by Dana Burkey
Thankfully, I was able to focus on the rest of the game and not worry too much about Jordan sitting so close. We took a break going into the varsity game, which was also perfect timing since Skyler’s parents ordered pizza. Apparently more people than they thought showed up for the get-together, so the plan to have leftovers from lunch for dinner went out the window hours ago. No one complained though when Skyler’s dad brought down a stack of pizzas and other snacks for us to enjoy. A few of the girls needed to leave so there were only a handful of us by the time we started watching the varsity game. Jordan was still on the couch next to me, but there was more room between us. I think in a way that was better since it made me less nervous!
“Watching it the second time was just as exciting as the first time,” Torri commented as the varsity game was over and we were all cleaning up. “We need to do this when we make it to state too!”
“You mean if we make it to state?” Hayley asked.
“No,” Torri said with a shake of her head. “When!”
“I agree,” Skyler added. “I think it’s okay to be confident. And right now, I’m feeling pretty confident in both of our teams!”
“Exactly,” Ross agreed. “I'd honestly be shocked if you ladies don’t all make it to state. Today was proof that you've got what it takes!”
As if hearing that wasn't enough for me to know I had a pretty amazing big brother, he actually gave me a high five after he had said it all! It was really cool that Ross wasn't just encouraging his girlfriend but was also taking the time to make sure I was encouraged as well. For a second there I honestly thought the sentiment of it was going to make me cry! It was probably only because I was so tired, but I couldn't help it! I was happy when the other girls started talking about how the other teams in the state were doing, and about our game coming up on Monday. The change in subject to something that was way over my head was perfect to help me get my emotions in check.
Once we'd gathered up all of the empty pizza boxes and other trash from the basement, we headed upstairs and outside. I set my gym bag in Ross’s car then turned to say goodbye to all of my teammates before climbing into the car. When we got to Jordan’s house, I simply waved to him from the back seat. A kind of lame goodbye, but after the great time watching the game there was no complaints on the overall evening from me at all!
OCTOBER 20TH-MONDAY
Yesterday a rather lackluster day! I was working on homework all morning and then my mom decided the whole family needed to go pick out pumpkins to decorate the porch. It really was a fun time and everything, but it meant that when Jordan asked me if I wanted to go for a run I had to tell him I was busy. When we got home from the farm, with a lot of pumpkins and all sorts of other items too, we ate dinner as a family and then cleared off the table to do a puzzle. We haven’t done that in a while so it was fun, but still maybe not quite as good as some time spent with Jordan.
The one nice thing about last night was that I got to hang out with Ross and also my mom and dad, and then I also got to go to bed nice and early! That meant that I woke up nice and early to get ready for school today. I curled my hair, took extra time on my makeup, and then drank my morning coffee while I painted my nails. I felt really good walking out of the house looking super nice to start my day. It built up my confidence even more than the text I got all day yesterday from my friends about Jordan and I!
“Oooh! I love your hair,” Skyler told me as she slid into the car a few minutes later.
I thanked her and felt like I was a foot taller instantly. Skyler was pretty into hair and makeup, so having her compliment me was an awesome way to start my day! But, it got even better when Jordan got in the car. He climbed in and asked Ross something about school or whatever. I don’t honestly remember since I was waiting for Jordan to see me, without trying to make it look like I was waiting for him to see me. When he finally turned and looked at me though, I could tell right away.
“Wow Fi,” he said in a shocked voice. “Last time I saw you, you were in sweats and now here you are looking like you're ready for the homecoming dance again or something!”
“Thanks,” I said with a rather embarrassed laugh.
“If it wasn’t for your socks I'd really think you were about to walk a runway, not play soccer,” Jordan continued. “Like, you really look amazing.”
I'm sure by this point my face was bright red! I couldn’t even look Jordan in the eye, I was suddenly too embarrassed. I mean, I thought I looked good, and it was nice to hear Skyler say it, but it was different to hear it from Jordan. I guess taking the time to curl and style my hair was really worth it. Also, trying out some new eyeshadow shades that really made my eyes pop was a great addition to the look. After all the time trying to cover the bruises from my broken nose I was enjoying playing around with makeup more, but was surprised people were taking so much notice already.
I was glad when Ross asked Jordan something about one of their classes, taking the spotlight off me. The attention from Jordan was amazing, but also a lot more than I was ready for! When we got to school I walked in slowly, putting some distance between myself and everyone else. I wanted to be near Jordan, but I also wanted to give myself a minute to just calm down. My heart was racing a bit from his over the top comments, and I had a feeling everyone at school might react about the same.
Jordan noticed I was a little bit behind, and made a point to open the door for me and stand there to wait until I walked into school before walking beside me down the hall towards my locker. He looked to be checking for something on his phone, but at the same time was clearly walking with me.
“Good luck at the game tonight, in case I don’t see you later,” Jordan said, standing next to my locker and leaning on the wall.
“Thanks,” I grinned, feeling so many butterflies in my stomach thanks to the amazing smile he flashed my way.
“Well, I should get to class,” he said with a bit of a sigh, and finally stood up away from the wall. “Have a good day Fabulous Fiona.”
