A/N: So here is chapter 23...I can't we're already at chapter 23. How has the confrontation with Jason and Cindy outside the medical room influenced Riley? Once again I want to give thanks to DaveTheWordsmith, KODfreak, and DaBlackGoku for reviewing and giving great feedback. Everyone you should check out and review their works because there is some great stuff there if you haven't already, especially "Choices" and "More than Friends" great fics by DaveTheWordsmith and KODfreak's "The Other Guy". Also check out and review "Life Goes On" by DaBlackGoku one of my favourite fics on the site. Please review this chapter and the one I put up late last night and tell me what you think about both of them as individual chapters and as part of the larger story.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Boondocks, Aaron McGruder and Sony Pictures does.
Chapter 23 – Reagan Third Quarter
Cindy lined up at her ten yard line for the kickoff as the third quarter got under way across the field from Jason who lined up as the other returner. When the Reagan High kicker kicked the ball off it came to Cindy and catching it she took off down the field breaking two tackles to get to her forty two yard line before being pushed out of bounds.
Huey called his play on the go forgoing the huddle and when Caesar snapped the ball back he dropped out of the pocket to buy himself some time and threw a ten yard pass to Johnny who was running a difficult route right through the Roughbacks' secondary and got another ten yards running before being dragged to the ground by a safety.
"I told you to get me some passes brah," Johnny said rejoining the huddle.
"We never doubted you," Huey said. "But you're the tight end."
"I know that just get me the ball once and a while and I'll be good brah," Johnny said.
"I plan to," Huey said. "Later though, they're still leaving holes in their line and I want to exploit it." He broke the huddle and lined up a few steps behind Caesar with Cindy beside him.
Caesar snapped the ball back to Huey when Huey reached the end of his count and Huey faked a handoff to Cindy before breaking out of the pocket and faking a pass to Jason who was battling with Riley down field drawing away the defensive end just enough for Huey to create a lane. With his lane created Huey took off stiff arming the defensive end that was in the middle of trying to right himself after falling for the feint. Huey managed to get seven yards before a safety got him.
Huey called a no huddle on the next play and once again took off with the ball when Caesar opened a gap for him in the line. He got the first down and another three yards before the same defensive end he tricked last play got his arms around his thighs and pulled him down. On the next play with no gap open to him right away he handed the ball off to Cindy who thanks to the defence expecting Huey to rush left a big gap on the short side and thanks to a well placed block by Johnny Cindy managed to carry the ball down to the Roughback twenty two yard line.
Lining up without a huddle again, Huey signalled for a Post Corner Read and got a quick snap. He fell back looking for Jason who was running the main route but Riley was practically on his back. He looked next for Johnny but his tight end was covered near the line of scrimmage. Then when he thought he would have to run it, he saw Hiro break away from his coverage on the short side. His third receiver was edging the end zone line and Huey threw a bullet pass to him. Hiro caught the ball falling back into the end zone for his first touchdown of the game. Jumping back to his feet moved his hands like he was scratching a turn table and then spiked the ball. With Jazmine chip shot the score was now 37-21 for the Wuncler Black Panthers.
Jazmine lined up her kick off trying not to aim for Riley but he moved with her kick and while running horizontally along the field he caught the ball and charged up the side line before cutting into the middle to avoid Cindy. With a few blocks from his team, Riley ran the ball back to the Black Panther fifteen yard line before Jason caught up just enough to bump him off balance and to the ground.
"Nice run Riley," Brooks said as they lined up for the next play.
"Thanks," Riley said with a smirk. It felt nice after screwing up so much to finally be able get a big play off.
Corey snapped the ball and handed it off to Alex who was determined to match Riley's big play with one of his own. Unfortunately for Alex he was not the player Riley was and unlike Riley he had Huey gunning after him. Once again Alex could not make it past the line of scrimmage before Huey like an unstoppable demon ripped through the roughback line and slammed into Alex throwing him backward in the air. Alex got up slowly fuming. He would get Huey by the end of the game he was sure of it.
Riley ran a hook route for the second down with Jason close on his back. As he hooked around only ten yards beyond the line of scrimmage he saw Corey hand the ball off to Alex again and once again hid brother was on his captain pulling him down one yard beyond the line of scrimmage. Seeing Alex go down Riley cursed and grumbled. How could Alex chew him out for his few screw ups when the mulatto teen could not even get past his own line of scrimmage? If things kept up he would have to run the ball as well as catch.
