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I stood up sputtering and digging dirt and grass out of et it all out I turned to see Nathan flat on his back and Ada his knee Coach Wise stared at me with a combination of naked horror and wonderround Nathan li looks of pure hatred at me Then he and Steve helped Adam off the field and onto the bench

Coach Wise storrabbed my jersey He pulled me in for a close-up of his crooked yellow teeth and rotten tobacco breath Turned his head to the side and spat a dark glob on the ground before glaring at ain "You ever played football, son?"

"No"

Coach Burgundy was speaking with Nathan and Steve They looked at rinned and nodded

Oh, crap

They linedback next I wasn’t sure if I was the halfback, the three-quarters back, or the fullback, but I kneas going to get the ball I was supposed to run straight through a hole uy to his left I couldn’t reuessed it didn’t really matter Nathan lined up where the hole would for on the sideline, had ice on his knee, so at least I didn’t have hionna feel pain, Case," Nathan said "You’re gonna feel like a train just ran your tiny ass over"

The quarterback barked the signs I saw him turn with the ball I ran forward and felt the ball thu back had told me how to receive the ball or I probably would have just knocked it on the ground

Again, my senses kicked into hyper-drive The hole in the line opened, except it wasn’t a hole for et out so much as it was a hole for Nathan and Steve to coht at them This time I put a little arlanced off rippedhis and knocked the in pain, holding his arm I’d knocked him back a few feet Steve pushed hirabbed undy

"Wise tells undy said "That true?"

I nodded

"You juicing, boy?"

I knew this tie juice "Youanyway Go give the nurse so?"

He chuckled "You want to be a part of the team, don’t ya boy?"

"You want me to play?" I asked in horror That oons every day, not to mention practice football

"I think if you want to stay in the good graces of the principal, you’ll do what I tell you, boy"

Coach Wise spit a glob of brown between ive the nurse what he told you to, Case And have your butt out here for practice to and unable to offer up a defense I face-palmed and turned for the locker roo behindto defendepic!" Nyte said, clapping , Justin I didn’t think you had it in you"

"And it’s all on video," Nyte said "Epic!"

"Yay," I said glu my fist "I should’ve just let them beat the crap out of me"

"Why?" Ash said

"Because now they wantso I can play on the team"

"What?" they both asked in unison

"And if I don’t, then they threatened to s harder ona little more Asian than usual "I wasn’t aware they could add you to the team this far into the season"