03-13-2018, 07:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-13-2018, 11:59 PM by caltroit_red_flames.)
Chad did his best to pretend is was a normal day after the episode that occurred earlier this morning. He went outside and threw the football with his dad for a while, talking about his classes and how things were going at his dad's work. He went to the gym at his old High School to keep his mind occupied, training harder he had in weeks. He came back from the gym and worked on his homework, Economics was tough this semester and he couldn't afford to fall behind right before graduation. For short spans of time things seemed normal, but 7PM kept looming over him. Why am I not throwing the ball with Brad, Thad and Dad? Why isn't Brad here to push me to finish that last rep? Why isn't Thad here to help with these stupid aggregate demand problems in Econ? He knew the answer, but didn't want to face it. 7PM.
His phone had been buzzing all day. He made the mistake of picking up once to the sound of a DSFL GM shouting in his ear about how he'd be the next great line backer in the league, but they wanted to talk with him before they decided to take a chance on him through the waiver wire. That would've been exciting for someone who else. All Chad cares about is playing with his brothers. So hung up on the GM, silenced his phone, and waited for the dreadful moment when he'd get the call from the league office informing him of where he'd be placed.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]* * *[/div]
7PM. God dammit, 7PM. He'd grown to hate that time of day so quickly. But it passed, like any other top of the hour, without anything notable happening. Chad hoped that meant no one had claimed him, but at 7:05 he received a call from the league office.
"Chad Pennington?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Congratulations Chad! You've been picked up off of waivers by the Tijuana!"
Chad hung up the phone. That was it. It was over. No more Brad. No more Thad. No more weekend visits with Dad (his dad's name) and Mad (his mom's name). Chad started walking toward the door with his backpack and slipped on his shoes.
"Where are you going now Chad?" His mom asked.
"I'm just going for a walk." He answered.
"Wait, did the league call? Are you going to Kansas City?" His mom called to him, but Chad was already out the door.
Chad started walking to his old High School, to take one last look at the field he used to play on with his brothers.
[div align=\\\"CENTER\\\"]* * *[/div]
It was a weird feeling, standing at the top of the bleachers. He had spent all of his time on the field, and never in the stands. This was actually his first time on the bleachers at his High School. On one side of the bleachers is the field he spent four of the greatest years of his life playing, on the other is a parking lot that leads to the school. No one would be here on a Tuesday night at 7:30 to hear what was going to happen.
Chad took off his backpack and opened it to reveal a gun and a bottle of pills. The sight of the gun repulsed him entirely and he knew immediately that he didn't want that to be the way he did it.
He stepped toward the chain link fence at the back of the bleachers, climbed over and held himself on the ledge by his fingertips. He looked down. 6 stories separated him from the pavement of the parking lot, enough to do the job if he fell right, but if he messed up, but if not he'd just end up in a wheel chair. Heart pounding, he climbed back over the fence.
Finally, he reached for the bottle of pills and read the label. "Ambien. Take one by mouth as needed." He laughed to himself. He'd been taking these damn pills every night for the past month and they didn't help then, there's a fat chance of them helping now. He opened the bottle and looked at the pills. It'll be painless, unlike the gun or the jump to the parking lot. Just 15 or 20 pills, fall asleep and never wake up. No more crying at night after waking up from nightmares. No more worrying about never seeing Brad or Thad again.
Brad...
Thad...
Just then a car came swerving into the parking lot, tires screeching and engine wailing. It was them! Chad threw his backpack into the garbage, with the gun and pills inside. Chad ran down the bleachers for the parking lot, with his brothers running to the field to meet him. Brad and Thad smothered him in a huge hug that practically crushed him.
"Man what are you doing out here?" asked Thad.
"I was just... catching up, ya know?" Chad replied.
"Chad mom called us both. She told us about this morning, we know something is up. Why didn't you say anything to us?" Brad said.
"I don't know man, I just... You guys have these big dreams of being all-star NSFL players. You're busy finishing your classes and getting ready for the draft... I've just been so worried about losing you guys in all of this." Chad explained.
"Chad, dude. We're not going anywhere. I'm gonna go to Kansas City for a few weeks and you're gonna kick back in Tijuana. Think of it like an extended Spring Break." Thad said.
"But guys I don't have it in me to play against you. I just can't. You've been my brothers and teammates my whole life." Chad said.
"How about this? We don't play each other. We'll sit out the games against each other and watch it together, then we'll play together next season when we can actually be traded to the same team. And if they try to put us in games when we play each other, we quit and come home. We'll coach somewhere together or something. I mean we're all gonna have our degrees soon, it's not like football is our only option." Brad suggested.
"Damn right. Never betray an Ad!" Yelled Thad.