Choosing not to say anything when he got back to the huddle, Riley silently listened to Alex call their next play and then he went to line up on the short side against Jason again. When he heard the last count Riley took off weaving in and out of his route trying to catch Jason off balance and gain some distance so he could get the ball and maybe some extra yards. Jason had other ideas though and stayed with Riley throughout his route and when Corey threw the ball to Riley, Jason used his longer arms to punch the ball out of Riley's hands as he tried to catch it.
"I told you won't touch my ball anymore," Jason said before jogging back to the line of scrimmage to line up for the fourth down field goal attempt.
The Reagan kicker lined up his kick and when Corey got the ball from his long snapper he stepped into the ball, but the football did not go far. As the kicker made contact with the ball Caesar broke through the line leaping up in the air. The ball hit the tip of his fingers stealing its momentum and changing its angle. Instead of going up toward the uprights the ball went straight up and landed in Cindy's arms.
The Black Panthers immediately reacted to the new development and those nearest Cindy swarmed her allowing her to clear the main group of players. When Corey tried to get her, Johnny who had lined up on the far side to try and bust through the edge of the extended Roughback line to attempt the same thing Caesar had accomplished ran into the quarterback. Not used to taking hits, Corey got bowled over and Johnny continued forward running just behind Cindy so no one could. They only got ten yards before Riley and Jason caught up. Johnny slowed to throw a block on Riley while Jason slid into his place behind Cindy. Behind Cindy Jason shouted encouragements to her to keep her speed up and this way they ran the rest of the field without any interference, too fast for any of the remaining players to catch them.
In the end zone Cindy seemed to channel the showboating of her best friends and taking the ball she kicked it to Jason who stopped behind her and ran behind the uprights. Seeing her move Jason guessed what she was doing and as the ball came done in front of him he booted the ball through the uprights where Cindy caught and threw her hands up to signal a good field goal.
"Was all that really necessary?" Huey asked when the pair met up with the team and Jazmine kicked in her chip shot. "We're already leading forty four to twenty one. Let's be the bigger team and show some class."
"I was excited. It's not exactly everyday ya get a TD on a field goal block," Cindy defended her actions.
"Alright, alright I'll let it slide this time, but I want no more showboating while we have such a large lead. I will not allow this team to drop to their level. Anyone showboating will spend the next practice on the line and anyone already on the line will spend it running with the receivers, am I clear?" Huey said sternly eyeing each of his players.
"Aye," they all replied.
"Good then let's keep our foot on the pedal and bring this home," Huey said as they broke up and headed back for the kick off.
This time Jazmine managed to keep the ball away from Riley putting it in Brooks' side of the field. The Brooklyn native caught the ball after it bounce once but only made it fifteen yards before Cindy caught him.
After the huddle, Corey took a long snap standing out of traditional formation to try to avoid Caesar who was lined up at the edge of the Black Panther line one hand in the air opening and closing in anticipation. Once the ball left the centre's hands, Caesar took off barrelling through the outside of the Roughback line. In behind the line Corey froze in his tracks like a deer in front of a truck as Caesar came at him. The larger teen crashed into Corey who at the last second had enough sense to secure the ball so when he hit the ground he did not fumble it.
Caesar picked himself up off Corey and simply walked back to his team obeying Huey's wishes for no showboating.
Alex took his place looking over his flattened quarterback. "What you can't throw the ball away or try to run away? No obviously you can't. Instead you just stood there and watched as he hit you."
"I'm sorry Alex I just froze," Corey apologized slowly getting to his feet groaning in pain as he did.
"Just froze! What is my team made of complete morons and incompetent fools," Alex raged throwing his helmet at the ground and the nearest official threw up his penalty flag awarding the running back an unsportsmanlike penalty.
"Step off Alex," Brooks said putting himself between Corey and their fuming captain. "We've all made mistakes today. Why don't ya yell at the line? It's deir job to make sure da other team doesn't get dis far. It's all our jobs to make sure dey don't get our quarterback. Where were ya?" Brooks pushed Alex back finally having enough of their quarterback. "Now get ya head back in the game or get off da field and let someone who wants to win play...nigga." Brooks turned away from Alex and offered Corey his hand. "Ya have another play to run."
