Roman High's Stars

[68] Yes!

>>>>Song Of The Chap: Sober by P!nk, just cuz it's my song of the week>>>>

>>>>Pic of the Chap: Andrew Parker, AKA: Andy>>>>

Chapter 68

Five Days Later...

The Gladiators were at war. In their sweaty armor, they faced off against the enemy with the masses on either side of them voicing their deafening cries. Sweat and grime covered every inch of their bodies, but their eyes held determination.

They wanted to win.

With one minute left on the clock, they were just one point behind the Wolverines. They only had one chance, but it was slim.

“It's a close call between the Gladiators and the Wolverines.” The MC called through the loudspeaker. “Gladiators’ Quarterback, Phillip Pierce is looking very fierce as he looks over the field. And he gives the call!”

Down on the field, the reds and blues charged forward, and the Wolverine’s maroon and gold tried their best to defend their territory. Phil jogged back a couple steps, looked to the left, and then managed to throw the ball to his right before he was tackled.

“Pierce passes to Rhodes, who takes it in stride! Wolverine Willis comes in for the tackle, but Rhodes quickly hands it off to Davis who throws it quickly over to Adam Parker. Oh man! look at that determination on the guy’s face. He’s barreling through, but oh! Here comes two of Wolverines’ finest to take him down, but the ball’s back in the air, down to Parker’s little brother, but is quickly passed to Hayes! My, my heart is pumping fast! Hayes is running, running, running....! Is he going to make it?”

Josh kept running even as he heard the announcer’s narration. Four of Wolverine’s guys were in the way of his goal. He faked a left and dodged to the right around number one, jumped over the diving number two, ducked away from number three, and thought he managed to get around number four, but felt a slight pull on his middle part that threw his equilibrium off, and he went spiraling out of control.

And it seemed like everyone was holding their breath. For Josh, it felt like things were going too fast as well as going in slow motion. He stumbled to the side a little, saw that he was falling, and with the last ounce of his strength, he lunged into a jump. All the sounds seemed to cease as he went hurtling through the air, and then a bone jarring land followed.

Seconds that seemed like minutes passed, and then a deafening roar filled the stadium that gave Josh goosebumps all over.

He stood up and looked down at where he landed. He had made it by inches.

“And the Gladiators take the win! forty to thirty-five! The Gladiators win the finals!”

Josh had no little victory dance like Andy or Gabe or Adam, nor a war cry like Dean or Phil. He was completely stunned to silence. In the past two years of his football career, he had shown up to practice, but had never actually been there. Just going through the motions, and following directions, but his heart wasn’t in it.

But for the first time in the last year of high school, he finally felt that pride that he’d heard his fellow classmates, friends and best friends talk about.

His teammates crowded around him, some yelling, some jumping up and down and out of control, and some were...crying...very manly.

It wasn’t until he saw his best friends’ faces that he finally broke out of it. Adam, Gabe, Andy, Dean, Phil all came up yelling at the top of their lungs, and one look, and Josh joined them, yelling so loud, his jaw popped.