When the star quarterback, Nick, starts off his senior year of high school, football is all that is on his mind. To him, football is life and a State Championship is the sole goal. It isn't long before this ladies man has more than just football to deal with. The loss of his girlfirend over the summer is hard to get over, but when the new girl in school captures his heart, someone else isn't too happy. When one of his female friends wants to be more than just friends, Nick's life becomes even more complicated as they approach the Homecoming dance. What will happen when one girl's jealousy turns obsessive, dangerous, and even violent? Follow Nick through this journey of football, friends, and a very interesting romance.
HOMECOMING
By Nick PerryAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2009 Nicholas Perry
All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4389-8120-8Chapter One
Words can't describe the feeling one gets when they stand on the football field and get ready to lead their team into battle, but let me try and explain it best as I can. Your arms are glistening in the sun with beads of sweat that have collected, and, even though you've been warming up and sweating profusely, the adrenaline is sending ice through your veins as you stare across the 100 yards of painted grass at the opposing team. Jumping up and down to keep your legs loose as you wait for you name to be called from the public address announcer, you run through the opening series of plays and get mentally prepared. The crowd is going crazy with anticipation and eager for the game to start. There are many different sounds, but none more recognizable than the
cling-clang of the infamous "cowbell." The longer you stand there with your teammates, the closer it comes to your time. When the first words are uttered, you can recognize and yes, it's your turn.
"Quarterback for the Winslow Black Raiders, number 7 ... Nick Perry!" Your name is announced and you sprint through the two lines of cheerleaders on each side of you and burst through that paper with a loud roar.
"WHOOOO! Let's Go! Let's go! It's game time baby." This was the first game of the season and my adrenaline was flowing. We, as a team, and as individuals had put forth the strongest effort to get through the two-a-days in the 90+ degree heat and given up our last two weeks of summer vacation-all to get ready for this shining moment ... our moment in the sun. Even in the hot sun, we sported our black jerseys, black pants, and orange helmets as tradition had been for so long, and we were ready for a battle. My teammates gathered around me, and we had a quick pep talk, and then made our way to the sidelines. I can't explain the quiet emotion that goes through your whole body as you stand on the sideline, holding hands with your teammates, and listening to the national anthem as it's played. With sweat rolling down my face and the final words of the national anthem were sung and the crowd was going crazy as we were ready.
The team looked great from the first day of double sessions and I knew, in my mind, that we were ready. Not only was our team full of young talent, but we were stacked with 18 seniors, 12 of which were starters on one side of the ball or the other. Along with our seniors, the young guys who stepped up the previous year had the experience on their side this year and we knew from the first day of practice we were going to be hard to beat-not only in our conference, but the entire state.
Our first game we opened up with a mediocre team that nobody would expect to fight for the playoffs at the end of the season, but that didn't matter. It didn't matter if we were playing the worst team in the league, this was the first game of the season and we were going to play as hard as we would if we were playing for a state championship. That was the mentality of our coaching staff, players, and especially seniors: "play like it's the last time you'll ever be on the field."
We came out as a house of fire, and, along with the help of my receivers, I led the offense down the field on our first two drives-for two early touchdowns and a quick 14-0 lead. Our defense was the backbone of our team and the offense we had could score crazy points. We were going to try and score as much as possible and our defense had the point in mind to shut out every team we played. The offense was a run and gun offense who threw the ball 75% of the time and passing was basically all we did. The same thing I had done since I became the starter my sophomore year.
* * *
I was standing on the sideline, just a lonely sophomore, watching every move of the all-state quarterback we had-Matt Fishel. With him running the offense, my hopes of playing were really slim, but I knew if I wanted to be just like him, there was nobody better to watch and learn from. He was amazing how he led the offense and when we were in a tough situation, we could always count on Matt to keep his composure and pull us through. I remember that first game of sophomore year clear as day. With my other buddies, we were watching from the sideline as our team took the field in the second half. I was just paying attention to the game and had no hopes of playing-especially against the top ranked team in the league.
Matt was dropping back to unleash one of his bullet passes down the field when the pocket started to collapse around him. In order to avoid the rush of the defensive line, he moved to his right and planted his front foot to pass; one of our linemen got knocked over in front of him. The lineman's body came crashing down right on the shin bone of Matt before he could get it out of the way-his eyes were targeted downfield. The distinct sound of Matt's left shinbone snapping in half could be heard throughout the entire field. The loud silence of the crowd made everybody on the team nervous as we watched the trainers sprint out onto the field. I remember staring at the players on the field, frantically waving to the sideline for someone to come out. The fact that Matt's lower leg bone was not attached to the top part of the bone and it was hanging down as he tried holding his knee up while on the ground, really made me lose focus on everything.
