Then There Was Maverick

Chapter 20

~ Mason ~

The first day back to practice after the fight was certainly a brutal one. Coach had his mind made up to make an example out of me and Wesley, even though he acted as if he could care less when we talked about it in his office during my individual meeting. "He needed to be straightened out anyway," Coach had said, "He was getting a little too big for his britches." Hell, if it wouldn't have jeopardized his employment, he might've given Wesley a few whacks himself. That guy new how to find people's last nerves and stomp all over them.

We had run laps, gassers, and done up-downs until most of our men had thrown up. It was practices like these that set apart the players who had an undying commitment and put in the extra reps from those who were just there for the fame and the glory that came with being a member of our esteemed program. We had made the playoffs every year that I'd been here and even won the championship last season by a last-second touchdown off of an interception, but I was worried for our standings this season. The first championship was always the easiest because you have nothing to lose, but once you've got one, everyone has their eyes on you and your opponents are breathing down your neck and attacking all available blindsides. You had to have true grit to obtain a subsequent championship, the kind of grit that I wasn't sure that most of us had.

Once practice had finally ended somewhere around an hour and a half after we were set to get out, most of the underclassmen looked as if they'd been jumped and beaten half to death. As some limped their way back into the locker room, dragging their pads and helmets behind them, I laughed to myself as I made eye contact with Bruce from across the room who said, "I guess all of y'all have been skipping the optional workout sessions, huh? Rookie mistake." My freshman year, I would've killed to be on the field for an extra few minutes, if not to prove myself to Coach and my teammates, then to give myself a little extra time in a space that was free of the drama of the outside world. Freshman year was hard enough without my best friend beside me, but when I was on the field, I had a sense of security that I had been lacking since that night that the world took Tommy from me. It made absolutely no sense to me; some of these boys were wanting to go pro. They sure as hell weren't going to get there by sitting on their asses in frat houses every off chance they get, though. They didn't know the strength and discipline it took, they didn't even know the half of it – and that is what made me fear for our team's future. They were the next leaders of our program. If they aren't striving for excellence, how could they expect their teammates to follow?

I threw my dirty practice clothes into the hamper across the room and made my way to the door with Bruce following my lead. "You trying to go to the dining hall? I need some major calories after that practice," he said with an exhausted grin.

"Not tonight, man," I replied with an apologetic smile, "I've got plans with my girl."

"Your girl, huh?" his once tired expression had now been replaced with a shit-eating grin, "I thought 'it's not like that' and she's not your girl. What happened, bro? Katie got you whipped already?"

"Shut the hell up, Bruce," I rolled my eyes, "I've gotta go shower before I pick her up."

"Wouldn't wanna keep your girl waiting, now would we?" he yelled at me as I turned back to face him and shoot him a bird.

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After releasing a breath I didn't realize I had been holding in, I knocked on Katie's door. I heard muffled voices and some shuffling around the room. It sounded like Katie and her roommate had company. "Hurry up," I couldn't pick out the voice, "It's him! He's here!" I waited a few more seconds before the door finally creaked open to reveal the person I assumed was Katie's roommate. "You must be Maverick," the girl said with a look of distaste.