Jamdown

Chapter 35

Nodelyn Johnson

We were on the field watching the players jogging. My throat blenched with the dryness that reigned. The sun never made it any better, while my brother's blazing glare at Terry was hotter. 

Don, Leon, and others were gathered in a circle, while Donavan was walking towards us.

Phillip shouted once he grabbed Irwin's leg. "Uncle Irwin!" 

Vanessa said, "I thought you weren't coming?"

Irwin smiled. "Yes, I was tired, but I decided to check out training and see what going on."

Bullshit, he felt the need to come here and prove Terry wrong and I was right when Donovan came over, the first question Irwin asked was, "I hear Terry is going to take my position."

Donavan squinted his eyes then shook his head. "He can't." Irwin had a goofy smile, that I wanted to smack off his face. Donavan continued, "You and him different, you're the fast one, he's the strong one, again, you're the halfback, he's the fullback. Everybody's going to play."

Irwin shrugged. "Oh." Then his eyes narrowed. "So, wait, why is he full and I'm half?"

Donavan's lips parted then twisted as he frowned. "The halfback is more important. The fullback is like a Swiss knife, that's all."

Irwin said, "Oh." He took that surprisingly without a fight.

Donavan smirked and patted Irwin on his shoulder. "Anyways, we're glad to see you. Go back to training and try to not cus' with Terry."

Irwin got nervous all of a sudden and looked down. "Right." He drifted around Donavan and walked over to the others. Phillip tried following Irwin, but Vannessa grabbed Phillip and pulled back.

Donavan gestured with his thumb at Irwin's back. "What is that about?"

Phillip tried to fight out of Vannessa's grasp.

I grinned and placed Lola to stand. "Terry said he was going to take his spot when he didn't want to come. It was a joke."

I grabbed Phillip and pulled him to my side to his disgruntled whimpering. He cried, so I ignored him. 

Vannessa cooed. "Oooooh, fi real?"

Donavan said, "Obviously, him take it seriously."

I said, "The way it look, it's like they have issues, me don't know."

"At least he's here."

"We have to keep him here now, Irwin too fickle." I looked down at Philip. "Stop your crying."

Vanessa made a momentary uncomfortable glance at Phillip then gestured at the team. "Look at all of them. You have outdone yourself. If it is you, that will be no problem."

I planted my hands on my hips and said, "What can I say my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard."

Donavan shrugged and shifted on his feet. "She did good." Say it with a lot more enthusiasm why don't you?

I grinned, "Keep me around, I will do great."

Donavan nodded his head in reluctance. "All right, I'm going to go over, you guys staying for the whole training?"

Vannessa said, "Only for an hour. I have to go to my new job."

I replied, "I'll be here."

Donavan said, "Alright, cool." He turned around and went back to his teammates.

Phillip sniffled and groaned now, at least it was quieter.

The breeze cooled my face, yet the heat already razed the skin on my back. Pain melted deep and was never whisked away. I asked, "You left Terry work?"