Jackson looked at the house before them, his heart racing. Panic drove his gaze down to his phone, shaky fingers stretched towards the buttons … Tommy snatched it from his grasp.
'H-Hey!' Jackson shouted, but didn't reach for his phone.
'No way. Do they sit in the car and text them in the movies?' Tommy said, grinning.
'This isn't a movie!' Jackson said. He realised how loud he was being, how his panic could carry into the house, then repeated it in a lower voice.
'What movies do you guys watch?' Kenny said. He was sitting in the back seat, but leaning forward through the divider to join the brothers up front. The three of them were currently sitting in Tommy's car, which itself sat in the driveway of Jasmine's house. More accurately, Jasmine's parents' house. And it was the thought of Jasmine's parents that held Jackson in his seat.
'The good kind,' Tommy said, looking back at Kenny. He turned back to Jackson. 'Look. Just go up to the door and ring the bell. Stop overthinking this.'
Jackson took a breath. 'Right. You're right. I just gotta do this. I can do this.'
He didn't move. Tommy and Kenny looked at him expectantly.
'Well, go do it,' Kenny finally said.
Jackson nodded quickly. He fumbled with the door before spilling out. Straightening, he brushed his shirt down and walked towards the door, the gravel of the pathway crunching under his shoes. He stared up at the house like it'd come alive and eat him.
His last few steps came almost in a run as he hurried to the door, then stood before it. It loomed over him. He swallowed heavily and raised a shaky hand. After what felt like an eternity, he tapped the doorbell.
A muffled, high-pitched ding-dong emanated from within. Jasmine's voice followed, also muffled, but still as sweet as ever. 'I've got it!' Were the words Jackson made out.
Then the door opened, and she was standing there. Jackson's mouth hung open, but he'd forgotten how to form words.
She wore a white t-shirt with an Arizona Cardinals logo front and centre. It was slightly baggy on her, the hem hanging below her hips—obscuring part of her black shorts—one sleeve slipping off her shoulder.
She grinned at him, then turned back, her hair bouncing as she tossed her head around. 'My friends are here! I'll be back later!' she shouted to someone deeper within the house. Then she was grinning at Jackson again, then grabbing his arm, and suddenly they were running back to Tommy's car. It was all a blur to Jackson.
Kenny had moved up to the passenger seat. Jasmine slid into the backseat, pulling Jackson with her. 'Hey, Kenny, hey Tommy,' she said, grinning at them. 'Let's go watch the Titans kick some ass!'
Tommy laughed, pulling back out of the drive. 'Someone's excited. You in a hurry to get out of here?' He paused just at the end of the driveway and looked back at her. 'You told your parents about today, right?'
Her grin remained even as the boys looked at her worryingly. 'Of course. Though, maybe they'd have a bit of a stronger reaction if I told them the friends I was hanging out with today were all boys, and one of them was in college … but that's just an overreaction from them, isn't it? We don't need to worry them, especially not when there's nothing to worry about.'
Tommy's eyes widened. He said nothing for a while, nor did he move. He was stuck in indecision, with no option standing out as the definitive good. Jackson had never seen him stun locked like this before.
'Aren't we gonna be late if we sit around here the whole time?' Jasmine said.
This sprung Tommy back into action. He apologised and put the car back into motion, pulling onto the road finally and starting their journey toward their destination.
The Titans were facing the Ajo Red Raiders, a tough opponent to be sure, as every team who'd made it this far would be … but the Titans weren't worried about their specific opponent as much as they were about making up for past failures. Now, with Shane at the helm, they needed the State championship.
Jackson's mind, however, couldn't have been further from football at that moment. Sitting next to Jasmine, she was all he could think about. She smiled at him and his heart almost stopped.
His cheeks burned red. He must've looked like such a creep just staring. He had to say something. 'So uh … um, you said you found a band now, right? Or uh, what was that practice stuff about the other day?'
'You're in a band?' Tommy asked, looking in the rear-view mirror.
'Well, yeah, I guess I am. It's not like we've done any gigs, or are even thinking about gigs right now. We're just playing in the singer's garage.'
'What's uh … what's he like?' Jackson asked, trying not to let on about his REAL question hidden in the first.
Jasmine smirked. 'SHE is pretty chill, though I'm not sure how serious she is about all this. I think it's just a way to blow off steam for all the girls. Oh, yeah, it's an all-girl band.'
Jackson tried not to look TOO relieved. 'What do you play?' Tommy asked.
'What's the band's name?' Kenny interjected before Jasmine could answer.
She chuckled at the eagerness. 'I play drums. And we haven't figured out a band name, not one that sticks. For now, we've settled on Flaming Chicks, but last week it was Trash Birds. I wanted Undead Cyborg.' She shrugged.
'That's a really cool name,' Jackson said.
She smiled at him. 'Thanks. Maybe if I start my own band that'll be the name. Have you thought about playing?'