I once again thanked him, then tried to take a deep breath to calm myself down as Jordan walked down the hall. Seeing the way he was looking at me was making it hard to breathe almost! It was exciting and scary and amazing and horrible all at once! If that even makes any sense!
The day was nothing exciting to write about, but right as I was leaving school Corra started texting me so I was walking and texting, and not really paying attention to where I was walking. I made it to Ross’s car out of pure habit, and then looked up to see that Jordan was kind of staring at me. He gave me a quick smile then looked away when he saw I caught him looking. My cheeks of course turned a little pink, but I tried to not pay attention to him and just focus on my conversation with Corra. I didn’t want to make a big deal about Jordan looking at me.
Once Ross and Skyler got to the car we all got in for the ride home. Since I was still texting I didn't pay attention too much to what they were all talking about, but I did notice that Jordan was looking at me. I wasn’t trying to look at him really, but when I looked up at one point to see why we were stopping (for a kid crossing the street) I noticed he kind of looked away real fast again. I didn’t want to assume that he had been watching me, but after a little while I looked up again it seemed like he was looking at me then looked away for the second time during the short car trip.
Jordan said a quick goodbye and “good luck at the game” on his way out of the car, but it was a little rushed. Or maybe not rushed so much as just normal. I could have gotten all sad that he didn’t take the time to look at me and say something sweet and all that, but after his sweet words on the way to school I wasn't too upset. Instead I used all the possibly nervous energy to get ready for the game as fast as possible once we made it home. I had time to work on a little homework and get changed then grab a dinner to go that I ate on the way to the game.
On the bus to and from the game there were a few comments made to me about Jordan, but since I was eating and a few people were working
on homework I thankfully didn't get picked on about it too much. Okay, maybe “picked on” isn't the right word. Maybe teased is a better word, since they were for sure doing it from a place of love and all that! Well, both teams won, so the way home was a bit of a celebration and now that I am done writing I need to get some sleep. I want to take a little bit of time to get ready tomorrow so today wasn't a one time thing, so I need to be well rested and wake up early! It will be interesting tomorrow to see if Jordan acts the same way again.
OCTOBER 21ST-TUESDAY
So I am kind of freaking out right now!
First of all I looked cute again for school and Jordan congratulated me on the game last night, since I scored one of the goals that helped us win. School was pretty okay overall, nothing exciting but also nothing too lame. I got to hear a bunch of adorable details from Beth and Trey’s date they went on last night, and then I got a test back in History class that I totally aced.
But none of that compares to what happened when I got to soccer practice! When Skyler and I arrived after a quick trip home, we noticed a super fancy car parked near the field and some people in nice clothes standing there talking to Coach Heather and Garry. I knew scouts came to games sometimes to watch seniors if they were applying for soccer scholarships and all that, but it seemed weird for them to show up to a practice.
As if to answer my questions, Coach Heather called me over to the group of them chatting as soon as she saw me. I tossed my stuff down and walked towards them, shooting my friends a confused look along the way. I looked to Coach Heather for an explanation and was quickly introduced to the man and two women that was standing with them. They were Henry Foster, Gloria Rivers, and Stephanie Wells! If you watch channel 4 news, I’m sure you know those names right away! But, if not, Henry and Gloria are the lead anchors of the news, and Stephanie does a lot of special pieces in the community. They're super well known, and Gloria even won some big fancy award a few years ago for a story she did about a tornado that hit one of the elementary schools.
“We were just chatting about you,” Gloria said with a smile that was clearly well-rehearsed but also super genuine. “My colleagues and I are here to talk to you and your coaches about doing a news piece about you.”
“About me?” I asked, self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Yeah,” Coach Garry explained. “Apparently they're interested in the story about your nose guard and everything.”
“Someone tipped us off to the story after they saw the video your teammate posted,” Henry added. “We would love to just talk to you and the team as you prepare for state.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I kind of nodded a little, but at the same time I wasn't sure what to do or say. I mean, it was a lot! They wanted to interview me for the news thanks to my nose guard. And then, they mentioned a video someone posted, but I really didn't know what they were talking about at all! Coach Heather seemed to notice my uneasiness, so she jumped to my rescue.
“It would be about the whole team Fiona, so it won’t be too nerve-wracking,” she explained, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “And if you’re at all uncomfortable with it, you can say no. They just want to get the news out there and get everyone excited since we've been having such a good season. You’re viral video has a lot of people talking.”
I was even more confused by the whole “viral video” comment, but was hoping I'd be filled in on everything soon. At that point I basically said I was okay with it all, although it came out in such a jumble of word vomit I don’t remember any word for word. I must have looked like a total crazy person to all the fancy news anchors standing there watching me attempt to form a sentence. They explained that they'd be by practice tomorrow to film everything and do some interviews, then that was it. They got in their nice cars and left.
“Alright everyone, gather around,” Coach Garry called out as the cars left the parking lot. The whole team took a seat near him to listen as he explained everything. “Thanks to Maggie’s little video, Fiona and the whole team is making a big splash in the media. So, tomorrow channel 4 is going to come by practice and do some interviews and film you ladies. We want everyone to know that it's still a practice, and we'll still be expecting everyone to work hard whether the camera's on you or not.” He paused then, as if to let it all sink in. “Alright ladies, let’s do some laps to warm up!”