"I do," Corey said taking the hand.
Corey lined up again behind his centre and snapped the ball. He did not even look at Alex who crossed in front of him expecting the hand off as he had signalled; instead Corey looked down field to Riley. He threw a wobbly ball down the field but it was under thrown and Jason running behind Riley picked it off. This time though Riley was ready and once Jason had the ball he brought him down taking some satisfaction in taking down his rival even if it was on a play bungled by his own team.
Seeing his pass fall short into the hands of his opponents, Corey fell to his knees dejected. After Brooks had stood up for him he had screwed up again.
"Don't worry, we'll get them next time," Brooks said pulling Corey up. Already on the sidelines Alex just fumed his mind working on devious plans as he looked at Huey who was lining up for his next offensive play. If his team could not even put together a single play he would simply have to cut the other team down to their level, and he knew one way to do.
Huey faked a pass to Hiro and rushed again for twelve yards on his first play. On the second he rushed again this time for fifteen yards. On the third he changed it up a bit and handed it off to Cindy who exploited the same holes Huey was finding in the self-destructing team for a twenty four yard gain.
Jason lined up against Riley on their fourth play as Huey began his count. The two rivals stared at each other, with the game winding down their contest was winding down and they both knew Jason was winning. He had not only managed to catch most of his pass attempts, but he had blocked several of Riley's and had a few interceptions to his name.
"I told you Riley I'm the better receiver," Jason said with his cocky smirk. "As long as you run against me I will always win. Give up and find a new path."
"I'm not giving up on anything," Riley replied surprised that the venom that had been in his voice since the beginning of the game was not there. What had happened since they started this contest to change his opinion of their rivalry? Could it even be called a rivalry when he was getting his behind handed to him every time they matched up? Riley knew there was one way he could win, but now that he faced that situation face to face was he really willing to win by playing dirty?
"It's for your own good. Not everyone can be a receiver, Riley, some people are meant for other things," Jason advised as Huey finished his count and Caesar snapped the ball. Jason using his explosive first step passed Riley and slanted down the field toward the side line. As he went Riley caught up, while Jason had a first step it took Riley a couple more strides to get to full speed and by the time Jason cut back into the middle they were neck and neck unable to gain the needed ground to make a clean catch. Huey threw the ball to Jason with no other option available as a defensive tackle bore down on him.
Jason reached out to grab the ball but just as he was making contact with it, Riley hit him and once again Jason lost his handle on the ball and dropped it as Riley drove him into the ground.
"I'm just as fast as ya nigga," Riley said getting off of Jason.
"But I'm taller why do you think Huey made you a running back?" Jason said truthfully as he picked himself off the ground.
Riley stood there for a moment longer replaying his rival's words through his head. Was there really a reason Huey made him running back instead of receiver that had nothing to do with Jason? Shaking the thought out of his head he returned to his team. It couldn't be true he was the running back because Huey thought Jason was better than him.
Back at the line of scrimmage Huey once again took things into his own hands seeing a large gap in the defensive line. On a hunch he had sent all his receivers in motion on the long side of the field and with all four of them on one side of the field nearly the entire Roughback team shifted accordingly leaving the short side almost bare of players except for a single safety. It was the biggest gap they had made yet and it extended almost the entire short side of the field. Huey shot off through the gap and the safety moved to try and stop him, but as they safety lunged at him, Huey leaped over the nearly six foot tall player and kept running until he got to the end zone for yet another touchdown for a 51-21 lead. As an example to his player's Huey simply left the ball in end zone and returned to his team without celebrating.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Alex cursed from the sidelines stamping his feet, an artery on his forehead pulsing. "What the fuck are all of you doing?"
"We're doing our best Alex but they're just too good," Corey said. "We just don't have the skill to compete with them."
"That's why I got Riley," Alex continued his tirade turning his gaze on Riley who was bent off trying to catch his breath on the field.
"One player can't turn us from the crappy team we are into a good one. He is only one player. This is a team sport."
Riley joined the offensive team on sideline still slightly breathing heavily. He walked over and grabbed one of the sport drink bottles and guzzled it down. "Just give me da ball. If I can't catch it I'll run it."
"Alright," Corey said. "What do we have to lose? We only have a minute left."
