For the Love of the Game

We arrived in Michigan a day later and went straight to the venue for the night where the equipment trucks were already parked and the road crew hard at work. This wasn’t my first rodeo before and I knew things were about to get busy for everyone, so I changed into some workout clothes and decided to go for a run around the building. Farmer joined me and we talked football while we ran. We had both brought practice gear so that we could practice on any grass that we could find. I knew all of the rules and ins and outs of football, but I definitely needed work on the technical stuff.

“You ready for some practice?” Farmer asked after we had been running about an hour.

“Hell yeah!”

We jogged back to the bus and dug through the storage compartments until we found our stuff. I slipped on my shoulder pads over my t-shirt and put my helmet on, Farmer doing the same. He was a running back so we just practiced some basic stuff such as tackling and trying to keep from being tackled. I told Farmer the first time we practiced that I wasn’t holding back on him and I didn’t want him holding back on me and he hadn’t. There was a new cut or bruise each day that we practiced, but it was fun.

“You two are looking good out here. I can’t wait for the first game.” Tommy said as he walked over to where we were playing. “You two go long and let’s see who comes up with the ball.”

“Well, that will be me of course. I am in the male here after all.” Farmer said

“Oh yeah? That doesn’t mean shit.” I told him.

We both took off running away from Tommy as he launched the ball as hard as he could into the air. He could throw pretty good as a perfect spiral sailed toward me and Farmer, both of us fighting to get it. I dove for the ball as it started to fall just a little bit ahead of me and Farmer. I pulled it in tight against my chest as we hit the ground and I made the catch.

“I rest my case.” I said as I stood up with the ball and gave Farmer a playful push back to the ground as he tried to get up.

“Nice catch. You won’t have any problems making the team.”

I smiled as we went back to the buses and put our equipment back under the bus. We got cleaned up and sat down to eat some lunch that Nikki had cooked, his special recipe chicken salad sandwiches. I felt like I could eat about four of them right now.

“So, I just wanted to warn you that the media knows that I have a kid and a half now.” Nikki said as we ate.

“Joy. Oh well. That was going to happen eventually.”

“The joys of being famous.”

“Hey, we’re doing sound check in about an hour and want you and Farmer to get in on the action.” Tommy said.

“Okay.”

We finished up eating and headed into the arena for the guys to do their sound check. The one and only Alice Cooper was just finishing up sound check with his crew and was still on stage with his band. I had met him a couple of times before and he was an absolutely amazing person to be around. Needless to say, I was super excited to see him again.

“I wondered when our paths were going to cross.” He smiled as he came off the stage and hugged me.

“I was wondering the same! It’s so awesome to see you again!”

“It’s awesome to see you again! I think you get prettier each time I see you. I just wanted to say that I am extremely sorry about your father, Collins. That’s something that no kid your age should ever have to go through.”

I knew I would be hearing a lot of ‘sorrys’ for the next little while, but at the same time I wished I could avoid them. “Yeah, uh, the last week has sucked, but I find comfort knowing that he was with his team on his way to do what he loved to do. And at least I had these guys that stepped up for me. I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for them.”

“You’re a strong girl, Collins. You will go far. I can’t wait to see one those football games coming up.” He smiled

I turned to look at Nikki and Tommy who I was sure were the ones spreading around that I was trading my softballs in for footballs. “Yeah, well, that’s if I make the team.”

“Oh you will.” Farmer said.

“Alright Farmer and Collins. Get up there and do sound check for us.” Tommy said.

“Us?! I thought we were just coming along.”

“Well, we changed our minds. Play us a little tune so we can see how everything sounds.”

“Thanks for the warning asshole!” I said as I flipped Tommy off.

“So, what exactly are we doing?” Farmer asked, completely confused

“Apparently they want us to play something to see how everything sounds.”

“So what are we playing? Girls?” He asked referring to Motley Crue’s song ‘Girls Girls Girls’.

I smirked. “Nah. Let’s go with Poison instead.”

‘Poison’ was no doubt my favorite Alice Cooper song and since he had joined the guys down off the stage, I figured we would play a little tribute to him. That would probably catch the guys off guard but that’s what they got for throwing us up here doing sound check for them without telling me first. I picked up one of Mick’s guitars and picked a chord or two, hoping it was tuned right for Poison and it was. Farmer took his place on Tommy’s drum set and waited for my cue. We played these tunes all the time in the garage at what used to be my home. Dad had sound proofed the garage and we had all the equipment we needed and we would swap from one instrument to another since most of the time it was just me and Farmer. I nodded my head and started playing the first chords of Poison.

I turned around with a smirk on my face and looked out at the guys. Tommy flipped me off and Nikki raised his arms like ‘what the hell?’ Vince was laughing and Mick even had a hint of a smile on his face too. Alice had a huge smile on his face and started clapping before he ran up on the stage and grabbed a microphone. He started in singing as we played and neither Farmer nor myself ever missed a beat throughout the whole song. I had to admit that it was pretty freaking awesome doing it in front of the guys and some of the road crew that had gathered to see what the hell was going on. I could only imagine what it would be like to do this for two hours in front of a sold out arena. I needed to start writing some songs.

“Holy shit!” Alice said as we finished the song.

“That was fucking amazing!! I could so get used to doing this!” I said as I high fived Alice.

“You would be damn good at it too.”

“Traitor!” Tommy yelled.

“Oh bite me.”

We helped the guys complete their sound check for real and then got out of the arena so final preparations could be made. I headed back to the bus with Farmer and decided it was time to take a nap to be rested up for the show tonight and then another road trip for tomorrow’s show. I curled up in my bunk and looked up at the bottom of Tommy’s bunk above me where I had pictures of me and Dad taped up. A large majority of my life was now in the past, but an even bigger part of it was still in the future and I had a lot to focus on for the time being.