Change Your Ticket

You know when it feels like the whole world is against you? Like you’re drowning in the ocean and every time you come up for air you think it couldn’t possibly get worse but then a wave crashes over your head and you’re back to suffocating? Well, that’s my life.

I’ve had a lot of bad weeks in the past, don’t get me wrong, but this one had to be the worst one yet. It all started on Sunday when Parker cut our weekly skype call short for no reason. He had become distant the last couple days and I just thought it was because of the distance. I thought the skype call would help but instead it made things worse. I haven’t heard from him since, not even a simple text.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was drama on the field again. Apparently Chase is one of those boys who complains to mommy and daddy when things don’t go his way. In other words, he went and complained to them about me making him run laps because he was being disrespectful. Of course Chase is an only child so his parents only see him as an angel, meaning trouble for me.

When his parents talked to Coach they weren’t too pleased by what he had to say. From what I gathered they told him that they didn’t want me helping their son, to which Coach told them it was his only option. Like Chase, his father was used to getting his way. He wasn’t getting anywhere with Coach so he took it upon himself to go to the athletic board for our district. Which explains why Max and I were currently sitting in Coach’s office, again.

“I cannot believe this,” I muttered.

“Can’t we just bench him for the season? We don’t even need him, someone else can play the position,” Max suggested.

The two of us were sitting in Coach’s office waiting for him to arrive. Max was contemplating what we could do to Chase to make him pay for his father’s stupid actions. I on the other hand was more concerned about being pulled from class to handle some petty drama.

“Sorry to keep you two waiting,” Coach said, walking in to the room. He took his seat behind his makeshift desk. He pushed the play books to the side to place the paper he was holding on the desk. “So, we have a little bit of a problem.”

“How little of a problem?” I reluctantly questioned.

“Well,” Coach paused. “After Chase’s outburst on the field that caused him to run laps he went home to complain to his parents. His father came in here and demanded that I explain to him why his son was taking orders from a-I’m going to paraphrase here-from a girl in a captain’s jersey.”

“And you told him that Josylne was in charge of teaching him the plays and making him run whenever she saw it fit. Yeah, we know that,” Max stated.

“Correct. His father wasn’t too pleased with that response that he threatened to go the athletic board with his complaint. I told him go ahead, we weren’t breaking any rules.”

“Which we’re not,” I added.

“Yes, well that’s not how some of the other schools feel.”

“They don’t want Josylne on the team? But she was on the team last year!” Max hissed.

“We know that, but they don’t. They assumed her duties last year were that of an equipment manager since she wasn’t on the official roster. Now that she is, and she is a captain they aren’t too pleased.”

My world was suddenly getting bleaker. I could feel the world spinning at a faster pace, trying to knock me off my course. Water began to build in my eyes as I tried my best to keep my calm composure.

“We’re not breaking any rules. What do they have a problem with?” I asked.

“That’s exactly what I asked them this morning. Those dumbass coaches don’t want you to be a captain because they think its unfair. They don’t think someone who “doesn’t play” should be allowed to hold that title.”

“Are you kidding me?” Max demanded.

“No. They’re threatened by Josylne, which is the best thing ever. They’re tired of us winning state and they’re trying every which way to get us suspended this season.”

“So what does this mean? I mean for me?”

“Well, after telling them all off I came up with a solution. They said you couldn’t be captain without being on the first string roster so welcome to the roster,” Coach said.

He pushed the paper he had placed down earlier towards me. I picked it up, hands trembling as my eyes glanced over the list. It was the official roster for this season. Nothing struck me as off until I saw my number at the bottom of the list. My eyes read across the row. Number 2, Captain 2, punter 1. I froze.

“Coach I, I can’t punt.”

“Josylne, you’ve got a great arm but I can’t put you in a position to get tackled. If you’re leg is half as strong as your arm is then you’ll do fine. We’ve got two weeks to figure it out.”



“You’re actually going to play?” Miranda exclaimed.

Sitting at our usual table, Max and I broke the news to Miranda, Ava and some of the football boys whom we had recruited to our clique. Everyone’s reactions were similar to mine.

