Small Town USA: Famous in a Small Town (Short One)

Chapter One: Seventeen Years Ago

CHAPTER ONE

The rain poured down, splashing off the backs of the twenty-two football players from two rival high schools, who were lining up for the last play of the District Championship game. There were seconds left on the clock and John Deere High School had the ball. They were down by three points. Everyone in the stands were collectively holding their breath, clutching their crosses and silently saying prayers. The tension in the stadium could be heard in the pounding hearts of the sold-out crowd.

Memphis Wheeler stepped up and looked around at his team. Even though he was only a sophomore, he was the best quarterback the small town had seen in decades. It was a lot of pressure to put on someone's shoulders who wouldn't be turning sixteen for another month, but if anyone was going to lead them to their first ever state title, it'd be him.

Memphis looked at the end zone through the haze that was created by the poor weather and the bright lights that lined the field. He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, visualizing what needed to happen.

In the stands, Isabelle Martin looked at her man. She was probably more nervous than he was. They'd been dating for almost a year now, but ever since he had made it onto the varsity team, he seemed to be pulling away from her. It was fine last year when they were both freshmen, but now that he was popular with the older kids, he seemed different. She didn't exactly fit in either. She wasn't what you might describe as the "popular and pretty type". It'd never really bothered her before. She'd always just ignored the cheerleaders.

But one cheerleader in particular really got under her skin. Isabelle looked over at Whitney Jack, who was shaking her pompoms like it was a talent. She was a senior and seemed to really want to get Memphis alone. And since Memphis was a guy, he was too stupid to see it.

Isabelle rolled her eyes and looked back to the field, where the ref was about to blow the whistle. Memphis yelled to his team. Seconds later, the play began.

The clock ticked down.

Memphis found Dave running along the outside.

He stepped back and snapped the ball.

Everything inside his head went dead silent and the ball seemed to be moving in slow motion. One of the defensive players hit Memphis hard across the stomach and he tumbled over backwards, his body bouncing in between the unforgiving ground and the two-hundred-and-fifty-pound linebacker that landed on top of him.

Memphis heard the air escape from his lungs.

And then the crowd erupted.

He scrambled to sit up. He looked around to see what the result of his masterminded play, which very well may have cost him a concussion, was.

He threw his hands up over his head and screamed. There was a celebration in the end zone. His team had already run from the bench and were jumping on top of each other. The cheerleaders in their green and yellow outfits were bouncing up and down and hugging.

Memphis flopped down onto his back and stared up at the tiny crystals falling from the sky. He laid there for a moment and took it all in. He didn't think there was a greater high than this.

* * * * * * *

A couple hours later, everyone was partying at Max Daniel's parent's lake house. They were rich, and better yet, not home. The beer was flowing, the kids were laughing, talking and dancing. Everyone was happy. They hadn't won a district title in so long.

Isabelle stood in the corner of the room with her arms folded, watching Memphis with his friends like an anthropologist observing a foreign culture. She felt out of place. Nobody here was her friend and Memphis was busy right now, so she was standing all alone. The boys were retelling the story of the final second touchdown for the fortieth time even though everyone in the room had been there and saw it themselves. With every retelling, the clock seemed to have less time on it and they seemed to get further away from the end zone.

Isabelle, like most girls, had a hard time pulling her eyes away from Memphis. He was the perfect combination of good, wholesome country boy and bad boy with an ere of cockiness. He wore jeans that were a little on the tight side, with rips above the knees and a red bandanna tucked into his back pocket. He wore dark colored t-shirts all the time and a braided leather bracelet and a black leather wrist band on his right arm. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes and that kind of charming smile that if you knew better, you'd run. His naturally white skin was tanned from the hours he spent in the sun, either playing football, working or having fun. Memphis was a farm boy, so even though he only just turned sixteen, he had muscles that most men wouldn't ever have. He was sexy and the kind of guy girls fantasized about when they thought of a country boy.

Whitney walked up behind Memphis and put her hands around his stomach. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. She stepped beside him but made sure to keep her hand on his waist. It was like she was claiming him.

Isabelle knew what Whitney was like. She thought she was hot because she was tall, with long legs and all the boys chased after her. She had light brown hair with blonde highlights and she wore way too much make-up. It made Isabelle, who was short, and not exactly a size two, feel inferior. She had brown curly hair and green eyes. But she had big boobs. And if there was one thing Memphis liked, it was big boobs. Whitney was pretty flat. She always wore little halter tops with no bra, which made her flat chest even more evident.

It made Isabelle so mad the way Whitney openly flirted with Memphis right in front of her. The way she laughed at all his jokes and touched his arm, or sometimes his chest or his waist.

Whitney hooked her index finger into the belt loop of his jeans and stepped closer to him. Isabelle was sure she saw her kiss his neck. And that was it, she'd seen enough. Isabelle set her drink down and walked into the kitchen.

"Memphis?" she said sweetly.

Memphis turned and looked at her. Whitney's smile faded instantly. She stepped back from him and rolled her eyes.

"Hey baby, where you been?" Memphis wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her where her jawbone met her throat. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his warm breath on her neck. She also loved the thought of how crazy it must be making Whitney.

"Just around. We should go upstairs."

Memphis leaned back and looked at her, a big smile planted on his face. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." She took him by the hand and started to pull him away from his friends. Some of the guys made obscene noises as they walked away but Isabelle didn't care. She looked back over her shoulder, just once, to see the scowl on Whitney's face.

One of the other guys wrapped his arms around Whitney's waist but she pushed him away and took a sip of her drink. Isabelle would be lying if she said she didn't feel satisfied by it.

Upstairs, they found an empty room and Isabelle locked the door. She leaned against it and looked at him. He came over to her and put his hands on the door on either side of her head. They started to kiss. He ran his hands down her arms and when they found her waist, he lifted her up off the ground. He brought her over to the bed and laid her down on her back. He continued to kiss her as his fingers played with the button on her jeans. With the button undone, he pulled the top of her shirt up and kissed her stomach, sliding to his knees in front of the bed.

Isabelle stared up at the ceiling.

"Memphis?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm pregnant."