A 90's Friday Night Lights meets Fifty Shades, only the town is the sadomasochist and the two young lovers their pawns.
July Elizabeth Edwards is stuck in the existence her pretentious, rural East Texas town has allotted her. A shift in social statu...
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I was halfway through the Monday I'd been dreading and on to athletics, the hour and a half I'd been stewing over the most. I expected to get shit in the locker room, or just be completely exiled for a day or two, but I had no idea what was coming from Coach Craig.
When I walked in the locker room one of the guys started a slow clap until the others caught on and joined. To add insult to the sarcasm, my #44 football jersey I'd turned in was hanging on my locker ready to wear. That part was actually kind of sad or made me feel bad for them. They could have spray painted it or slashed holes in it. No, they were set to forgive me if I came back to the game.
"Bro, just tell us all you had mono or some shit, but you're better now and we can move on with the rest of the season." Billy Aiken came up behind me with his hand on my back. The fact that they were sincere made it hard not to mean something to me, but it was also the worst part. It meant they just didn't get it. If I'd gotten behind on grades and dropped out to be a stoner, nobody would give me a second look. We didn't really have that luxury in Pure Pines. That would be worse than getting arrested. This was because I was choosing another sport and ultimately myself over them. How could I make them understand that "them," the team, was only going to last about six more weeks of games if they were lucky enough to make it to playoffs. It was a fleeting moment next to the scholarship I had to land to set up my career path.
I'd been over and over this in my own head, then with coach, and now this. Even prepared for it, I wasn't in the mood. There was no way to make them understand without insulting them. How could I tell them that three or four of them, the very guys begging me to play, would drop out before two-a-days started next Fall. Or, that one or two would be injured and have no choice. I wasn't above anybody with this decision. It was a tough one to make. I was just in a position where I had to make it.
I tried to smile my way out of it. "Sorry guys. It's just something I gotta do."
"Oh, I get it, it's not us... it's you." Billy's comical jester went a little dark to remain friendly. A locker slammed behind me.
"You think you're that fast, Reed? You fucking better be. If we lose again next week, I'm coming after your sorry ass, and you won't have to worry about a potential football injury."
