AN: Just to let you know, I don't know much about football. So, I wrote this chapter with the points I found on google.😅 And thanks for all the PS. TOP 11 now. 🫡
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[Field] [Noon]
The stands were full, parents, students, and scouts all buzzing with the same energy. This was a big game. Everyone knew it.
Palisades Charter High vs. Smith J. High. Friendly game on paper. Tryout game under pressure in reality.
The coach was going to make the final decision on who plays against the Dolphins next, depending on how everyone did today. So, everyone took the match seriously.
Jack was standing in line, helmet already on, his hands resting on his thighs, waiting for the signal to go. Sweat was trickling down his neck. He was breathing deeply, trying to stay calm. He'd put in a solid performance all game long – some great runs, nothing sloppy. But even that wasn't quite enough to get the job done just yet.
The scoreboard showed it all: 21-16.
Smith J. High was winning.
Only one minute left.
Palisades needed six points.
The cheerleaders on both sides were practically losing their voices from all the shouting. Their pom-poms were waving with wild energy. Haley stood with her squad along the side of the field, her ponytail bouncing, her eyes glued to the game unfolding before her.
"Go, Palisades!" she yelled, jumping up with the rest of the group.
Out on the field, the quarterback, Jackson, clapped his hands together and called out the play. The defense instantly tightened up. They all had a gut feeling the ball was going to Jack. The real question was how they could possibly stop him, given his incredible speed, which made it seem like he could easily slip past the other team's defenders.
Jack knelt, muscles coiled. 'Alrighty then.'
The snap came clean.
Jackson dropped back, surveyed the field, and the pocket began to collapse quickly. One defender broke through on the right. Another rushed up the middle.
Jack moved instinctively, cutting left, then back toward the center, just enough to fake the block before bursting into open space.
Jackson saw it.
He threw.
The ball spiraled tight and fast.
Jack caught it in mid-stride.
The instant it touched his hands, the sound erupted.
He turned upfield and ran.
A defender lunged and missed, fingertips brushing air. Jack cut right, then left, reading bodies like roadblocks instead of people.Â
"GO! JACK!" Haley screamed his name.
Another player came at him head-on. Jack lowered his shoulder just enough to slip past, spinning out of the tackle. The sideline blurred. The crowd went nuts.
Ten yards.
Five.
A player dove for his legs.
Jack stretched out and crossed the line as he hit the ground.
Touchdown.
The referee's arms waved up.
Game over.
The field erupted.
Players swarmed Jack, pounding his helmet, shouting, laughing, some of them nearly tackling him again out of sheer joy. Jackson ran over and wrapped him in a crushing hug.
"You're crazy," Jackson yelled. "Absolutely crazy."
On the sideline, Haley jumped so high she almost bumped into the cheerleader next to her. She screamed, laughed, and clapped all at the same time.
Coach whistled, fighting hard to keep the smile off his face.
Palisades 22. Smith J. High 21.
As the teams lined up to shake hands, Jack finally turned toward the sideline.
He immediately saw Haley.
She was still bouncing on her toes, hands cupped around her mouth, her eyes shining bright as if she'd just seen something truly incredible.
Jack grinned at her and gave a small wave with one hand.
She let out another loud scream.
...
Later that day, the locker room had finally quieted down. Most of the team had left, still riding the high of the win. The smell of grass, sweat, and cheap body spray lingered in the air as Jack finished tying his shoes and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder.
A knock sounded on the open locker room door.
"Preston," Coach Lance called. "My office. When you're done."
Jack nodded. "Yes, Coach."
[Coach Lance's Office]
The office was small. Team photos covered one wall. A whiteboard filled with formations and scribbled notes sat behind the desk. A couple of old trophies rested on a shelf that looked like it had survived several decades of coffee spills and emotional wins.
Coach Lance leaned back in his chair as Jack stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
"Sit," the coach said, pointing at the chair across from him.
Jack dropped into the seat.
Coach Lance studied him for a second, then nodded slowly. "That was one hell of a finish out there."
Jack gave a small smile. "Thanks, Coach."
"I mean it," Lance continued. "You kept your head clear under pressure. You didn't panic. You read the defense, adjusted your angle, and committed to the run. That's not something you teach easily."
Jack shrugged lightly. "I just trusted my team and did my best."
"And your speed," Lance added, pointing a pen at him, "is ridiculous. I've been coaching for twenty years and I've seen fast kids. You're different. You accelerate like you're late for something important."
Jack chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should," the coach said, smiling briefly before his expression turned more serious. "Which brings me to why I called you in."
Jack leaned forward slightly, listening.
"The Dolphins game next Friday is not just another game. Scouts will be there. School board too. And maybe this year, we might just get into the higher level." He tapped the desk twice. "I want you on that field. Starting lineup."
Jack nodded once.Â
Coach Lance tilted his head. "But I also know you're not a typical student athlete. You've got acting work and public appearances. All that Hollywood stuff."
Jack smiled faintly. "Sometimes, yeah."
"So I need to ask straight," the coach said. "Are you free next Friday? Because if I build my offense around you, I need to know you're actually showing up."
Jack did not hesitate. "I'll be there."