I was stunned for a minute, but managed to stand up and more or less start jogging without tripping over my own feet. His mention of Maggie’s video and the previous mention of a “viral video” had me confused and also a little worried. There were so many questions running through my head, but all I could do was follows coaches order to run! Practice was pretty long and hard and it felt like we were being pushed harder to make up for what could be a super distracted practice tomorrow. It wasn't until we were all getting water and taking off our shin guards at the end of the practice that I finally had a chance to say what was on my mind.
“So, can someone please explain to me what video coach was talking about?” I asked, keeping my eyes mostly on Maggie.
“Remember the day we first gave you your decorated nose guard?” She asked her question slowly then waited for me to nod before continuing. “Well, I kind of posted it online this weekend. After we won the game I figured it'd be cool to show people the reason behind the masks in case we made it to state. And a lot of people liked it and shared it and everything.”
“How many people is a lot?” I asked simply.
In reply, I was handed a phone. I'm not sure who’s phone it was since I was instantly in shock. There was a video loading up on the screen, and under it showed over 500,000 views! I hit play and watch as the video began with an paragraph explaining everything that happened to my nose.
“Fiona broke her nose during a soccer game early in the season. When she returned to the team she had to wear an ugly nose guard. So, her team decided to help her feel more comfortable and confident.”
The video then showed me walking to where the team that was stretching on the field. When Skyler handed me my nose guard I watched then as all of the girls that were on screen slipped on nose guards as well, while I stared at mine in shock. The video paused to show an image of the nose guard completed. From there the video went on to show the moment where I looked up while stretching and realized that the whole team had the nose guards on as well. It was a hard moment to watch, since I had tears in my eyes just seeing the video of the moment. Then, as the whole team gave me a big group hug the video ended with another bit of narration on the screen.
“Since they started wearing the nose guards, both the JV and varsity teams at NMHS haven't lost a game, and are a favorite to make it to the state finals later this fall.”
The video then showed a few short clips that must have been taken by teammates and parents at Saturday's game. There was a shot of me kicking the corner that was headed into the goal by Torri, and then two shots of the stands filled with cheering fans wearing the nose guards as well. Finally, the video ended with one of the group photos that we took on Saturday and flashed the hashtag #FabulousFiona on the bottom of the screen.
“Since you’re not on twitter I don’t think you saw it,” Skyler began once the video was over. “But that hashtag was trending for almost of the afternoon on Sunday.”
My mouth dropped open then, and I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. It was a lot to take in, and it was just the beginning. With a news crew coming to practice I knew it meant that things were going to get even crazier around town. But, at the same time, I knew that it wasn't just about me. It was about the whole team. I honestly feel like even without me the team would have had a good season, so that was likely to be a big part of the news coverage too!
By the time Skyler drove me home, I just wanted to go to bed! But, of course, Ross had been tipped off by Skyler and I had to spend at least an hour talking to my family about everything. My mom's really happy for me, and my da
d was trying to help me see that it was nothing to be super nervous about.
“I really think people are going to be happy for you, but also focus on the team,” he explained. “Everyone will be rooting for the whole team after this, so all the stress and attention won’t be just on you sweetie. And if both teams really do make it to state, it'll be the first time in the school's history, so that 'l take a little bit of the spotlight off of just you as well.”
I feel a little better about it all, but I'm still freaking out for sure! Although the video was all over the internet, it hadn't really been posted to Facebook much since Maggie had first posted it on her Reedit page. But, by the time I checked my phone after talking to my mom and dad I had a few hundred missed Facebook updates! The video had been posted on my wall by Maggie, and everyone was posting about how cool it was that channel 4 was going to be filming me and the whole team. In fact, I just checked again and the video is up to 1 million views now! Apparently word of the news spot this week has everyone even more excited about it. I don’t know how I'm going to get through school tomorrow, let alone the interview! I'm super stressed just thinking about it already!
OCTOBER 22ND-WEDNESDAY
As expected, today was literally all about the interview with channel 4! On the way to school Ross made a point of talking about random topics to keep everyone distracted from asking me about the news interview. I think he could tell how frazzled I was when we were getting ready for school and didn’t want to make it any worse! Sadly that didn't work during the day when Ross wasn't there in the rest of my classes to help people talk about things other than the video. In fact, by lunchtime I think half of the school had asked me about it! After being asked so many time in a row, I had a basic answer down pat by the end of first period. “I’m excited, but also really nervous.”
I stayed after school with Hayley and Torri and worked on homework until practice began, although by that point I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up. It was clear that everyone was nervous as well, so that helped a little. While we sat stretching I saw that Stephanie, Gloria, and Henry were standing with a cameraman talking about their filming plans. It made me nervous, but thankfully our coaches were wanting to have a normal practice, so started some running and conditioning right on time like we would at any other practice! I was really glad, since it gave me something to focus on that had nothing to do with the filming!