T-Shirts and Short Shorts
Chapter One
“For the folks at home that are just tuning in, there’s five minutes left in the game, the score is tied 35-35... Now the question on everybody’s mind is who is going to bring it home this year the Knights or the Bobcats?” The game host announces, I always thought it was weird that they had to announce for the people listening on the radio, it made it weird listening to them talk when you’re sitting right there in the bleachers watching the same game.
For the past five minutes I as well as everyone else routing for the sterling Knights sat on the edge of the bleachers, just waiting for our quarterback Skyler Landon to make the final touchdown, making Sterling High the winners for five consecutive years running.
“Baker kicks, new comer to the team Carter Dawson is running for the ball... And he catches. Bobcat’s defense is closing in. Dawson looks for an opening and passes to Landon, he catches and takes off like a bat outta hell. Wonder which lucky lady he’s trying to impress tonight? The Bobcats Stosky makes a lunge for Landon, and he dodges...The rest of the team are moving to block, Landon manages to slip through. TOUCHDOWN!!! THERE YOU GO FOLKS THIS TOUCHDOWN MAKES THE KNIGHTS WIN FOR THERE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN. Now the ever posing question is what is going to happen with the coming years as Skyler Landon, Carter Dawson, and Chris Henderson will be graduating this year.”
The crowd erupts into loud cheers. I cheer along with them and look to the field where Skyler should be celebrating with the rest of his team, where did he go? I search the field I manage to hear my name, but can’t tell where it came from or who called it. Something shiny catches my eye from the right, that’s when I see him zigzagging through the people trying to congratulate him, but he ignores them and continues to make his way towards me. I start to make my way towards him, trying to make it easier. It seems to take forever for me to excuse my way through people, when we finally meet up I can’t help but to smile. He returns it and places his hand on my cheek and begins to lean down, I slightly go up on my tip toes. I’ve only been waiting my whole high school life to be here like this with him. He puts his other hand on my waist and brings me closer; slowly I begin to close my eyes. “Miss. Roberts, are you paying attention?” The games over why is Mrs. Davis asking if I’m paying attention, besides I’m trying to have a moment, to this yes I am paying attention. Why is Mrs. Davis here? She hates football.
I re-open my eyes and the cheering crowd, the Bleachers, and Skyler all disappear and are replaced with rows of desks all with students facing me, posters and books scattered throughout the room, and an angry Mrs. Davis looking down on me tapping her foot impatiently; this can’t be good.
“Can you repeat the question please?” I can feel the heat rising on my cheeks.
“That’s what I thought. Detention my room after school, oh and Miss Roberts don’t be late.” She says with a triumphant smile.
“Yes ma’am.” I say quietly as she returns to the front of the classroom. For the rest of the class I make sure to pay attention and copy the notes. When the bell goes I’m thankful it’s lunch. I’m one of the first one’s out of the class hoping to avoid anything else from Mrs. Davis.
I make my way out of the school and head towards the field and sit under the shade of the big tree, and wait for Carter and Claire. Claire and I have been best friends since the fourth grade it all started with her asking for a push on the swing, I pushed her but told her she then had to push me, and ever since we’ve been best friends. Carter is newer to our group, he moved here two years ago. From the outside it would look like we all grew up together, in a way we did. It started because Claire thought he was hot so she invited him to eat lunch with us one day and he accepted. Turns out he was more than just hotness; he turned out to be a really great friend, and great to look at too. But it would be too weird for me to tell him I to thought he was hot, besides I’ve had my eye on Skyler for years now. And it wouldn’t be fair, Claire saw him first and I can’t just give up on Skyler just like that.
“Hey Sam, is everything okay? You seemed pretty out of it in English” Carter said taking comfort under the shade.
“Hey, yeah I’m fine I just...zoned out... You know how boring her classes are. You seem to have to borrow my notes every day since you fall asleep half way thru.” I through in a laugh so he knows I’m just kidding around. He seems to get it as he chuckles and takes a monster bite out of his sandwich. I will never understand why boys insist on taking such big bites; it just makes it go quicker. “SAM! CARTER!” the familiar voice breaks our silence. We both turn towards the field where we see Claire running towards us; we both look at each other and give the “I wonder what it is this time.” Look. Claire plops down on the shady grass between us and we continue to eat as we wait for the oxygen to return back to her lungs. Its a couple minutes before she speaks again “Okay so Nick is having a huge party tonight, everyone’s going including the whole football team.” She nudges me with her elbow before continuing “And he invited us too!” I can tell she’s excited she’s had her eye on Nick for a while now, but I really didn’t feel like going to a party tonight so I try and think of an excuse “I can’t go. I’ve got that detention with Mrs. Davis after school.”
Sighing she says “Samantha! She can’t keep you past 5. And besides football practice goes on until 5 anyway, you out of all people should know that. Plus the party doesn’t start till 9 anyway which leaves you plenty of time to get ready.” I open my mouth to feed her another excuse as to why I can’t go but I’m cut off “You’re coming and that’s that. Sam I can tell you want to go, so I’m not going to buy anymore of your lame excuses. Carter and I will be at your house for 8:30 so be ready, oh and back a overnight bag.” The bell rings and she dashes back across the field so I can’t argue with her anymore. But I like how she just volunteered Carter into going to the party with us. Sometimes she can be a big pain in the butt but she knows me all too well, I really do want to go to this party, but only because I know Skyler would be going and maybe this could be my chance to finally get to know him, and for him to finally notice me and not that cheerleader of a girlfriend who’s been cheating on him ever since they started dating. I want the chance to tell him that I would never do that to him but for now I need to get through the rest of the day and detention with Mrs. Davis.