Coach Lance raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Maybe take a day and decide. There's no need to decide right now."
"I'm sure," Jack replied calmly. "I've already got my schedule lined up properly so that I can play. So, yeah. I'm in."
The coach watched him carefully, measuring the tone more than the words.
"Alright then." He nodded. "Remember, Dolphins are aggressive players. Their defense is not too solid compared to their aggressive play style. So, they will expect us to play defense. But we'll go full attack mode. And I'm pretty sure, you'll be their main target."
Jack nodded. "I figured that would happen anyway after today."
Coach Lance let out a short laugh. "Fair point."
He reached over and grabbed a clipboard, flipping through a few pages. "We're running extra drills this week. Route variations, pressure handling, and stamina work. Nothing insane, but tighter focus. I want you at practice every day after school."
"I'll be there," Jack said.
Coach Lance nodded. "Also, hydration. Stretch properly. And try not to get mobbed by fans before practice. You're getting popular."
Jack smiled awkwardly. "I'll try to control the mob."
"Do that," the coach said dryly.
He stood up and extended his hand across the desk.
Jack stood and shook it.
"Proud of your performance today," Coach Lance said. "You earned that touchdown. You also earned your spot. Don't waste it."
"I won't," Jack replied.
...
[A few minutes later]
[Outside]Â
Jack stepped out of the school building with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and his helmet dangling loosely from his fingers. Students lingered near the exit gates.
It took about three seconds for him to be noticed.
"Jack! That run was insane!"
He turned with a polite smile. "Thanks."
Two girls from the junior class stepped closer, both talking at once. One of them pushed a folded piece of paper into his hand.
"You were amazing out there," she said quickly. "Like… actually amazing."
Jack accepted it with an easy nod. "I appreciate that. Thank you."
Another girl leaned in, grinning. "Are you trying out for the Dolphins game too?"
"Yeah," he said. "That's the plan."
"Good," she replied, offering him a torn slip of notebook paper. "You should celebrate after you win." She winked.
'Yeah, and get into trouble... worse, arrested. Wtf is wrong with you all?' He chuckled softly as he took it. "I'll keep that in mind."
A few more quick compliments followed. Some awkward laughs. A handful of shy glances. Jack handled it the same way he handled everything public: calmly, politely, and approachably.
Across the bike parking area, Haley leaned against the metal rack with her arms folded, watching the whole exchange.
Her expression stayed neutral at first. Slightly amused, but it turned slightly tense when a girl with big boobs whispered something in Jack's ear. She shifted her weight as another girl stepped closer to him, laughing a little too loudly at something he said.
"Okay," Haley muttered under her breath. "I get it. Touchdown hero. Very exciting."
She watched him accept the papers. Watched him smile. Watched him thank them.
Finally, he managed to break away and headed toward the bike racks.
As soon as he rounded the corner of the building and the girls disappeared from view, Jack stopped beside a trash bin. Without glancing at the slips, he crushed them in one hand and dropped them inside.
Haley's shoulders loosened instantly.
A slow smile spread across her face.
...
//Haley's confession//
Haley sat on the edge of the bleachers, still in her cheer uniform, legs swinging slightly as she tried very hard to look casual.
"I wasn't worried," she said, then gave a small, awkward laugh. "Okay, maybe a normal amount of worried. Which is not worried. It's just… aware."
She shrugged, glancing off to the side. "Jack is popular. And handsome. And he literally just won the game in the most dramatic way possible."
She lifted her hand and began counting on her fingers. "So yeah. Obviously, other girls are going to notice him. Talk to him. Try to be his friend…"
She paused a bit as she looked up straight.
"…girlfriend."
A forced laugh slipped out of her before she sighed. "That's just math."
Her expression softened.
"But then..." she said, and her smile turned slow and a little dreamy. "He didn't even look at the papers. He just threw them away like they were nothing."
Her voice dropped, almost to herself.
"Because they were."
The smile on her face widened. "He didn't care."
There was a small beat of silence before she shook her head, amused. "And I know it sounds cheesy. Like, illegal levels of cheesy."
She nodded to herself, fully smiling now. "But he loves me so much."
A soft laugh escaped her. "And I love him so much."
She tilted her head, eyes bright. "So yeah. Touchdown hero."
She leaned forward a bit.
"But he's still… mine."
//Haley's confession End//
...
Jack looked up, spotted her, and his expression softened into that unguarded brightness he saved almost exclusively for her. He jogged the last few steps to her side.
"Hey."
Haley tilted her head, smirking. "Hey, Mr. Popular."
...[SPOILERS. CLICK TO READ][1]
---[That's it for this week. I'll be back on Sunday night. I ended up releasing 6 chs lol. My target 3-4 chs.]---
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[1] Ch: 18 [Toast, Trust, and Teenage Terror] Ch: 19 [Late Night Triumphs] Ch: 20 [Ice-Cream date with Dakota] Ch: 21 [The Benefit of the Doubt] Ch: 22 [Palisades vs. The Dolphins] Ch: 23 [I look like a mummy] Ch: 24 [Between Dreams and Doubts] Ch: 25 [First Kiss, Last Misunderstanding]