Shadows of Love
Chapter Ten
Beach Game
Everyone else was already on the beach and warming up for the big game. It was November and the season was winding down.
A champion had to be determined before the weather would seriously hamper the playing conditions. Would it be Jacob's team
or Jared's? The line-ups had been determined long ago. Black's Bengals were Jacob, Embry, Leah, Paul and Brady. Jared's
Jaguars consisted of Jared, Sam, Quil, Seth and Collin.
When Renesmee and Quil came sauntering down the beach, with Ren tossing the ball up and catching it as she walked, the group
all turned and called out to them.
"Man, Quil! Where you been bro? Did you forget what time kickoff was scheduled? Hey Ren. Toss the ball over here. You gonna
cheerlead, baby?"
Renesmee kept possession of the ball and smiled, nodding shyly at Jacob while Quil approached Collin and pulled him to the side
for a discussion.
"What's goin' on Quil? You guys been hangin' out or what? You know Ren's spoken for, right?"
"Of course I know that Collin! Don't be daft. Listen, I need you to develop a sprained toe and sit this one out, okay?"
"Sit it out? Are you on drugs?"
"No, Coll, I'm serious. Get this, I've been teachin' Mee Mee over there to play. You should see her man! She can center, run, throw,
although not so great on that one, small hands, ya know, but damn, she can catch anything that's in the same county, dude! We'll
start the game and you can play for a while then I want you to fall over and sprain somethin'. You got me?"
"Ateara, you have lost your mind! But I'm gonna trust you. Just this once. You know if this doesn't work, Jared, Sam and Seth are
gonna murder you, right?"
"It'll work Keen-wah. Trust me."
"Yeah, I've heard that one before. Where's the valuable real estate you want me to buy? I know there's a catch."
"You're damn straight there's a catch! She's a ringer, man. We'll lay a friendly wager on the outcome, with odds since we're subbing
her for you, and We. Will. Clean. Up!"
"Always with the angles, Quil. Will you ever give that up?"
"When I'm too old to care, bubba. When I'm too old to care."
And so the battle got underway, with Renesmee on the sidelines guarding the cooler full of Gatorade, keeping score and remembering
what down it was and how many yards were needed, and cheerleading for both teams. The action was fierce at La Push Stadium and
the First Beach Bowl was a tight contest. The teams were equally matched and the time limit on the game was pretty simple,...dark.
Even though the competitors could still see the ball and each other as well, their audience could not. All of the imprints were in
attendance and the chill night air would be too much for them. They had maybe an hour left to play and the score was 21 – 21. Quil
gave Collin a wink and a nudge in the huddle and on the next play, Collin went down.
"Ow, ow, ow, oh man! That hurts like a mother!"
Everyone crowded around him.
"Dude, what'd you do?"
"I don't know! It felt like I stepped in a hole or somethin'."
"Is it broken?"
"No, but I think somethin's sprained."
"Well, that's the game, then. Jared, you guys have to forfeit."
"Forfeit!? Are you crazy? Forget it bubba. We'll play you guys a man down. This is the Super Bowl, dude!"
"Howsabout a substitution?"
"Substitution? Who you gonna get on this short notice and in a hell of hurry? The sun's goin' down!"
"Can I play?"
"Ren? You wanna play? With us? Now?"
"Yeah! I've watched a lot of football with Billy and Grandpa Charlie!"
"Oh, no, no, no, no! Honey, you can't play with us. It's too rough. You'll get hurt."
"No I won't Jacob. It's touch football, right? Y'all don't actually tackle each other. I've been watching and there's really not all that
much bodily contact."
"But Ren Honey, it just wouldn't be fair to their team. You're so little."
Renesmee held up her hand in front of Jacob's face, the back of her hand toward him, fingers splayed out wide. She pulled her fingers
down one at a time until she had made an impressive fist, calling out names with each finger curled.
"Doug Baldwin, Deon Butler, Jeron Johnson, Barry Sanders, Warrick Dunne. And in case you didn't notice, those first three play for
Seattle right now. They're ALL under 5' 9". So...I'm playing."
Jacob was dumbfounded, along with the rest of his team and their opponents, except Quil, of course.
"Well, I guess that's it then Jake old buddy. Mee Mee will play out the rest of the second half with us. If you guys wanna take it easy on
her, that's your call, but looking at the expression on her face when she showed you her fist, I wouldn't advise it. Just sayin'."
