Disclaimer: Friday Night Lights isn't mine, and I'm not making any money from this.

Chapter 2

Matt Saracen knocked on the door in front of him, decorated with a faded number seven Dillon Panther's Jersey. "Grandma? It's Matt."

"Matthew? Matthew doesn't live here any more. He left me. He left me for college. Go away." Matt's grandma called through the door.

Matt opened it anyway, and peaked his head in the door. "Grandma, it's me. I moved to Austin a year ago to be by you, remember? I come by every day at 6."

"Really? Look at that—you're here. Well, come on in then. Did you bring me any pudding?"

"Yes, Grandma." Matt held out a pudding cup and a spoon, as he did every night. "Just the way you like it."

"Well, then, come on in and sit down. I'm watching some news about the Austin Rodeos. They're starting to talk about spring training camp already. Can you believe that?"

"Yes, Grandma." Matt settled into the single chair next to his grandmother's bed and started to listen to the sports commentators.

" . . . And, of course, everyone is talking about the very controversial invitation extended to Brian "Smash" Williams for training camp. Williams played four years of college ball over five years, taking one year off for personal reasons. There has been a lot of speculation about what those reasons were, but let me tell you—that young man is trouble.

In high school, TMU withdrew its offer to Williams after he assaulted two young white men in a theater. Whitmore, a far less prestigious football school, offered him a spot, but a torn ACL kept him from accepting that scholarship for his freshman year. He walked onto the team at Texas A&M, but left there for Whitmore after one year with no playing time. Many suspect that this was because he had problems playing on an integrated team.

The big question is still out there—can this young man play on an integrated team? Did Coach Fillmore make a big mistake in using a training camp slot on him?"

"Did you know Smash is playing for the Rodeo? Your old teammate, Smash Williams, is trying out for the NFL?" Mrs. Saracen turned to her grandson.

"No, Grandma, I didn't. I hadn't heard of it."

"Well, you should go talk to him. You used to be his quarterback. You won State with that boy. You always loved football. I always thought my boy could play football in the NFL." Mrs. Saracen's eyes glazed over and she turned from her grandson.

"But he decided to go to art school instead and stop football. My boy stopped playing football and he left me. Who knows where he is now."

"I'm right here grandma."

"Who are you? Get out of here! This is my room, and I can call the nurse. Nurse!" Mrs. Saracen threw a pillow towards her grandson.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll just be leaving now. I love you, grandma." Matt backed out the door, waving to his grandmother. She had her on nights and her off nights, and tonight fell somewhere in between.

He leaned back up against the wall outside her door, and nodded to a vaguely familiar nurse pushing a cart through the hallways. He thought her name might be Sara, but he wasn't quite sure.

"How was she tonight, Matt?" asked the nurse, who was sporting a nametag that read "Cara".

"She was okay. She knew me for a little bit back there."

"That's good. It's good you're here, Matt. You mean a lot to her. Hey—how's that job search going?"

"Well, actually, I just started working at the stadium, doing maintenance. You know, fixing up the stands and everything. The stadium is kinda old, and it's really falling apart." Matt started shifting his feet, and glancing down.

"I thought you were looking for an art job?"

"Well, I was, but they're kinda, well, kinda hard to find around these parts right now. I'm still looking, but I need to pay rent. Plus, I like football, and I can watch the practices."

"It's good you're at least around something you like. Your grandma just doesn't shut up about you being a Dillon Panther back in high school. But, a job's a job. Just don't give up on your dream."

"Yeah, I'm going to be looking for some part time art stuff, get myself out there, at night. It's just a little harder in Austin than it would be in Chicago. I'll be fine." Matt stood up. "I gotta get going. Take care of Grandma for me real well, okay?"

"Of course, Matt," Cara smiled. "See you tomorrow?"

"Um, yeah. See you tomorrow," Matt nodded and turned to walk out of the Austin Desert Rose Nursing Home.