“Learning courage is not something that you can do overnight. You have to ‘do the work’ to gain the courage. Coming every day to get your butt beat by Cassidy will teach you to become courageous.
“Once you have even a little courage, then everything that once seemed hard is easier to overcome. You have to do the thing to have the power. I challenge you to not go read a book about courage. I challenge you to not ask any more questions or make any more excuses. Don’t read about it, don’t think about it, and don’t talk about it to your friends. Go and frickin’ do it! Go practice courage!”
He had us mesmerized. This was a side of Brad I’d never seen. If he’d been like this last spring, I would have followed him anywhere. It was too bad it hadn’t happened sooner.
“Look, I sound harsh, but we only get this life once. You only get opportunities once. I will never play another down of organized football! Think about that. Because I didn’t have the courage to put the work in, I lost my senior year of football. That might sound like a something trivial, in the grand scheme, but for me, it’s almost unbearable. I did this to myself because I was a ‘little bitch.’”
Cassidy went up to him and hugged him in the video. Here in the auditorium, she grabbed his hand and held it now.
Then Brad continued, “I know you’re all thinking, ‘Why listen to this guy? He’s the one who messed up!’ I’ll tell you why: it’s because I plan to turn myself around. I’ll develop the courage to live life how I want it. I’m done being afraid to put the work in! I’ll start today. I’ll be at every one of Cassidy’s workouts. I ask you to do the same,” Brad said as he finished, and Cassidy ran up to him and hugged him again in the video.
I got up and gave Brad a hug. He’d given us all something to think about. We all knew what was needed, but did we have the courage to go and do it? I could see the determination in everyone’s body language. I felt we had just turned an important corner in our football season, thanks to Brad Hope. Who knew?
Chapter 6 – Kentucky
Wednesday October 1
Peggy still hadn’t figured out if she wanted to date me or not. Word had spread about our breakup, and my mom’s visit to the school, though no one really knew what that was about. I was really feeding the rumor mill this week. Then my phone rang as I walked into school. It was Teddy Wesleyan.
“David, I see you’re tearing it up on the football field. I was a little worried when I read your stats for the first couple of games.”
“Coach finally let us loose against Eastside. We’d played more conservatively the first two games. Coach was worried that we’re mainly sophomores playing, so he kept it pretty basic to start with,” I said, and then asked why he called.
“I have an extra ticket to the Kentucky vs. South Carolina game. We plan on flying down Friday night after your game.”
“What are the rules for something like this?” I asked, worried because I knew he was a major booster.
“You have to pay for everything,” Teddy told me, and then gave me the amount it was going to cost me.
“Let me get permission, and I’ll call you right back,” I said, and then hung up.
I called my Dad. I figured I’d have better luck with him since things were still tense with Mom. He gave me permission. I called Teddy and we got everything set. I couldn’t wait to call John and Nancy and let them know I’d be there this weekend. Neither of them answered their phones, so I sent them text messages telling them when I would be in town.
AT LUNCH, THE CHEERLEADERS were in full ‘wing-women’ mode. They had a list of potential girlfriends for me.
“Girls, slow your roll. I don’t need a girlfriend.”
“You’re such a ‘stupid boy.’ We all know you want someone to go out with,” Kylie said.
“Besides, this gives them something to do instead of talk about that lovely vampire show,” Wayne offered.
He was getting better, but saying it was ‘lovely’ rather gave him away. My choice would have been just to bite my tongue. Well, that might not be true, but it would have worked out better for him. They all gave him the stink eye.
“I missed it, what happened?” I asked.
“Well, you know Ashley and how she can’t figure out which one to date?” Faith began.
They were off to the races on that topic. Nick winked at me. He saw what I’d done. Wayne looked like he wanted to slit his wrist. Ray, the poor dumbass, seemed to be getting into it. Neil was just nodding every once in a while. By the end of lunch, we’d found out that poor Ashley was going to pick the evil brother. How could she?
WHEN I GOT HOME, I got a text from John to jump onto video chat. I was surprised to find Nancy on with him. John wanted to talk football.
“How many touchdowns did you throw on Friday?”
“I don’t know, seven or eight, why?” I asked.
“You threw eight. Did you know that ties you for the most thrown in a game this year so far?”
“Where do you come up with this stuff? Are you sitting around, looking up stats all day? I thought you were a college student,” I teased him.
“The coaching staff told me today. They had one of their stats boys look it up. They’re excited you’re coming in to see us play against South Carolina since they should be a tough test for us.”
“They were 11 and 2 last year. That might give a clue how good they are.”
Nancy cleared her throat. I guess our football talk was over.
“How come you two are hanging out?” I asked.
“I’m John’s big sister. Our sorority was asked to be big sisters to John’s fraternity’s pledge class. We meet them at the fraternity each Wednesday night to check up on them. I think I’m the best big sister ever,” Nancy shared.
Oh, boy! Something was up.
“Don’t believe her, David. Last week she made me go to a folk music thing that was awful. Tonight, it’s women’s poetry night. I’m guessing I’ll be the only guy in this estrogen-fest. She seems to think that I need a well-rounded education. The other pledges are doing normal stuff like eating pizza and studying with their big sisters.”
“Does he complain all the time like this?” I asked.
“He’s just getting started. He seems to be missing the big picture. There’ll be a room full of women,” she said.
“None of them are interested in guys,” he whined.
“He might have you there,” I offered.
“You just stay out of this. I have him well in hand, and don’t need him slipping the leash now that I have him housebroken.”
“See what I have to put up with!” John complained.
“I call bullshit. You wouldn’t be going if you didn’t want to,” I said.
“You stay out of this,” John whined.
“And you, Mr. David Dawson, are taking me to a dinner-dance on Saturday night,” Nancy told me.
“Yes, I am. It’s a fundraiser for the College of Medicine. Teddy Wesleyan bought a table for the night. I hear it’s next to Lori Winnick’s table. Did you hear her mom’s better? She had some kind of liver disease that she just got over,” I supplied them with what Teddy had told me.
“Hepatitis C. It’s almost always fatal,” Nancy said.
“Did you ever tell Nancy about you meeting Lori?” John asked.
“No, why don’t you fill her in between poetry readings? I’m sure the girls’ll love that story,” I offered.
He just shook his head. I was looking forward to seeing them both this weekend. I also wanted to see South Carolina in action. They’d stepped up their recruitment of me. If they continued to put together 11–2 seasons, they might have a shot at the national title when it was my time to go to college.