Out on the Field

Chapter 41

Colby's POV

Our season was not getting any better. The locker room situation was not getting any better either. The arguing didn't stop and TJ and I gave up. They only time we bothered to stop a fight was when it was going to get physical.

Due to how crappy our offense was it meant that as a defensive player I spent a lot time on the field. The media was constantly talking about me. I didn't think that I had played amazingly but Clara, and the media, were constantly telling me otherwise.

I stood in the locker room listening to the shouting. I was surprised the coaches hadn't noticed that something was going on. I was tired from practice and I didn't want to deal with this anymore and I decided that I should after Hogan got a punch thrown at him.

I stepped in the middle and got I punch thrown at me as well but I dodged that.

"This is not about you, rookie," Hogan snapped.

"But I am on the team and I don't want to deal with this," I told all of them.

"You are a fucking rookie. I've looking into your past. You aren't exactly the son that your parents want," Hogan teased.

I was close to decking him as well but I decided against it. Instead I grabbed his bag and tossed it across the room. Despite how tired I was I headed back out onto the practice field to keep training. It would keep my mind off the situation in the locker room.

I had been out there, running, for about twenty minutes before I saw Coach standing on the edge of the field. When I next came around to his side of the field, I stopped to talk to him.

"I thought I told you all to go home," he teased.

"I was going to but then something happened in the locker room and I needed to run to forget about it," I told him honestly.

"What happened?" he asked.

I hesitated and I realised that I had to tell him. The team wasn't going to improve without something happening about the locker room. I told him everything that had happened and he looked at me in shock.

"How do I not know about this?" he asked.

I didn't answer because I knew that he didn't want one. I was tired so I headed back into the locker room but it was empty now. I changed quickly and headed home. I ran into TJ on the way out and I decided I should warn him about Coach being on the war path.

"I told Coach about the locker room," I told him.

He looked at me and he just looked relieved.

"I'm just sick of breaking up the fights so hopefully that ends," he said.

I headed home not long after and I was surprised when no one was inside. It was already eight and Clara was usually home before me. There was nothing explaining where she was and I wasn't sure where she had gone.

I needed to distract myself and I headed to my bookcase and found a book that I hadn't read. I curled up on the couch and started to read. I love to read because I got sucked into the book and it distracted me.

I looked up from the book and I saw Clara walking in the door. She looked exhausted and I gestured for her to join me. She sat down in on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"How come you are home so late?" I asked.

"There were results coming in and I forgot to text you," she said.

I nodded and I could just how tired she was.

"Have you eaten?" I asked.

She shook her head and I lifted her off me and onto the couch and I headed into the kitchen and started to cook for her.

"You don't have to do that. You are probably tired," she protested.

I silenced her and told her that I wanted to. She grumbled slightly but didn't complain anymore. I wasn't a particularly good cook but I could make simple meals. I finished making eggs and I joined Clara on the couch again.

As she ate I told her about what I told Coach. She knew how sick of it I had gotten so I think that she was pleased as well.

"What do you think is going to happen?" she asked.

"I don't know. I hope that Hogan goes because all he does is complain," I said.

TJ and I were sitting together eating breakfast when Coach joined us. We both looked up at him in surprised and waited for him to start talking.

"I think that I'm going to have to let Hogan go," he told us.

"Now?" I asked.

"No, end of the season. It is too hard now. I didn't realise just how hard it had been in the locker room," he said.

Coach left not long later and I turned to face TJ.

"Do you think that Hogan is the only problem?" I asked him.

"I don't know. I guess that we will find out."

We had a team meeting and Coach started by talking about the locker room.

"We are a team and we are meant to be brothers. I have heard that there are problems in the locker room and this has to end now. The locker room is the centre of this organisation and team mates are meant to work together. If this doesn't happen players will have to be let go and I don't think that anyone that's that for themselves," Coach said.

The whole room was quiet as we absorbed the message. He then moved on to talk about the upcoming game. Our season was down the drain and it wasn't helped by a struggling offense. Not only was Hogan a shitty quarterback but we were running out of receivers.

I was just hoping that we would have a better season next year. I stood at my locker from practicing and I was observing the locker room. Hogan was quiet for the first time in forever. I wasn't going to go talk to him but I'm guessing that he had already been told that he was going to be getting waived next year.

I didn't dwell on it because I had better things to be doing. I didn't stay too late after practice. I didn't even stay and have dinner with TJ because I was going out with Clara. I talked to our defensive Coach for a little bit after our meeting but then I left.

Clara was already home and changed when I got there so I quickly changed before joining her in the lounge. We were both really busy at the moment so we didn't have much time. I'm usually leaving around 6 and not making it back before 8.

We headed to a small restaurant near our house in the hope that I wouldn't get recognised. More and more people knew who I was and as much as I love the fans sometimes I just want to go out and have some privacy.

It was nice to have time with Clara. She loved it down here in Houston and I was pleased. I was worried that I would get drafted to some place and she didn't want to live and I didn't want to live in separate cities again. She also loved her job which was another thing that I was worried about.

We talked all through dinner and it was spend time together. I hadn't managed to find somewhere like the cliff back home in Houston. We headed to a small park instead that was empty at this time of night.

We walked around the park and we kept talking. She was excited because she is going back home to see her Dad and her friends next week. I let go of her hand and she looked at me. I got down on one knee and she gasped.

"Clara Preston, I have been with you for almost five years and I don't think that I will ever find someone I love as much as you. Will you marry me?" I asked.

She started to cry and nodded. I stood up and placed the ring on her finger. She started to cry more and I wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I can't believe this is happening."

................................................................................................................................................................................................

Comment and Vote

The Wise One