Chasing Footballs

Chapter 1

"Ryder!" My best friend, Topher, called as he ran up to me putting me in a headlock.

"What a nice greeting," I grunted as I escaped from his strong headlock, which luckily he didn't do as strong as he could considering he could actually choke someone with those insane football muscles.

"So grumpy," Topher mumbled.

I roll my eyes. "Stop whining. You sound like a baby. Movie at my house today?"

"You bet," Topher grinned. "We're watching Star Wars," he whispered. Topher is a huge Star Wars fanatic ever since he was 9. Being the popular guy he is with a reputation, he likes to keep his fanboy self a secret. Only me and Parker (our other best friend) know.

I groan. "Please no. I think I've watched all the movies 10 times because it's all you ever want to watch."

"They're good movies!" he protested. "They're not just good! They're absolutely amazing!"

"You sound crazy," I said, watching him flail his arms dramatically. "Remember when you used to wear a peter pan costume and then a pirate costume everywhere you went when we were kids? I kind of liked the peter pan obsession more than the Star Wars one."

"Little me had ok taste. 9 year old me had great taste. That's a fact," Topher crosses him arms.

"Look. I love you. You're my best friend. But we aren't watching Stars Wars again. We just watched it last Friday," I state firmly.

Topher crosses his arms. "Fine. Have any better ideas?"

Topher and I chat about movies as we head over to my car. We get in and I start the car as Parker starts sprinting over to us, his messy blonde hair ruffling in the wind.

He hops into the car. "Let's go!"

"I thought Marie wanted you home tonight for dinner." I turn around to look at my grinning best friend but as I say those words, his grin falls into a line.

"Whatever. It's not like she can tell me what to do." Parker looks out the window, trying to mask any emotion.

I sigh. No one can ever tell Parker what to do, the stubborn boy he is. Especially Marie and Jed.

I drive to my house which is tan and good sized. My dad used to be in the NFL when he was younger and then him and my mom had me and my twin sister (which by the way. We definitely aren't identical).

You see, they really wanted a boy. Especially my dad. My dad wanted to be able to have a son to teach and play football with and do total guy things.

But that didn't happen. Because my sister, Harper, and I popped out. And we're both girls. My parents were very disappointed that they weren't going to have two NFL football boys and I guess just couldn't get over the fact that he wasn't going to have a boy. So he named my sister and I unisex names. Harper and Ryder. My whole family is big on football. Even my mom. And especially my dad being part of the NFL and all. So Harper and I were taught football from the moment we could walk. Actually, even before that my dad would throw a football lightly at me and I would try to catch it.

Anyways, Harper hated it. Harper didn't like football one bit. When we were 3 and Dad handed her a ball she started crying and dropped it on the ground. And that went on for a long time until Dad finally realized:

Harper wasn't going to be a football player.

Took him long enough.

So that left me. And only me.

I loved the football. When Dad placed it in my hands I smiled and threw it up lightly and caught it. So as soon as I was old enough Dad put me in peewee football with all the boys which was where I met Parker and Topher.