George on his prominent play. They heard the kick down the field followed by the gleeful uproar from the stands as the field goal unit returned to the sidelines. "Kick by number 12, John Buttle of the Eagles, is good!" An extra point was added to their half of the scoreboard. The kicking unit had taken the field yet again. Will thought John was going to pull a leg muscle in the first half if they were able maintain this pattern. He glanced up at the scoreboard and saw that they had 50 seconds left on the clock. Will hoped that the team wouldn't let their guard down, Miller was more than capable of defeating them. John kicked the ball so close to end zone that Will was afraid that they were going to get a touchback. But Miller looked as if they had expected this. The receiver caught the ball in his chest and took off behind his wall of blockers. Will felt confident that Horace would be the one to catch the runner, but two blockers dove and caught Horace in the side of the thigh. The runner leapt over Horace's body and danced away from other desperate players. He was well past the mass of humanity at the middle of the field and sprinted easily into the end zone. The other side of the field finally had their opportunity to celebrate. Underneath the silver letters spelling 'Away', the number six had replaced the cruel, relentless zero.
"TOUCHDOWN, KNIGHTS!" the commentator boomed through the megaphone, Their field goal unit had brought them the same success, taking their score up by a point. Will and Malcolm strapped on their helmets and followed Halt and the rest of the kick return unit onto the field for the first time. Will watched as the ball was booted from the other end of the field. Malcolm received the ball as he and Will took off down the field. Will crouched down and engaged an oncoming defender. Off in the distance, he heard Malcolm's grunts followed by a body landing on the ground.
"Returned by #18 Malcolm Geldon for a gain of twenty for the Eagles," the commentator announced. "Stopped by #42 of the Knights, Orman Kerrick." The clock sounded, announcing the end of the first quarter. Will felt pride rising in his chest. They were ahead of Miller and had another opportunity to score. He felt that this night just might belong to Meadow Ridge.