'Me? Uh. No I'm too … I mean, I'm focused on football. If I get distracted by something else, then I'll never catch up with the others.'
'Hm.' She nodded, but her expression saddened as she looked down at her lap. Tommy glanced at Jackson through the mirror, a slight frown on his face.
Before the mood could sour fully, Tommy said: 'This singer, it's her band, yeah? Does she make her own music or are you guys just a cover band for now?'
Jasmine brightened with a new question to answer. As the drive continued and they came ever closer to game time, she gladly told them that the singer, Stephanie, had been working on one song for a while, though the lyrics and melody changed every other practice session, so mostly they were getting their practice from cover songs.
As the stands filled with spectators, and Jackson and co were still on their way to the field, the Titans sat in their locker room, a silent, monk-like focus spreading through the room.
'We can't fall at this hurdle again,' Coach Otsen said. 'We've got one goal in mind, and we need to do ANYTHING to reach it. If you need to run through a brick wall to get there, you better dive head first through that sonuvabitch.'
'Yes, Coach!' Shane shouted, others echoed him.
'Good, cause you can bet your ass the Raiders would do the same in a heartbeat. Bring it in.'
He raised a hand. The players rose and joined him in the middle of the room, Shane at the centre of the huddle as their fists met Coach Otsen's.
'Know that I'd never tell you to do something if I didn't believe you could do it,' Coach Otsen said, looking around at each hopeful, focused face. 'I know you boys can win. I know we can go all the way to the championship game. This is OUR year. Don't let anyone take it from you. Win on three. One, two, three—'
'—WIN!'
Shane led the charge out of the room. Mickey was right by his side, his face was grim. As a senior, he knew this was his last chance at the trophy that had eluded him for three years. Grant and his jackals were closer to the rear, confident smirks plastered across their faces. Wesley was the last to leave, a contemptuous expression on his face, like everything that had just transpired was beneath him. There was no need for hype; of course they were going to win. Now that he was finally a starter, and he actually had someone who could catch, nobody could stop them.
As the Titans emerged onto the field, Jackson and the others took their seats just above the Titans' bench. Jasmine's voice was loudest of all as the fans welcomed the Titans.
Tommy sat at one end of the group, Jackson at the other. Kenny sat next to Tommy, whilst Jasmine was by Jackson's side.
The Red Raiders were already on the field warming up. As the Titans rounded the field on their opening lap, no Raider looked their way. Neither did the Titans look up to acknowledge the crowd. Both teams were locked in, as if they were the only thing that existed on the field.
'That other team looks scary,' Jasmine said. Jackson had to agree. Each Raider was a unit. If it came down to strength, he feared the Titans' chances.
'They look slow to me,' Kenny said. That was the other side of the coin. Jackson hoped he was right, hoped the Titans could outpace them.
'The Titans'll win,' Tommy said, smiling. 'They have to, so you guys have another chance of making the team.'
'Hahah, hell yeah!' Kenny said, beaming. He and Tommy bumped fists.
'I thought you guys were knocked out already,' Jasmine said.
Jackson winced. 'Uh, yeah, the JV team was eliminated from their competition. But, we're hoping we can prove ourselves in practice and earn a spot on the varsity roster before the State championship.'
'Ohh, so like it's super important that the Titans win this game. It keeps them alive, but it keeps your guys' dreams alive too. Heh, then they'll definitely win.' Jasmine's smile and positivity were infectious.
A smile formed on Jackson's face, though it wavered as he looked out upon the field again. The Raiders looked strong, and he knew every opponent would be tough from now on, possibly the toughest the Titans have faced. But simply winning wasn't the only issue; they still had to earn that roster spot. His eyes drifted down to Grant. Daniel and Demetrius weren't far away. Jackson would never admit it, but a part of him, a deep, horrible part he failed to repress, wished they'd have a terrible game whilst the Titans still won somehow.
The thought made him sick, but he couldn't push it from his mind. There was one other prospect as well. Dion was a little further away, though still warming up in the same area. He was another Titan Jackson could replace. Even thinking of it like that felt wrong, but that was the truth of the situation, if Jackson and Kenny were going to earn a spot on the varsity roster, someone else would have to fall back to JV … just like Rudy had for Nick.
Thinking of Rudy, Jackson looked around. He didn't see the older boy anywhere amongst the crowd this side of the field. Odd. He was usually hanging out near the Titans' bench when watching the games. Thinking deeper, Rudy had been acting strange the last few practices.
'Eee! I'm already getting so nervous and it hasn't even started!' Jasmine squealed. She clung to Jackson's arm.
All thoughts of Rudy, and everything else, were pushed from Jackson's mind. His heart beat too loudly for him to think at all. He looked down at her, face flushed.
'They'll definitely win … I promise,' he said, somehow keeping his voice from shaking.
She grinned up at him. As he turned back to the field, watching the captains from either side walk out to the middle of the field, a new panic coursed through him. Now they HAD to win, otherwise he'd have lied to Jasmine, and that was worst of all.