Stuck on You | All American

Chapter 18

"Ladies and gentlemen, number 83, Asher Adams!" The announcer calls out, Asher runs out the tunnel and onto the field — there are ten cheerleaders on both sides of the tunnel shaking their poms-poms as he run out. "Number 1, Jordan Baker!" Jordan runs out onto the field next. "Number 11, Spencer James." When Spencer runs out, I shake my hands a couple times trying to ready myself. "And number 7, Samantha James!"

Keeping my head held high, I run out the tunnel and rhetorical crowd goes wild as I stand in the middle of the field. This is what I worked so hard for, being here on the field, surrounded by the cheering fans. But despite the excitement, I felt nothing. Not happiness, not sadness, I just didn't care about being here and being able to play in the state championship. And the last time I felt like that, it didn't end well for me.

Crenshaw teams stands at the line watching me, looking at me like some of us didn't grow up together but I understood. Right now we're not friends, we're opponents; and only one of us was leaving with the championship title. Chris stands front and center of his team, also looking defensive but when our eyes lock his defensive stance drop and I watch how concern fills his eyes.

"We did it, Sam!" Spencer cheers, draping his arm around my shoulder. "We did it."

I smile at him. "Yeah, we did."

The game is in full swing, I was here physically but mentally I was nowhere near here. Layla's been leaning on me more and more recently since going to Crenshaw prep rally; Olivia also had denounced their friendship. And then she's dealing with some issues with her father, but there's only so much that I can do for her. Living with her is so that she isn't scared of being in her own home or isn't lonely, is one of the only ways I can help:

Then I'm dealing with my own problems, Corey keeps doing these pop up visits; before practice, after practice, before school, after school. And then there's Jordan, I tried to bridge the gap between us but was met with cold silence. And as the game continued, I just kept sinking further into my thoughts, the noise of the crowd fading into the background.

This is too much.

I'm brought back to reality when I'm suddenly tackled down onto the ground. "Hey." Chris gets off me and extend his hand out towards me, I accept and he pulls me to my feet. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I dismiss. "That was a good hit. You got lucky, you won't get another hit off me like that again."

"Samantha." Chris hasn't called me by my first name in almost forever. "I know when something's wrong with you."

"Aye, worry about your own team." Spencer comes between us, getting in Chris face. "Remember what you told me at the prep rally? About how I pick my team? She picks hers as well and it's not on your team."

Too much.

It's normal for tension to be high on the field but tonight the tension felt almost deadly, and all the plays were to hurt one another and not to move the ball. Cameron would tackle Jordan before he could even pass the ball, then Jordan tackle Cameron before he could even catch the ball. Then there's Spencer and Chris, I don't know what happened this time that's making them so angry with one another but I know it's not because we're competitors tonight. When Crenshaw had the ball, they ran a play that makes it look like we would get the ball, but it was just a setup for them to tackle whoever went for the ball.

It was Spencer who went for the ball, and it was Chris who tackled him. The two of them have been going at it all night, we're a touchdown behind them, but the team is so worried about injuring each other than scoring points at the moment. Nobody's even intentionally trying to harm me, but I felt like I was getting hit the most. When Crenshaw has the ball, it felt like everything has slowed down; Spencer watches Chris like a hawk. Chris gets the ball and Spencer sprints towards him, tackling him onto the ground. Spencer gets off Chris and starts walking away but Chris remains lying on the ground.