He Plays Football

The Party In Which It Started

"Little Bryant!" Matthew Moore says with his hand curled tightly around a beer bottle. "Hunter's been wondering if you showed up, he said that your dad wouldn't like it." Matt continues to speak as he walks closer to me, not drawing any attention from the other preoccupied drunks.

"Matt, you're intoxicated. Talk to me when you're sober." I mutter as I glance down at the bottle in his hand, keeping my eyes trained to it even when he holds it up to take another sip. "Don't you gotta drive home tonight?"

"I'll just get my sister to drive me home," he places his hand on my back and points over to where Hunter is standing. "Hunter wants to drop you off at home. And I agree. Can't have coach's daughter sippin' on any beer." Matt takes the red cup from my hands, taking a large gulp. "Is this even alcoholic?" He asks.

"No!" I yell, snatching the cup from his hands. "It's lemonade. I know better than you, Matthew."

"Go on home, Maggie, your brothers are waitin." Matt says after getting irritated with my words. He stumbles a bit and that's when Dierks, my other brother, comes walking up.

"C'mon Matt, we've got practice tomorrow. You can't show up hungover again." Dierks eyes me, before pointing over at Hunter. "He's been looking for you." Dierks says sternly.

"I know."

"Well go on and tell him you're ready to go then, I'll get Lucas to help me with this mess." Dierks says as he takes the beer from his drunk friend.

"I don't want to go. And I don't care that he's been looking for me. Paisley has been looking for him." I say while meeting Matt's eyes with my own. "And I've pointed her in the other directions to spare you, God knows why I did that."

Dierks is about to open his mouth when Lucas McHaven comes showing up, flashing a smile at me which makes me roll my eyes. "What do we have here?"

"Dumbass had a little too much to drink. Help me take him out to Hunter's car." Dierks says.

"Little Bryant coming too? Hunter's been looking for you." Lucas says to me.

I throw my hands up and turn around, yelling. "I know! You damn football players," I bring my voice down low so I'm muttering. I lead the boys as I begin to walk faster to my brothers car.

As you can see the major problem is Matt, to Hunter it's going to be that I'm at this party thrown by Ryan Sanders, the second string quarterback for the Tracy Hitters. Horrid name, trust me, I know. We're a football family, so you'd think my brothers would be okay with me hanging around and worshipping the ground they walk on cause they made it to state last year. My brothers hate me intruding on their little outings, unless I bring my friends with me, which doesn't work because they have dates to these things that they choose over me.

"Magnolia Grace, where-" Hunter begins while keeping his eyes glued to me as I open the passengers door.

"I was only drinking lemonade, jackass. The real problem is two seconds behind me." I say before slamming the door shut.

I don't really hear what they say, but I pay attention to Hunter with an angry look on his face as he pushes Matt into the backseat of his car. Lucas nods, then him and Dierks jog out to his car.

"Hope you're up for a little stop to the Moore's, his parents are out of town so no use in risking Coach finding out about this." Hunter says as he puts the key in the ignition, the truck in drive, and then pressing his foot to the gas which takes us speeding off down the street.

"Pretty sure Paisley is still at the party." I say a little while later.

"Not sure, it was her or that other cheerleader who left a little bit a go, but who knows." Hunter responds.

Let me explain something. Hunter, Dierks, and I are siblings, and they are also some of the star players on the football team, which is coached by our dad. Matt is a drunk, but all the girls find him attractive especially in the short time he is sober. Lucas is mister "I'm-right-on-time-and-here-to-save-the-day-so-all-the-girls-will-fawn-over-me", meaning in the worst times he'll try to fix the unfixable. Ryan is pointless and uses his money so people will know about him, mostly cause Lucas is QB number one and never misses a game, so why have Ryan play? My dad would be angry, and make them run hours longer than usual if he found out Matt showed up to practice with a hangover, and then they'd hear the "if y'all don't wanna take the game serious don't waste my time" speech.

We pulled up to the Moore's, and I notice Paisley's light on and thank God under my breath. I hate hearing Matt mumble how he's fine and wants to go back to the party. I run up the front steps to their house and ring the doorbell a bunch of times. Paisley, being one of my best friends, won't get mad.

"Coming!" I hear her yell. She swings open the door and she's wearing a large t-shirt that makes it look like she's not wearing pants, and they way she keeps pulling it down confirms my prediction. I laugh and step out of the way so she can see the boys pulling up to try and get a passed out Matt out of the car. "Are you fucking kidding me? You know what. I'm not even gonna try." She grabs my wrist. "Let's go to my room."

I turn my head and call to my brothers who are still trying to pull a boy who weighs as much as them, and who's taller, out of the backseat of a pickup. "I'm staying with Paisley, have fun."

This is just about an thirty minutes into my life, and I'm going to say this is literally the least dramatic thing that's ever happened. If anything this is a routine. Another Friday night before the season starts, a drunk Matt, and my brothers plus Lucas busting their asses to get him home before my dad comes driving around looking for his kids who just don't listen.

But when football starts, it'll all be worse.