Chapter 23

Friday night lights.

That'd make a great title for a movie. Damn, it's been done.

The overhead lights were blazing as the team charged onto the field. The stands were packed. This was probably our second toughest game on the schedule. The coach was hinting that we could go undefeated, and if we beat the Tigers tonight, we'd be on our way.

The team, lead by Larry and Jimmy, circled the field, then formed up in the end zone for some calisthenics. When it was over, we jogged to our bench. I grinned at Robbie. "Wish me luck."

"You're nuts, you know."

"No, I just have this thing about doing what's right. You know, once there was this girl, and the coach wouldn't even let her play."

Robbie's eyes misted, but she nodded.

I trotted toward the stands. Allie was sitting next to Tami on the first row. I went up the steps from the field and stood in front of them. Tami stood and hugged me, hard to do with all my pads. "You're sure?" she whispered.

"Never surer!" I gave her a quick kiss, then held out my hand to Allie. "C'mon, we'll be late."

"I can't go out there. They won't let me cheer."

"You're not going to cheer. You're going to be inspirational." I took her hand and -half-pulled her out on the field toward the team bench. The crowd quieted, sensing that something out of the ordinary was happening.

I sat Allie on the bench, right in the middle. "No matter what happens, you don't leave without me."

She nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise," she said quietly, looking more confused than ever. I stood next to her and waited for the explosion.

"What's she doing here?" the coach thundered when he saw her. "Cheerleaders belong over there," he said waving toward the space in front of the grandstand.

"She's not a cheerleader tonight. She inspiration."

"I don't care what you call your girlfriend. You know the rule: only players and coaches on the bench."

"She's not my girlfriend. My girlfriend is in the stands."

"I don't care what she is. She doesn't belong here."

I stood up as tall as I could. "She's staying coach."

"Sims, I've had just about all your attitude I can..."

Seven words. I thought they'd be hard to say, so I'd practiced. But they slipped out easily. "If she doesn't stay, I don't either."

The coach looked like he'd been pole-axed. "You're not that indispensable."

Robbie stepped up next to me. "If Tony doesn't stay, I don't either."

"I will not have the two of you tell me how to run my team."

Larry Gordon and Jimmy Sexton stepped up next to Robbie. "If she doesn't stay, we don't either." I called them earlier and told them what I was going to do.

The referees were standing in the middle of the field with the captains from the other team, looking impatient. They were waiting for captains who apparently had just quit. The stands had grown real quiet as we stood waiting. I don't know whether they heard Paul when he said, "If they don't stay, I don't either." But they saw him join the growing group facing off against the coach.

Mike stood off to the side watching. "What the hell are you guys doing? She's just a girl. We don't need them," he said waving his arm toward us. "Let's play football. I'll go do the damn coin toss."

We watched as Mike walked toward the center of the field. Then, slowly, every other member of the team joined us.

The coach threw up his hands. "Okay, she stays," Nobody cheered. We just nodded. "Sims, you might as well sit next to her, you're done."

Robbie started to protest, but I caught her eye and shook my head. I knew what I was doing when I started this. And I'm smart enough to know the consequences. I'd led a mutiny. They usually hang mutineers, not just bench them.

"You didn't have to do this," Allie said softly as the two teams lined up for the kickoff. Mike had won the toss and elected to receive.

"Yes, I did," I told her. Despite warming the bench, I felt very satisfied with the world. Robbie caught the kickoff on our twenty and zigged and zagged to their forty.

The teams lined up. Mike took the hike, scrambled back, and looked for a receiver. The receivers were standing in their places waving at the audience. The front line had stood and were watching. Six startled but happy defenders rushed past and barreled toward Mike, who grounded the ball before he could get hit.

"What the hell?" The coach exploded.

"Call a time-out," I suggested.

The coach stared blankly.

"Coach, we need a time-out," I implored.

The coach made a T with his hands, and Mike called for the time-out.

I rushed out onto the field as the team circled up.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" I yelled, probably loud enough that I'd hear about it later. "I did not come out here to watch you give away the game to a team we should beat in our sleep. I don't care if you think I should play," I said, staring at Robbie. "Or if you think Mike is a class A jerk." Mike looked like he wanted to protest, but, for once, kept his mouth shut.

"Get out there and play football, or go home and let somebody in the game who will."

I didn't bother waiting for anybody to say anything. I ran off the field.

I'd love to tell you how the team tried its best but was losing until the coach, in desperation, called me back into the game and I inspired them to play their hearts out and win. But unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your point of view, we dominated from the next play on.

Mike threw three touchdowns and Robbie threw one. Larry had the game of his life, with three sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception that he ran the back sixty-four yards for a touchdown. I sat on the bench and watched, my arm around Allie and Tami's eyes boring into my back.

"Do I want to ask why you spent the whole game on the bench?" Dad asked when I got home in my nice clean uniform, Allie by my side. Mom, Dad, and Traci had been at the game, though I'd come home with Tami and her mom.

"Something you haven't done since you were eleven," Mom added, looking at Allie.

"Successful mutiny," I muttered. "We'll be back in a few." I took Allie to my room for a talk, then out for a walk.

"Do you think you want to tell us what's going on?" Mom asked, when I came back alone.

"Depends. Would you buy, I'm tired and going to bed early?"

"At nine on a Friday, before you've taken a walk with Tami? Try again."

So, I told them most of the story. About helping Allie all week. About her taking the test and doing better than Singara thought she should. About her being thrown off the cheerleading squad, and my getting her on the bench. I just left out a couple of details, totally unimportant, like...

"Mom, there's a police car out in front," Traci said from the window.

Like the fact that Allie's parents had no idea where she was.

We were all looking at the door when the knock came. Mom looked at me, then dad, then me again. Dad looked at me, then Mom, then me again. Traci just stared at me. There was another knock.