“Does that mean I can paint your number on my cheek?” Miranda asked.

She always knew how to make me laugh. I’m glad one person found my situation amusing because I was out right terrified. I didn’t know how to punt the football. Let alone get it to go through the goal posts from several yards away. This was going to be a complete disaster.

“No offense Josylne,” Asher started, “but do you even know how to do this?”

“I played soccer for a year and hated it. I’m not coordinated with my feet. I have no idea what Coach is thinking.”

“He’s thinking its better to lose field goal points than to not have you as a damn captain. Respect his decision Jos,” Max added.

“We’ll just have to adjust going for three after a touchdown instead of kicking until you’re ready. It’s no big deal,” Asher reassured.



Practice was a complete and utter disaster. Both the offensive and defensive lines were a mess. Without me yelling at them from the sidelines, they forgot how to play properly. Coach was clearly at his wits end.

Then there was the train wreck that was my practice. Hutch, one of our assistant coaches, worked the whole time with me. The first hour was spent practicing the motions before I even kicked the ball. When the ball actually came in to the equation, it never really left the floor. After many failed attempts my foot finally made contact with it, causing it to sail towards the cheerleaders accidentally knocking one of the girls over. I was mortified.

The only good thing that came out of this new position was the distraught face of Chase. When Coach said he had a few changes to announce Chase smirked. He thought Coach was about to say that there was only going to be one captain this year. Instead, Coach told them of my new duties. Most of the boys were supported but not Chase, he wasn’t a very good actor. A look of disgust making a home on his face. His parents were definitely going to hear about this one.



Practice ran late and when I finally got home I locked myself in my room. Groaning I sat at my desk ready to start the night’s homework. While I decided not to take any advance classes this year I was still swamped with work. Looking at my planner to see what was due was an even bigger mistake.

I never genuinely thought about what my life was going to be like after high school. Much like Parker, I didn’t think the day was ever going to come. Unfortunately that didn’t excuse me from figuring it out. Now on top of normal classes, football practices, and trying to keep up a long distance relationship I was going to have to start applying to colleges.

I had absolutely no idea where I wanted to go. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with my life. How could any seventeen year old know what they wanted to do with the next forty years of their life. All I knew is I needed to talk to Parker.

“Parker?” I croaked. My tears had already began to fall as my anxiety level continued to grow.

“Josylne? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” Parker trembled.

I let out a sob at the sound of his voice. Having not heard it in a few days was torture. It was as if his tone put me at ease. I took a deep breath in the hopes of settling my voice.

“Nothing is okay,” I whispered.

There was shuffling on the other end of the call. Parker didn’t say anything as the noise continued. I figured he was getting comfortable in his room or kicking the people out. When the noise finally stopped, his voice was back asking me to elaborate.

“Parker everything is a mess. The team is a disaster, this new kid is the biggest pain in the ass. I have to learn to punt the ball because of him. I don’t know what I’m going to do after graduation. And dammit I haven’t heard from you in days and I miss you,” I sobbed.

“Josylne, babe it’s okay, everything’s going to be okay,” he reassured me.

His words made me ache for him more. I would give the world to have him lying next to me, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist like we had done for so many nights before.

“Hey listen, I promise you the team will get their shit together. It’s always rough in the beginning. What’s this I hear about you being punter? Tell me more.”

I retold the story to Parker, sparing no details. I instantly felt better talking about my frustrations. In typical Parker fashion he reassured me that I was going to be the best damn player on the team. That he had the utmost faith in me. It was nice knowing that your boyfriend supported every little thing about you.

After football talk he moved to talk about my other problems. He told me not to worry about school, that it would all fall in to place eventually. Parker promised me that no matter what happened he’d support me. Just like I had done for him.

“Parker please don’t ignore me ever again,” I muttered.

“I promise you I will call you every free hour I have. You can to. I don’t care if I should be sleeping, if you need me you call me. Okay?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, more than you’ll ever know. Now please get some rest. You got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Welcome to the first string,” he teased.