Ty stood on the sideline, watching the scoreboard. The number signifying the quarter vanished, with a - left behind in its place. The timer changed from zero up to five minutes and began counting down.
'You look confused, Samuels,' Coach Hoang said.
Ty turned to him. 'Not confused, exactly. I know what overtime is. I've just never used it before.'
'It's nothing like what they do in the NFL. It's not another quarter or anything like that.'
Ty sat down, settling in. The exhaustion of the previous sixty minutes was beginning to weigh on him, and he felt he'd need every second of those five minutes—four now—to recover. 'Tell me about it. What's different?'
'Don't you watch high school football? Or even college?' Coach Hoang asked, slightly exasperated.
Ty rolled his eyes. 'Why would I watch those scrubs? I'm better than all of them.'
'Uh-huh…'
'Aren't you supposed to be coaching me, COACH? Clock's ticking.'
'You're so annoying, Samuels. Look, it's pretty simple, okay? It's like a penalty shoot—what am I saying? You've never watched soccer. Each team will have a turn to attack and defend, but instead of going the full length of the field, it'll be like a two-point conversion attempt. If we stop them, and then score ourselves, we'll win. If they score, then stop us, we'll lose. If nobody scores, or we both score, it'll keep going into another round.'
'Simple, just like you said.' Ty crossed his arms over his chest. 'I already told you they won't score again, and that hasn't changed just because we're in overtime.'
'When did you say that? I don't remember that.'
'…I might not've said it out loud. Whatever, what's important is that I promised myself.' He stood from the bench; Coach Long was calling the team together.
'We're almost there, boys,' Coach Long said. 'NO matter what, you've played like champions and I couldn't be more proud of you. We just need one more score, and one more stand. One more win as a team, and we've got this. Send us home, alright?'
'Yes, Coach!'
'Let's go, Dons!'
'We got this, hermanos.'
As the team moved apart again, Ty returned to Coach Hoang's side. 'Who gets to go first?'
'It's not super important, just determines what order you need to do things. Like if we go first, we need to score, then stop the other team. And that's the end of the game. But if neither team scores, then a new round starts, the second team will still get a chance to score even if the first team scores on their second attempt. Got it?'
'Yeah, I got it,' Ty grumbled. 'You still didn't answer my question.'
'This is football. Of course, it's a coin flip.'
'Of course.'
Only JJ went back to centerfield for the Dons, and only Mason emerged from the Trailblazers' side. The two shook hands again, and the head official gave them an explanation similar—though more official sounding—than what Coach Hoang had told Ty.
As the representatives met for the coin toss, Ty watched them from the sideline. Bella watched him. Her heart was pounding. It was so far up her throat she thought she'd choke on it. She never knew games could be this stressful. After so many years, she'd realised why her dad had gone bald within a year of becoming a coach.
But the game wasn't the only thing stressing her. She stared at Ty. He felt so distant, even without feeling like … THAT … whatever that special state Coach Hoang told her about was. If they lost … how far away would he drift from her? This might be the last time he was within reach. She stepped closer, a shaky hand outstretched.
'We lost!' someone shouted, causing her to jump.
JJ was on his way back from the centre, waving the team on. The Trailblazers' offence was walking onto the field already. Ty stepped forward, stalking ahead. He may as well have been dropping over a cliff for how rapidly he fell away from Bella. Her fist closed around the air, then her hands came to her chest, clamped together in another prayer—she'd probably prayed more that day than every other combined.
Ty knew where he had to go without the huddle. He left the others to discuss their plan, to have their final pep-talk, and he stepped in front of Lennox.
Lennox glared down at him, no longer shell-shocked. The rage and fury was back in his eyes, but a cold calm too. He was truly monstrous … but Ty was a monster, too. He didn't back down.
'You got lucky,' Lennox said. 'I'M the best! You just got lucky. Not again. It won't happen again.'
Ty sunk back in his stance, wary. Lennox was crazy, that was certain, and he didn't feel like wasting any breath berating an insane person. But was he just baiting Ty? He made it sound like he would go for another fade, but what if that was just the trick? And he would go for the Slant instead. Ty didn't give up the inside this time, but he was still trying to predict what the play would be when the ball was snapped.
Lennox darted out, then jumped inside, already twisting back to the ball. A Slant! And Kieran had only dropped back a single step before firing the ball over.
Ty dove like he was shot from a cannon. Bending around Lennox, he didn't grab onto him until the ball was there, careful not to foul. He curved around Lennox, arm stretching out. He slapped the ball to the ground just before it could reach Lennox's grasp.
The pass was incomplete. Ty had stopped Lennox, the Dons had stopped the Trailblazers.
The crowd roared. Ty had tumbled to the floor, and before he could stand, his teammates were already around him, hoisting him to his feet. Some of them almost hoisted him up to their shoulders to parade him around the field as they left, but the game wasn't over yet, and they'd look like the biggest jackasses if they lost after that. Who knew how that kind of mockery could motivate the Trailblazers? So they left Ty on his own feet.
