Fallen Fourth Down (Fallen Crest #4)(80)

We stood. The ones who were kneeling clambered up and as we did, Coach jumped up on a chair. He yelled, his hands around his mouth, “HOW ARE WE PLAYING?”

“FOURTH DOWN!”

“HOW?”

“FOURTH DOWN!”

“I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT ONE MORE TIME!” He jumped off the chair and the assistant coaches started clapping their hands. They started to chant, “Fourth Down. Fourth Down. Fourth Down.”

Matteo was intense. He was waiting next to me, cheering with the group, but he was watching our coach. When he nodded at Matteo, it started. Matteo jumped into the middle of the circle and started bobbing up and down. They were still chanting Fourth down, but it was going to change. Any second. The adrenalin was coursing through me. In this moment, we were one. We were going out there. We were going to conquer, and Coach was right. It was us against ourselves. To be better. To be the best. To be perfect. Every single word he said resonated through me. It resonated through all of us. We were proud to be at Cain U. We were going to keep being proud. Matteo tipped his head back and let out a battle cry.

Everyone started banging their helmets against the lockers. Those in the middle stomped their feet and Matteo started the next chant.

“Cain U. Cain U. Cain U.”

We kept going, kept banging our helmets, but there was another section. Drew would lead us out and we would keep chanting as we ran out of the locker room and onto the field. We were just waiting. It would be any moment. The longer he waited, the higher our adrenalin grew.

He stepped forward. He was the signal. Everyone turned. We fell in line, single file, and started from the locker room. He led us out, taking over as the leader for the chant. Matteo fell in line behind me. We stopped banging our helmets. Instead, they were held at the waist by both hands. Our heads went down and our shoulders hunched forward. It was a sign of respect to those who followed Cain U’s traditions. We entered the stadium like this every time, like gladiators going out to fight. As we jogged out like that, each assistant patted us on the shoulder, giving us their approval.

We ran down the hallway, our feet a constant clattering sound against the floor, echoing around us. We could hear the crowd in the stadium. Music, cheering, announcements. We kept chanting the whole time. It was this moment that I savored the most, when the crowd heard us coming. As they did, the volume dipped for one second. There was a slight pause and a cheer erupted. They started cheering with us and it would spread through the entire stadium.

Cain U.

Cain U.

Cain U.

Drew paused at the threshold. He held his helmet up and started ahead. We didn’t jog. We ran out. The crowd stood and waited with their hands lifted. Drew waited on the field, and still in single file, we ran around him to form a circle. His helmet was still in the air. Then he brought it down and we finished the chant. Everyone did.

“Cain U, conquers you!”

After that, it was time to play football.

*

SAMANTHA

The state meet was a two hour drive from Fallen Crest. With most away meets, we traveled together on a bus and were allowed to get a ride home with family afterwards. But since this was the last meet, Coach wanted everyone to travel back together on the bus. We were a team on the way there. He wanted us to keep that unity on the way home, at least for this last time. After showering and changing, everyone agreed to a celebratory pizza stop.

I was in the back of the bus with my headphones on as we headed to the pizza place. Logan had texted earlier. He was going to meet us there, but I knew Malinda, David, and Mark had gone home. Mark needed to get back for some reason, but Malinda made sure that it was okay with me if they skipped the pizza stop. I was fine with it. I had to admit that I was still glowing from the win, the medal that was hanging around my neck, and the talk a Cain U scout had with me. He wanted to talk later in the month about a scholarship. When he found out that I ran track too, the talk was scheduled for the next week. All of those things, plus seeing Mason there and knowing Logan was waiting to eat with us, I was on cloud nine.

“Kris! Woman! My god.”

Hearing that shriek, I lifted my gaze. Kris was three seats up and bent over, whispering to one her friends. Judging from the wide eyes, sly smile, and red face on both of them, I wondered what they were talking about, but I saw the giddiness on Kris’ face. She seemed happy. In fact, the entire team was in a good mood. A few runners hadn’t placed, but as a whole, the entire team got medals.

“Shut up,” Kris laughed, hitting her friend on the arm. “Shh.” Before bending back down, she shot me a look. Our gazes collided and the laughter stopped abruptly. Guilt flashed in her eyes, then she looked away and jerked her head down again.

I hadn’t asked Logan about their relationship. They were still having problems, which magnified after it came out that he didn’t love her, but Logan had been spending a lot of his time with her. Or, at least, I had assumed. He wasn’t home and he wasn’t at my house. I couldn’t stop myself. I was happy. I wanted to make sure Logan was happy too, so I took my phone out and sent him a text.

What’s going on with you and Kris?

There was a slight pause, and my phone buzzed back. Still screwing. Why?

Snorting, I rolled my eyes. Are you guys still good?

You never ask. Why now?

I’m worried.

Why? Something I should know?

Why are you not answering the question?