“Don't get too sentimental on us, Coach,” Craig laughed.
“Shut up, Craig,” the coach laughed and continued the pregame talk, “I think by now you boys have heard everything I have to say about football. Go out there tonight and play your hardest, but enjoy yourselves too! Because no matter what happens out there on the field tonight, this has been our season!”
Jake and the other guys didn't have too much time to dwell on the upcoming game, because soon the coach was telling them to lineup for the call out. As the team took to the field the crowd cheers exploded from the crowd. More of the student body had turned out for this game, than they had for most of the seasons home games!
Jake quickly spotted Alyssa sitting next to Mattie and Julie and waved. She blew him a kiss and he couldn't help but to laugh. It wasn't until they were taking their starting positions that Jake realized that his mom had came along with his dad. The coach had been right, this was their season.
The game went by more quickly than Jake would have liked. He felt like they had barely gotten started when the halftime buzzer sounded.
Chapter 21: Alyssa
Alyssa organized the girls into a mini cheering squad for the Rattlesnakes and even made Mattie join in.
“I don't know how to cheer,” Mattie whined.
“Everyone can cheer, just show your spirit!” Alyssa shouted over the roar of the crowd.
The buzzer sounded and the game resumed. Alyssa abandoned cheering for the Rattlesnakes and just yelled encouragements to Jake. She knew he most likely couldn't hear her over the crowd, but she yelled anyway.
They were so close to winning and Alyssa couldn't contain her excitement. Mattie covered her ears every time Jake scored, because Alyssa couldn't help but to squeal.
Alyssa relaxed when the final quarter was nearly over, because the Rattlesnakes had such a broad lead on the other team. She still cheered Jake on, but she knew they had this one in the bag! They were going to Georgia! At least, if she got accepted, but with her GPA that shouldn't be a problem either.
“We're going to be free from this place, Jake!” she yelled even though he couldn't hear her, “Free!”
/> Even the announcers were cheering for the Rattlesnakes when the buzzer sounded. Alyssa jumped over the railing separating the crowd from the field and was one of the first onlookers to meet the team.
Jake throw aside his helmet and pulled her into his arms. Their lips met and Alyssa allowed herself to enjoy the moment, without worrying who was watching.
“We're looking forward to seeing you in Georgia this summer, son,” a man said as he walked by.
“Was that one of the scouts?” Alyssa asked.
“Yep!” Jake laughed.
When the team was finally able to get off the field Jake and Alyssa joined the other guys and their girlfriends for pizza. Alyssa was thankful that no one teased her about how boring her cheese only pizza was.
Alyssa and Mattie didn't get back to her house until well after midnight. Her mother was already asleep and the girls were too tired to talk. Alyssa had planned to drag herself into the shower, but in the end she just washed her face and fell into bed.
The next morning the girls woke up to her mother stomping into Alyssa's room.
“What is this?” she shouted shaking a stack of papers at her daughter.
“Paper, Mrs. H., paper,” Mattie said turning over and putting her pillow over her head.
“Yea, what she said,” Alyssa laughed.
“No, it's a letter from the University of Georgia, your acceptance letter!” her mother said.
Alyssa's heart skipped a beat and she sat up and snatched the paper from her mother.
“MATTIE! MATTIE, WAKE UP! I'M GOING TO GEORGIA WITH JAKE! OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!” Alyssa squealed.
“Yay! Go you! You celebrate, I'll sleep,” Mattie said not coming out from under her pillow.
“So that's why you're trying to go to Georgia? For that boy? I'm not paying for you to go to Georgia!” her mother shouted.
“You won't have to, Mom,” she said, “what my scholarships won't cover I'll get student loans for.”