Bella was jumping for joy as the defence returned. The teams were given another minute to plan as they switched over from offence to defence. Ty spent it planted on the bench. Even though it had only been one play, his blood was pumping and his breath came quickly. The atmosphere was overwhelming.
Despite Ty having come back into reach, Bella knew there was a block between them now. It was that same invisible barrier that was always there during game time. Maybe she could break through it and get to him … but that could be detrimental, too. She could wait, wait and pray that he came back to her again. Pray that the offence scored and finished it once and for all.
Jay and the offence slowly strode onto the field. Lennox came to Stephen's side quickly, followed him to the Line of Scrimmage, waiting like a hungry beast waiting for the dinner bell.
Jay stood behind the formation. JJ wasn't with him, even Chris wasn't in the backfield—he was already stretched to the outside, acting as another WR. Jay scanned the defence.
The compact field was made even smaller by the dense concentration of Trailblazers over the centre. He knew they'd spread out after the snap, after they saw there was no trickery with any runs and it was going to be a pass. Stephen and Lennox were alone. Maybe they could be his target. No. It had to be the middle. When the defence tried to cover every corner, they'd spread themselves thin in the centre.
Jay tapped his foot. Cole hopped back from his stance and jogged across the field, running just behind the Linemen. When he got to the opposite end of the Line, still running, Jay called for the snap.
Benny dashed across the other way. A Mesh between him and Chris, that would be Jay's target. Cole was the decoy. Even Stephen and Amon were further decoys attacking the opposite corners of the end-zone. It was Chris who would score, Jay knew it.
He stepped up and flung the ball over the middle, just before the Trailblazers' blitz reached him. A bullet headed straight for Chris's hands. It was on target; the timing was perfect. It was … batted down. Mason Eubanks threw himself across, diving as he slapped the ball into the turf just before it could reach Chris.
The Dons had failed; the Trailblazers held strong. It would take at least a second round of OT to decide the game.
Ty leaned his head back. The crowd's collective groan shuddered through his body. He took a deep breath, then marched onto the field, stomping alongside his teammates. They continued on, deeper into the midst of the battle, whilst he stuck to the outskirts, standing face to face with Lennox once again. Each of them promised it would be the last time.
Bella watched him. Her heart had stopped when the ball was in the air; she thought it might never restart after Mason spiked the ball into the ground. But it was beating frantically once more. 'Come on, Ty. You can do it.'
Standing there, Ty had to be sure it was the last time because HE won. He couldn't let Lennox do whatever he wanted. Ty smirked as he shifted to the outside, then he asked: 'You want to know the difference between us?'
Lennox only snarled in response, but Ty saw a glimmer of curiosity in those eyes. His smirk grew.
'You do. Deep down, you need to know. I can see it burning in your eyes. Ignorance, burning you up inside, ripping holes in you. You NEED to know. Don't worry, it's a simple fact. The difference between you and me is that I'm SPECIAL!'
'Fuck you!' Lennox yelled. He looked at Kieran, calling his name. Lennox made the same motion he had the last time he wanted to challenge Ty in the air. Kieran saw it. His eyes lingered on Lennox for a few seconds more before he took a deep breath and wiped his shaky hands off on his jersey.
Ty wasn't special, Lennox was! He'd prove it. He'd prove he was a "Skywalker" too. There was still time for his moment, his crowning glory. He'd snag this catch and stake his claim.
Either way, one of those two boys was about to reach national acclaim.
The ball was snapped. Lennox rushed outside, no feints to the inside. Again, he burst straight for Ty's chest. Ty turned away, once again playing matador, though this time Lennox kept close to him, running shoulder to shoulder towards the back corner.
They planted their feet, Ty watching Kieran heave the ball towards them. Twisting, they leapt into the air. Lennox did at least, and to propel himself further he tugged down on Ty's jersey, keeping the Don grounded.
Ty's eyes widened. His teeth pierced his mouth guard as he braced himself, pushing harder. He put his all into that jump, pushing beyond his limit. He had to rocket up beyond his usual peak, even with someone holding him down. Tyrese Samuels ruled the skies, and he wouldn't let Lennox Freeman ever forget that fact.
A breath before Lennox got his hands to the ball, Ty shot up, eclipsing him. Ty knocked the ball away. Lennox's world hung in the air for a second, and then it plummeted.
Lennox crashed again, dropping to his side, his legs kicking out. Ty almost glided back down, but when he landed, his foot came down on Lennox's shin. It twisted and slipped, thudding to the ground. Ty planted firmly; a jolt raced up from his ankle to his knee.
He grimaced and pulled away quickly, hopping on a foot as he glared down at Lennox, who had yelped in pain and was now clutching his leg. Ty shook his off, slowly lowering it back to the ground. The jolt of pain had been just that, a jolt, but its memory lingered.