"Fine but if you screw this up to your off the team Riley," Alex warned but Riley just shrugged his shoulders.
Riley managed to get the kick off this time and putting on the jets he cut down the sideline until he met Jason. With a juke to the right he fooled Jason who followed just enough for Riley to blow by them and because in the long run they ran at the same speed he could not catch up and Riley made it to the Black Panther 35 before being pushed out of bounds by Hiro.
On the next play Corey threw a quick short screen pass to Riley behind the line of scrimmage as soon as he got the snap. Riley dodged Jason who exploded past the line of scrimmage to try and catch him for a loss of yards. Passing Jason once again no one was able to stop Riley as he spun around Cindy and stiff armed Hiro before getting a touchdown to shorten the gap to 51-28. Not feeling up to showboating with such a large gap in the score he simply went back to his traditional celebration slamming the ball through the uprights.
Cindy caught the return but did not make it far and invigorated by Riley's touchdown the Roughback defence held Huey's offence to their first three and out. Forced to punt Jazmine directed the ball to Johnny who managed to get five yards before Jason brought him down.
"Give me the handoff this time," Riley said in the huddle before Alex could give any orders.
"Alright," Corey nodded breaking up the huddle for the first time that game as a quarterback should. Alex just fumed unwilling to look at Riley who was showing him up at his own position.
Corey caught the snapped ball and faked a handoff to Riley as he crossed behind him. Riley cut in and as he was running away from Corey, Corey shovel passed him the ball and Riley broke through the corner of the line running twenty yards down the sideline until he was met by Huey. To make sure the clock stopped at 00:23 Riley stepped out of bounds sacrificing the few yards he would have gained running into Huey to stop the clock.
On the next play Corey simply handed the ball off to Riley who forced his way through the lines and into the Black Panther secondary where he stutter stepped and pulled a juke to the left drawing Jason in before going right and getting past Jason only to get brought down by Cindy.
With only fifteen seconds left Corey quickly called a timeout to stop the clock. Everyone returned to their huddle to wait out the timeout clock.
"Shit ya can run," Brooks said slapping his friend on the back.
"I was the running back on my old team," Riley said with a smirk.
"Why'd ya switch den?" Brooks asked.
Riley thought about the question for a few seconds. Why did he leave? He was a good running back. Then the answer popped into his head, Cindy. But was that really any of his business. She had chosen Jason...at least for now.
"I told you already," Riley continued with what he now knew was a lie. He would stick to his lie until he could sort everything out. He was confused right now and the football field was not a place to be thinking things through. Right now he needed only think about his running.
The official blew his whistle for the end of time out and Riley line up just behind and to the right of Corey. Corey snapped the ball and once again Riley broke through the line to and past Jason who could not use his explosive first step from the backward steps he was in the middle of to adjust to Riley's path. Crossing the Black Panther thirty yard line he felt himself tiring, his stamina was running out again but behind him Jason was still going at full speed thanks to Huey's gruelling conditioning training. Jason was right on his heels as Riley passed the ten yard line. By the time he reached the five he had completely faded and Jason brought him to the turf.
Jason rolled off Riley breathing heavily from the exertion of going full out to catch up to his rival. Beside him Riley too tired to get up just panted while looking up at the sky. "I see you finally realised it eh?" Jason said through gasps for air as he sat up.
"Realised what?"
"That Huey had a reason for making you a running back," Jason said hopping up to his feet. Unlike Riley who was still breathing hard Jason had almost recovered thanks to Huey's training.
"Yeah he thought you were better so he shoved me off to running back," Riley said truthfully. He may have been confused about many things right now, but this was not one of them.
"You don't get it," Jason said shaking his head sorrowfully. "He did not take you off the receiving core because I was the better receiver. He did it because you were the best ball carrier on the team." Jason left him with that as he rejoined their old team.
Riley just laid there looking at the clouds moving across the sky as the official blew the whistle to end the quarter. Right now everything else seemed unimportant. One of his biggest reasons for that whole blow out at the beginning of the week was being challenged by what he just heard and the other reason was already in doubt. Had he been wrong?
Huey's team has taken a commanding 51-28 lead going into the third quarter can they hold on? With the revelations Riley has experienced and Jason's last words what will Riley? And what exactly did Alex mean by 'he would simply have to cut the other team down to their level'?