For the past five minutes I as well as everyone else routing for the sterling Knights sat on the edge of the bleachers, just waiting for our quarterback Skyler Landon to make the final touchdown, making Sterling High the winners for five consecutive years running.
“Baker kicks, new comer to the team Carter Dawson is running for the ball... And he catches. Bobcat’s defense is closing in. Dawson looks for an opening and passes to Landon, he catches and takes off like a bat outta hell. Wonder which lucky lady he’s trying to impress tonight? The Bobcats Stosky makes a lunge for Landon, and he dodges...The rest of the team are moving to block, Landon manages to slip through. TOUCHDOWN!!! THERE YOU GO FOLKS THIS TOUCHDOWN MAKES THE KNIGHTS WIN FOR THERE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN. Now the ever posing question is what is going to happen with the coming years as Skyler Landon, Carter Dawson, and Chris Henderson will be graduating this year.”
The crowd erupts into loud cheers. I cheer along with them and look to the field where Skyler should be celebrating with the rest of his team, where did he go? I search the field I manage to hear my name, but can’t tell where it came from or who called it. Something shiny catches my eye from the right, that’s when I see him zigzagging through the people trying to congratulate him, but he ignores them and continues to make his way towards me. I start to make my way towards him, trying to make it easier. It seems to take forever for me to excuse my way through people, when we finally meet up I can’t help but to smile. He returns it and places his hand on my cheek and begins to lean down, I slightly go up on my tip toes. I’ve only been waiting my whole high school life to be here like this with him. He puts his other hand on my waist and brings me closer; slowly I begin to close my eyes. “Miss. Roberts, are you paying attention?” The games over why is Mrs. Davis asking if I’m paying attention, besides I’m trying to have a moment, to this yes I am paying attention. Why is Mrs. Davis here? She hates football.
I re-open my eyes and the cheering crowd, the Bleachers, and Skyler all disappear and are replaced with rows of desks all with students facing me, posters and books scattered throughout the room, and an angry Mrs. Davis looking down on me tapping her foot impatiently; this can’t be good.
“Can you repeat the question please?” I can feel the heat rising on my cheeks.
“That’s what I thought. Detention my room after school, oh and Miss Roberts don’t be late.” She says with a triumphant smile.
“Yes ma’am.” I say quietly as she returns to the front of the classroom. For the rest of the class I make sure to pay attention and copy the notes. When the bell goes I’m thankful it’s lunch. I’m one of the first one’s out of the class hoping to avoid anything else from Mrs. Davis.
I make my way out of the school and head towards the field and sit under the shade of the big tree, and wait for Carter and Claire. Claire and I have been best friends since the fourth grade it all started with her asking for a push on the swing, I pushed her but told her she then had to push me, and ever since we’ve been best friends. Carter is newer to our group, he moved here two years ago. From the outside it would look like we all grew up together, in a way we did. It started because Claire thought he was hot so she invited him to eat lunch with us one day and he accepted. Turns out he was more than just hotness; he turned out to be a really great friend, and great to look at too. But it would be too weird for me to tell him I to thought he was hot, besides I’ve had my eye on Skyler for years now. And it wouldn’t be fair, Claire saw him first and I can’t just give up on Skyler just like that.
“Hey Sam, is everything okay? You seemed pretty out of it in English” Carter said taking comfort under the shade.
“Hey, yeah I’m fine I just...zoned out... You know how boring her classes are. You seem to have to borrow my notes every day since you fall asleep half way thru.” I through in a laugh so he knows I’m just kidding around. He seems to get it as he chuckles and takes a monster bite out of his sandwich. I will never understand why boys insist on taking such big bites; it just makes it go quicker. “SAM! CARTER!” the familiar voice breaks our silence. We both turn towards the field where we see Claire running towards us; we both look at each other and give the “I wonder what it is this time.” Look. Claire plops down on the shady grass between us and we continue to eat as we wait for the oxygen to return back to her lungs. Its a couple minutes before she speaks again “Okay so Nick is having a huge party tonight, everyone’s going including the whole football team.” She nudges me with her elbow before continuing “And he invited us too!” I can tell she’s excited she’s had her eye on Nick for a while now, but I really didn’t feel like going to a party tonight so I try and think of an excuse “I can’t go. I’ve got that detention with Mrs. Davis after school.”
Sighing she says “Samantha! She can’t keep you past 5. And besides football practice goes on until 5 anyway, you out of all people should know that. Plus the party doesn’t start till 9 anyway which leaves you plenty of time to get ready.” I open my mouth to feed her another excuse as to why I can’t go but I’m cut off “You’re coming and that’s that. Sam I can tell you want to go, so I’m not going to buy anymore of your lame excuses. Carter and I will be at your house for 8:30 so be ready, oh and back a overnight bag.” The bell rings and she dashes back across the field so I can’t argue with her anymore. But I like how she just volunteered Carter into going to the party with us. Sometimes she can be a big pain in the butt but she knows me all too well, I really do want to go to this party, but only because I know Skyler would be going and maybe this could be my chance to finally get to know him, and for him to finally notice me and not that cheerleader of a girlfriend who’s been cheating on him ever since they started dating. I want the chance to tell him that I would never do that to him but for now I need to get through the rest of the day and detention with Mrs. Davis.