Ty stared down at Lennox, Lennox stared back, tears in his eyes. Whether from the stinging pain of his leg, or the taste of defeat, Ty didn't know, but both boys glared at one another accusingly. Before either of them could argue about the other doing it on purpose, Ty was tackled from behind. Then hoisted off his feet. The Dons took him up on their shoulders this time.
They were shouting and whooping as they marched him off the field. JJ and Donte held Ty up. Ty clung to them, but looked back at Lennox. No one went to help Lennox up. He got up on his own, limping at first, but walked off the field.
The raucous cheers didn't stop as Ty was dumped onto the bench. Coach Hoang shouted for a path to be cleared, and the boys parted for him as he pushed to Ty's side.
'Samuels, you okay?' he asked, face full of concern. He'd seen the awkward landing for both boys, seen the stare down after. There'd been zero of Ty's usual gloating after a play like that.
'Yeah, I'm fine. That fucker pulled my jersey. I noticed there weren't any flags on the field.'
'You're a lucky bastard, that's what you are… and don't worry about the flags, you know Receivers are cheating assholes, the lot of them.'
'Hey!' Stephen exclaimed, the Dons' Receivers looking at Coach Hoang like he'd just punched them.
Coach Hoang laughed. 'Other teams' Receivers. Now stop looking at me like that, Day, and get out there and win!'
The offence stormed onto the field; they couldn't let Ty and the defence down twice in a row. This one had to be it.
Bella reluctantly dragged her eyes away from Ty and watched the boys on the field. She stood by the bench, fidgeting.
'JJ!' Coach Long shouted. 'Go out there and tell Amon to get back here. You're leading the charge.'
JJ looked at him, nodded. Before he could run onto the field, Coach Long stopped him, a firm hand on his shoulder.
'Send us home, Julian,' Coach Long said. A gentle command, but a command it was. And JJ had to obey.
JJ smiled. 'Okay, Coach.' He ran onto the field, taking Amon off, before settling into the backfield just in front of Chris. But it felt like the entire team was at his back. All he had to do was open the way for him.
Jay looked back at Chris and JJ, grinning at them. With the new formation for the Dons, the Trailblazers' defence squeezed together even more, trying to build up their wall over the middle as much as they could.
'Set… hike!' Jay took the ball, running past JJ and handing it to Chris.
JJ burst ahead, slipping through the first gap he saw in the Line, widening it as he held off the Trailblazers, pushing deeper into them, carving a path for Chris. He had help, of course. He could feel every Don behind him, pushing with him.
Chris had the easier job. All he had to do was follow. When JJ slammed into Mason, and Mason slammed into JJ, JJ's momentum stalled. But Chris came behind him, burrowing against him, helping him push, and they overpowered Mason, shoving him out of the way as they rumbled into the end-zone and out the back of it.
It was the loudest noise Ty had ever heard. The collective shout that exploded from multiple points at once—all around the stands, from the Dons' bench, and the Dons on the field.
'YEAAAAAH!'
JJ tackled Chris to the ground, both boys shaking with excitement, tears dripping from JJ's eyes. They were swarmed by their teammates, not just those who had joined them on the field. Dons were streaming from the sideline, rushing to join the pileup in the end-zone. They didn't care they had to run past Trailblazers to get there.
The Trailblazers themselves were all in various states of disbelief. Some lay staring up at the sky, others slumped on their knees, or sat on their ass staring at the ground, some stood with their hands on their head, thousand-yard stares looking at nothing—looking at their world burning around them.
The Trailblazers on the bench sat there as if glued to it, jaws hanging open. Some stared at the field, others at Coach Heenan. The Head Coach was as pale as a ghost, and looked as if he'd just realised Santa was actually real this whole time, the sky was actually red, and that Sierra Canyon were no longer the strongest team in California.
Lennox was as shocked as any other, but he was the only Trailblazer who wasn't lost. His confusion, shock, dismay, and, most importantly, hatred were all focused. Of course, because Ty was the source of it all.
Ty had no room for an insignificant creature like Lennox in his mind. He was soaring, elated. His body felt lighter than ever. Finally, they had done it. After all the hard work, the setbacks, and the struggles. They'd won. The Dominguez Dons—and Tyrese Samuels—were officially the greatest in the state. They were champions.
Bella stood before him. Her eyes sparkled with tears, but she had the biggest grin Ty had ever seen. There was so much he wanted to tell her, tell her she never had to worry, that he'd always said they'd never lose again, that he was the best and the Dons were the best too. He wanted to promise that they'd go on to the National tournament and win that too, that they were unstoppable.
Before he could concentrate his thoughts into one, before he could get a word out, she grabbed his jersey and pulled him forward. Her lips smothered him, crushing whatever words he might've wanted to say as she kissed him.