RAISING BLAKE

CHAPTER 29

Managers and scouters

Ive been in this tournament for nearly 3 hours now and we're ⅔ of the way through. Theres hundreds of boys like me from all over America here today to try out for the under 20's and it's a fucking big deal and I feel like im blowing it. They've given us drill after drill after drill just so they can see who's the best for the under twenties team and theres atleast a hundred quaterbacks fighting for the same position as me on the team there are tons of spots for the other positions in the u20's but only one spot for the quaterbacks.

At my school I've been the best they've seen in centurys but here I feel like I'm shit and the whole school have lied to my face.

"ALRIGHT BOOKER ON THE FIELD." i take a deep breathe In before heading onto the field putting on my helmet and mouth guard as I do so. The game starts and I run with the ball until I see one of the wide receiver blake jones from louisiana was open hes a big tall guy and he makes me look very fucking small I throw the ball just in time before I get tackled to the ground.

Once he scores a touchdown the whistle blow so that we can all have a break. I sit on the Bench and most the players so round me taking a break whilst one of the scouts and manager of the u20's joins us.

"Malik is it? what made you play football." shit I hate the question. "well at first I played so that I could get stronger." the scouts didn't seem impressed with that at all neither did the u20's manager. "thats it no sob story or my dad's a hero story like the rest of us." one of the many wide receivers ask and I let out a sigh.

"well the real reason isn't the greatest but I don't like to think of it as a sob story." now that peaked everyones interest they all love a good sob story. "i never liked football as a little kid I despised it actually I only played so that my dad had a reason to blame for the bruises and scars I had on my body but then I hit middle school and I realised the more I played the stronger I got and the stronger I got the less the beating I got hurt so I played thinking that there would be a time that the beatings I got didn't hurt but whilst doing that I realised that I loved the sport... My dad's gone now he's been gone for a while now actually."

It goes quiet."so you play so you can be strong enough to be the man of the house now." i shake my head. "no. I was in a shit place only a few months back... A year actually. my dad was still there in my mind and it haunted me so I did some stuff including girls to distract myself but football wasn't one of them I don't play to be the man of the house or as a distraction I play simply for fun because I like it I play in hopes that I'll be in the nfl one day and I play my best so that it comes true."

I felt like I was getting interviewed but the others players already had there round of 21 questions so I guess it's my turn."why do you want be in the nfl." i take a deep breath. "cause I'm not smart enough for anything else I'm not a genius and in fact I'm barely passing my classes so I want to be in the nfl because it's the only thing I feel like would make me happy in life and the only job I can do that can provide enough money for my daughter so I basically do it's for my daughter."

It goes pin drop silent and the u20's manager and the scouts look at eachother."daughter?" shit I think I fucked up my chances. "Y-yeah she's not born yet she's expected July 2nd so I got 2 months child free."

"thats gonna be alot to take on son to be a school student a dad and travel for games if you get into the u20's plus school football games and training." OK my hearts racing now.

"uh I know it's a lot but I'm willing to do it all I'm finished with school next September I'm willing to train as much as I have to too succeed in the u20's and my school football and I have a lot of support from my mom and my sister and my baby ma and her father when It comes to my daughter so I won't have a lot of stress on my hands compared to a normal father who wouldn't have enough support"

They still didn't seem convinced. "I've spoke to bother my ma and she said that if I have to travel for games or have to train on the day that I have my daughter she will look after her and I would visit her at my baby ma's house when I'm free after. so there is no way that my daughter can get In the way of being in the u20's"

Before I could get any type of answer from them a water boy theyve hired for this tournament come over with my phone buzzing in his hand but it stops as he reaches us. "sorry to bother but your phone has been ringing none stop since the start of the tournament it's from a girl named Aiko."

My eyebrows draw together in confusion as the scout the managed and basically all the players stared at me. "there not meant to be any phone usage during the tournament." the manager tell me quite annoyed.

"I know I'm sorry it's just-" my phone rings once again and I answer it. "aiko I'm busy I can't talk right n-" "somethings wrong with the baby I'm at the hospital they're trying to induce me our baby's coming." She cut me off before hanging.

I get up not thinking spill my water everywhere. "shit- fuck sorry um I've got to go somethings wrong with my daughter- I uh." i say scrambling around picking up my stuff whilst also tripping over my own two feet. "s-sorry to waste your time on me but I'm becoming a dad way sooner then expect."

Once I've collected my stuff I basically sprint out of there like lighting getting to my car and throwing my stuff in the boot. Fuck I'm top to bottom on football get I can't drive in my cleats let alone even fit in my drivers seat. I grab my bag running back out past the manger and scout who were sitting in the same place and into the changing room.

I change out of my gear tripping and stumbling as I do so and I change into my grey compression shirt black sweat pants and my yeezy slide. I run back out past the same manager scouter and player before back to the parking lot and to my car I start it up before driving as fast as I could do the hospital.