"Perry, warm up!"
I heard the coach yell from the field after he got closer to the injury. It never crossed my mind that I would be playing, especially with an all-state quarterback in front of me, but this injury happened now it was my time. Immediately my mind started racing and the nerves kicked in. Sweat gathered on my hands while I gripped the football to start warming up with a receiver on the sideline. The injury required the ambulance to come out onto the field which gave me more time to warm up and get myself ready, but it also hindered me. The extra time was just that much more opportunity for my nerves and thoughts to catch up with as I psyched myself out.
Coach came back to the sideline before we were ready to resume play. He looked me in the eyes, grabbed hold of my helmet with both hands and said, "Perry, it's your time to shine." I will never forget that moment, and I'll never forget those words because from that point on, I took control of the team. The proverbial "ball" was mine and I took it, ran with it, and never looked back.
* * *
My experience showed and I continued passing and our receivers continued catching everything that was thrown to them as we upped our lead to 35-0 at halftime. From that point on, coach put in the JV players. I, along with the rest of the starters, sat the rest of the game out and watched from the sidelines. Even though the JV players were in, the starters were on their feet cheering and coaching them on the entire time they were playing.
In the end, the final score was 49-7 and we were 1-0 on the young season. Not too bad of an outcome to start off senior football season. Getting the first win was pretty sweet, but the best thing about winning the first game of the season is the annual first win bonfire.
The first win bonfire is a tradition that was started my sophomore year and every season when the team gets its first win, one of the team's player's parents threw a bonfire at their house and the players, coaches, and cheerleaders all go over for a spaghetti dinner-then a bonfire with music after the meal. The place was set and everybody was informed immediately after the game so I had time to go home and shower up and get ready-after all, the cheerleaders would be there and I was a single man.
My life of being single started at the end of my junior year when my girlfriend at the time had to move away with her family, due to the fact that her father was in the army and he was being re-stationed. I was completely devastated when I heard and so was she. Her name was Andrea and she was without a doubt the love of my life. Before the breakup, we were together for almost a year, and I felt things for her like I had never felt for any other girlfriend I had previously. It took me all summer to finally realize that things were over between us and that I could move on and hang out with other girls without feeling guilty. Granted, we were still friends and talked to each other online frequently, but being so far away wasn't healthy and it was stressful being just friends so being in a relationship that far away would have been ever harder and stressful on both of us in the same. Slowly the phone calls and emails began to slow down and eventually, we didn't talk, maybe once a month.
The day we said good bye, I cried for the rest of the day and what seemed like the entire night until I finally cried myself to sleep. I was completely crushed. Sure there were many other girls who were interested in me and that I hung out with, but nobody that just completely blew my mind and I could see myself having a relationship with. There's much more to being with someone than just the physical attraction; the mental and social attraction is just as important. The physical, mental, and emotional attachment I had with Andrea was rare and I didn't think that anybody could have the same affect on me that she did.
My fellow co-captain and best friend, Mike and I showed up to the bonfire and spaghetti dinner slightly early so we could help out. It wasn't long before other players got there and everybody was socializing with one another. Along with spaghetti, there was every type of dessert that one can imagine and the players weren't shy about eating their fair share of food. While the guys devoured the endless mountains of food and drank liters of soda, the cheerleaders could be seen "snacking" on things like salad and crackers and drinking their water at their tables.
I won't lie, being the quarterback, and an all-state one at that, tends to attract the ladies, so I was definitely friends with most, it not all, of the cheerleaders-except the incoming freshmen. Even though there were quite a few ladies who were fond of me, I was never the type of person to be a "playa" so to speak. I was always cordial and got along with all of them, but as for being a "ladies man," I would never call myself that. Usually I didn't meet the freshmen cheerleaders until our bonfire or first day of classes. From what I could tell after being at the dinner for an hour, there weren't many freshmen there. It wasn't until the food was gone and everybody was chilling around the fire when most of the cheerleaders started showing up and making the party a lot more interesting.
We finished up eating and then Mike and I got some chairs and planted our asses right in front of the fire to relax and socialize.