The teams huddled up a few yards apart and Jared eyed Quil and his Mee Mee.
"What are you tryin' to pull Ateara? You're gonna get our Alpha's imprint hurt and yourself killed."
"Dude, ya gotta trust me on this. Mee Mee can center the ball like a pro and then she can just run downfield for a pass."
"Renesmee, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, I know Leah's out here, but she's a wolf too, and she's a good bit bigger than you."
"I'm not that much shorter than Leah, Jared, and I won't get tackled, right, just tagged?"
"Yeah, that's the rule."
"That's good enough for me. Besides, I'm kinda fast. Please give me a chance."
Jared looked at Renesmee and then Quil. They both looked back with confidence in their eyes.
"Oh God, I'm gonna regret this, I just know it. Okay, Ren, center the ball to me and run down the middle. I'll throw the first pass to Quil
and the next one to you. They'll expect me to keep throwin' to Quil cause they'll think I have better sense than to throw to you.
Unfortunately, it looks like they would be wrong."
The conversation in the other huddle was a bit different. Jacob was laying down the law.
"Okay, listen up. There's no way around this. I really don't wanna piss off my imprint cause I'm a chauvinist pig, yeah Leah I heard ya,
but if anyone lays a finger on her, I'm gonna remove it for 'em. You got me? Brady you line up opposite her and try to keep her away
from wherever the play is going."
"Aw, Jake. Why do I have to guard her?"
"Cause you're not as intimidating as Paul, Embry or me and if I put Leah on her, she'll get insulted cause we put the girl guarding her.
I know Leah, but you know she will. Okay, now let's break and put this thing away so I can take my girl to the far side of the bonfire.
Daylight's a'wastin'."
The two teams lined up across from one another. It was still first down, allowed due to Collin's injury. There was a limited amount of
trash talk across the line of scrimmage. They were trying to tone it down for the 'little lady'. If she'd known that she'd probably have
made another fist. Quil was down and set and then suddenly rose back up and called to their opponents.
"Hey guys, are we gonna have a little friendly 'action' on the outcome of the game, as per usual?"
Paul snorted and responded arrogantly.
"Dude! You really wanna continue to bet when you're fielding a little girl? If you're that nuts, you're on! Same bet as every year previous?"
"Why don't we make it interesting in honor of our 'little girl' and say double or nothing?"
"Done!"
Jared called his signal.
"Hut hut!"
Renesmee snapped the ball to him perfectly and darted around Brady in a flash. Before anyone could notice; she was far enough down the
beach for it to be considered a touchdown. Jacob was all over Quil and Jared needed to get rid of the ball. Leah was bearing down on him
with her hands raised. He saw Renesmee all alone, jumping and waving, and he hauled off and sailed a Hail Mary right at her. The quiet
slow motion that kicked in was truly impressive. Everyone on the beach stopped in their tracks. Every head turned to follow the trajectory
of the perfect spiral pass. Every eye swiveled to the end of the beach and watched as Renesmee realized the ball was going to sail over her
head and turned to run further down the beach. As she stretched out her dancer's legs, she twisted her head to look back over her shoulder.
The ball cleared it by inches and thunked into her outstretched arms. Just for effect, she took another step and leaped onto the sand in a
three-point roll. She popped to her feet, holding the ball in the air, dancing just like she'd seen that Ocho Cinco guy. She wondered if any
of her friends on the beach who were all running toward her hollering wildly knew that that dude's number was 85 and Ochocinco was Spanish
for 85. His real name was Chad Johnson. Grandpa Charlie had taught her that. But that certainly wasn't important right now.
"Baby! Oh, Baby! That was fantastic, Ren! C'mere Honey."
Even though her catch had just won the game for the other team, Jacob lifted her into the air riding on one of his broad shoulders. The whole
Pack crowded around them with congratulations and 'how'd you do that?' and especially 'where'd you learn to do that?' and Quil couldn't have
been more puffed up.
"Taught 'er everything she knows. I'm tellin' ya, I'll get 'er into the NFL before it's all over. First female ever."
Jacob was happy and proud of Renesmee but a stern look at Quil let him know that they would be having a chat later about Quil teaching
Jacob's imprint how to play football. Staying in character as best she could, Bella did a quick eye roll at Jake's overprotective side. He didn't
see her and she didn't much care. She'd never had any success at anything athletic and this new experience was something she really wanted
to revel in. Thank God Renesmee was blessed with coordination and balance. It was a freaking miracle!