"Never betray an Ad... Thanks guys, you really are the best bros ever. I love you both." Chad said.
The brothers started walking back to the car.
"Oh damn, I almost forgot!" Chad started dialing his phone. "Mr. Mills I apologize for hanging up earlier. I'm proud to have been chosen by Tijuana from the waiver wire and I can't wait to head there for the next game. But I have one problem. I won't play against my brothers. Never betray an Ad."
His phone had been buzzing all day. He made the mistake of picking up once to the sound of a DSFL GM shouting in his ear about how he'd be the next great line backer in the league, but they wanted to talk with him before they decided to take a chance on him through the waiver wire. That would've been exciting for someone who else. All Chad cares about is playing with his brothers. So hung up on the GM, silenced his phone, and waited for the dreadful moment when he'd get the call from the league office informing him of where he'd be placed.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]* * *[/div]
7PM. God dammit, 7PM. He'd grown to hate that time of day so quickly. But it passed, like any other top of the hour, without anything notable happening. Chad hoped that meant no one had claimed him, but at 7:05 he received a call from the league office.
"Chad Pennington?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Congratulations Chad! You've been picked up off of waivers by the Tijuana!"
Chad hung up the phone. That was it. It was over. No more Brad. No more Thad. No more weekend visits with Dad (his dad's name) and Mad (his mom's name). Chad started walking toward the door with his backpack and slipped on his shoes.
"Where are you going now Chad?" His mom asked.
"I'm just going for a walk." He answered.
"Wait, did the league call? Are you going to Kansas City?" His mom called to him, but Chad was already out the door.
Chad started walking to his old High School, to take one last look at the field he used to play on with his brothers.
[div align=\\\"CENTER\\\"]* * *[/div]
It was a weird feeling, standing at the top of the bleachers. He had spent all of his time on the field, and never in the stands. This was actually his first time on the bleachers at his High School. On one side of the bleachers is the field he spent four of the greatest years of his life playing, on the other is a parking lot that leads to the school. No one would be here on a Tuesday night at 7:30 to hear what was going to happen.
Chad took off his backpack and opened it to reveal a gun and a bottle of pills. The sight of the gun repulsed him entirely and he knew immediately that he didn't want that to be the way he did it.
He stepped toward the chain link fence at the back of the bleachers, climbed over and held himself on the ledge by his fingertips. He looked down. 6 stories separated him from the pavement of the parking lot, enough to do the job if he fell right, but if he messed up, but if not he'd just end up in a wheel chair. Heart pounding, he climbed back over the fence.
Finally, he reached for the bottle of pills and read the label. "Ambien. Take one by mouth as needed." He laughed to himself. He'd been taking these damn pills every night for the past month and they didn't help then, there's a fat chance of them helping now. He opened the bottle and looked at the pills. It'll be painless, unlike the gun or the jump to the parking lot. Just 15 or 20 pills, fall asleep and never wake up. No more crying at night after waking up from nightmares. No more worrying about never seeing Brad or Thad again.
Brad...
Thad...
Just then a car came swerving into the parking lot, tires screeching and engine wailing. It was them! Chad threw his backpack into the garbage, with the gun and pills inside. Chad ran down the bleachers for the parking lot, with his brothers running to the field to meet him. Brad and Thad smothered him in a huge hug that practically crushed him.
"Man what are you doing out here?" asked Thad.
"I was just... catching up, ya know?" Chad replied.
"Chad mom called us both. She told us about this morning, we know something is up. Why didn't you say anything to us?" Brad said.
"I don't know man, I just... You guys have these big dreams of being all-star NSFL players. You're busy finishing your classes and getting ready for the draft... I've just been so worried about losing you guys in all of this." Chad explained.
"Chad, dude. We're not going anywhere. I'm gonna go to Kansas City for a few weeks and you're gonna kick back in Tijuana. Think of it like an extended Spring Break." Thad said.
"But guys I don't have it in me to play against you. I just can't. You've been my brothers and teammates my whole life." Chad said.
"How about this? We don't play each other. We'll sit out the games against each other and watch it together, then we'll play together next season when we can actually be traded to the same team. And if they try to put us in games when we play each other, we quit and come home. We'll coach somewhere together or something. I mean we're all gonna have our degrees soon, it's not like football is our only option." Brad suggested.
"Damn right. Never betray an Ad!" Yelled Thad.
"Never betray an Ad... Thanks guys, you really are the best bros ever. I love you both." Chad said.
The brothers started walking back to the car.
"Oh damn, I almost forgot!" Chad started dialing his phone. "Mr. Mills I apologize for hanging up earlier. I'm proud to have been chosen by Tijuana from the waiver wire and I can't wait to head there for the next game. But I have one problem. I won't play against my brothers. Never betray an Ad."
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