"Dude I'm so full of spaghetti and like four pounds of garlic bread." "I know what you mean. All I want to do is sit here, relax, and stare at some hotties," Mike said.
"That actually doesn't sound like too bad of an idea actually."
"Perry, we need to find you a woman. I'm not talking a chic to hang out with like you have 30 already, but I'm talking like a solid girlfriend."
"I had one ... I wish I still did actually."
"Dude, Perry, you have ladies lined up at your door to date you. You're a stud man. Don't worry about it."
"I know, I know. I do what I can," I said with a sarcastic tone.
"You're always on your phone texting women from this town and that town, so don't whine to me about girls pal."
"Perry!" A scream from across the lawn was let out.
"What's up sweetie?" I yelled back
Running towards me with arms wide open was my friend Lacy. Before I could brace myself, she was planted in my lap, hugging me as tight as can be.
"I miss you! I haven't seen you in like a week, Perry."
"I know. I'm sorry I've had football and that keeps me pretty busy. Did you go to the game? "
"I sure did. You guys played great. I better see another win next week."
"We'll do what we can, I suppose," I said.
"When are we going to hang out Perry?"
"Whenever you want there darling ... I have nothing going tomorrow. "
"Perfect! You're hanging out with me tomorrow then. You can come over and we'll go for a swim."
"Sounds like a good time to me."
"Alright stud, I gotta go see some peeps, but I'll see you tomorrow."
Grabbing hold of my hand as she walked away and giving me that see-you-later-big-boy wink, I couldn't help but feel like she wanted me-at least a little. As conceited as it sounds, I knew it was true and that was the case with many girls. I looked over at Mike who was sitting in his chair and he was staring at me with that look that says "obviously she wants you" all over his face.
"I told you dude. You're a ladies man and there's no denying it," he said.
"I can't help it if I'm irresistible to women," I said with a laugh. "Speaking of women, where is your woman?"
"She's on her way she said. She had to pick up some of the new freshmen cheerleaders. Its part of the whole captain initiating team bonding with the freshmen sort of thing their coach has them do throughout the beginning of the season. It's pretty gay if you ask me."
Mike and I chilled in our chairs for about twenty more minutes until his woman finally arrived with her car full of freshmen. He was dating the head cheerleader and team captain since the beginning of junior year and there we were starting our senior year so they had been together just about a year or so. Their relationship was the kind of relationship that I could see going on for a long time and marriage was definitely in their future. They were so in love. I watched them sometimes and wished I had that same type of feeling of being in that type of relationship again.
"Hey baby ... I missed you."
"I missed you to," Mike said with a kiss.
"Hey Nick."
"What's up Rachel?"
"Oh you know the same old same old."
"I see you picked up your freshmen girls huh?" Mike asked.
"Yeah they are around here somewhere. I picked up three. They are pretty cool actually. I'm glad I got the cool ones and not the whiney bitches."
"Fair enough I suppose," I said.
It wasn't long before more ladies were showing up and coming over to hug me and sit on my lap and chit chat. I was actually getting tired of talking, but I'll be honest, talking with hot girls is a great time. And, having them sit on your lap isn't such a bad time either. I did decide that I needed to grab a drink and walk around for a bit though. My curious mind was anxious to see what else was going on around this situation, and my thirst was in need of quenching pretty bad.
"Hey, I'll be right back bud. I'm going to grab a drink ... want anything?" I asked.
"No I'm good. Thanks for asking though. "
I took a walk around the fire and through the people; there were actually quite a few kids at the bonfire at this point. It's funny how sitting in your chair with your back to people can make it so you don't realize just how many of them have showed up. I made my way through the crowds of kids, saying hi to everyone I knew and even stopped to talk with some ladies on my adventure, until finally, I made it to the coolers. The coolers seemed to be on the total opposite side of the yard, and I was feeling pretty lazy. To avoid the process of walking all the way across the entire party again, later on, I stocked up by filling my pockets with Gatorades and even brought one in my hands for the walk back to my seat. As I was walking back towards the fire area, I noticed that my seat was occupied and I couldn't figure out who the hell was sitting in it. At first the distance was too far, and I thought it might have been Lacy, but the closer I got, I realized that it wasn't. Weaving in and out of the various people with beers in their plastic solo cups, I was getting closer by the second.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from HOMECOMINGby Nick Perry Copyright © 2009 by Nicholas Perry . Excerpted by permission.
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