Brett Barney - Remember Me.txt
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into a somersault and came to his feet with the grace of a dancer. The act looked as if he had
planned to do it, but Heather could see the embarrassment on his face as he turned to look at her
again. He smiled and winked back at her as he led the team to the bench in front of the crowd.
Harrison lost the toss moments later, and the game started with Harrison kicking off to
Jefferson. The community cheered their hometown team through the whole game. It was a game
of strong defenses. There were few touchdowns made and neither of the teams moved the ball
significantly.
The score seemed to go from one side to the other. The teams scored most of their points
on field goals, each matching the other’s. The game seemed to last forever for the group of girls
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who led the crowd with their cheering. As the game carried on, Laura and Heather grew more
anxious for it to come to a close. The excitement of the entire night seemed to surround them
wherever they looked.
The final seconds soon came to a close. Heather stood close to Laura to conserve their
body heat. Heather could hardly stand up, their legs were shaking so badly from the excitement.
She knew that this was the last play of the game. Their opponents needed to get in the end zone
to win the game, but they were over fifty yards back, and Harrison's defense was the best in their
division.
The quarterback snapped the ball and the receivers ran out for the long pass. There were
three receivers running downfield and Harrison exercised the man to man defense. The
quarterback picked out the farthest receiver and threw the ball moments before getting hit by two
members of Harrison’s defensive line.
The stands roared with anxiety as the crowd of people watched the ball soar through the
air towards the two players running towards the end zone. Heather recognized Todd's number on
the blue and white jersey. He was all that stood between the ball and number 87 from the
opposing team.
The two athletes jumped into the air simultaneously as the ball began its descent towards
them. A clashing struggle took place as the ball fell into the hands of the two young men. As the
boys’ feet returned to the ground, Todd came up empty handed, but had caught his balance and
still stood between number 87 and a touchdown.
Todd's adversary held onto the ball, but faltered as he tried to regain control of his feet.
His hand hit the ground and with all the strength he could muster, he forced himself back to he
feet and directly at Todd. He tightened his grasp on the ball and brought his head down as he
drove right into Todd's chest. The force of his strike threw Todd off his feet and landed Todd
right on his back.
The buzzer sounding the end of the game went off just as number 87 crossed the goal line
with the ball held high in the air. The arms of the nearest official flew up and indicated the
touchdown to the crowd of devastated supporters.
Heather watched the opposite side of the field as the players celebrated their victory. The
mood behind her in the stands was far from triumphant. It seemed as if the entire town had taken
a moment to absorb what they had witnessed. The only sound came from the cheering across the
field. The crowd slowly picked up their belongings and began out of the bleachers.
Heather glanced over to where Todd sat on his knees pounding his head and hands
against the turf. She motioned towards him, but was caught by Laura before she could take a
step.
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“Give him a minute. There's nothing you can do for him right now,” Laura beckoned to
Heather.
“I've got to go. He needs me right now.”
“No, it will just make matters worse. Give him a few minutes to himself. You'll destroy
his ego if his girlfriend has to come to his rescue.”
Laura felt bad, not for losing the game, but for Todd. She knew he wouldn’t take this well
at all. The football coach walked over to where Todd sat pounding the ground. He reached out a
hand and helped his young player to his feet. Laura watched as the coach consoled and spoke
with Todd.
“Damn, this is gonna ruin the whole evening,” muttered Heather from behind her.
Laura walked over to an empty seat in the bleachers and yelled at Heather to join her.
Heather walked over hastily and sat beside her good friend. They watched the expressions of the
crowd as they left the bleachers. Looks of devastation and sadness covered the fans’ faces.
After several minutes, Heather and Laura picked up their pompoms and walked closer to
the parking lot. Harrison’s football team listened to a short speech by the coach before they left
the field. The usual sportsmanlike shaking of hands occurred as the teams passed by one another,
but sportsmanship wasn’t on the minds of Harrison’s players. Laura and Heather waited on the
bleachers near Todd’s truck for him to come to the parking lot.
Before long, Heather spotted Todd walking up with his helmet in his hand. His head hung
low and his spirits were obviously down. Laura held Heather’s arm tightly, trying to hold her
back.
“I can’t stand seeing him in such pain,” pleaded Heather to her close friend. “I have to go
talk to him. He needs to know I’m here for him.”
“I wouldn’t do it if I were you,” advised Laura. “Wait for him to come to you. He needs
his space right now.”
Heather ignored the advice of her close friend. She walked quickly across the parking lot
towards Todd. She saw the rage in his face as she came closer to his truck. As she reached out
and touched his arm he twisted violently away from her grasp. The movement caught Heather by
surprise as she backed away from him.
“Don't touch me right now,” Todd lashed out verbally at the heartbroken young girl
before him.
“What's your problem?” she asked with a quiet tremble. His rough reaction to her attempt
to comfort him had caught several eyes from the crowd walking to their cars.
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“We just lost the damn homecoming game, what do you think my problem is?” he lashed
back in a loud voice, not caring who heard him. Heather sensed his pain. She leaned over closer
to his ear and began to whisper.
“Get in the truck. Let's take a ride. I bet I can find a way to take your mind off it,” she
spoke in a soft and soothing voice.
“Is that your answer to everything? Do you think that's really gonna solve everything,”
Todd yelled, obviously upset. Several people slowed their pace as they walked by the feuding
couple. Heather felt a wave of anger come over her.
“Go to Hell,” she whispered as she turned and ran back towards her lone companion.
Todd climbed inside his truck and started the engine with a roar. The old Ford pickup launched a
cloud of dust as he floored the gas and took off out the parking lot.
Heather returned to the stands where Laura sat waiting for her. Laura smiled an
understanding grin at her good friend. She could see by the look on Heather's face that Todd had
upset her. She tried
to think of something to say, but knew there were no words for moments like
this.
“Doesn't look like he's in a very good mood,” Laura uttered to break the tension.
“He doesn't have to take it out on me. I'm not the one who knocked him on his ass out
there,” Heather exclaimed in an irritated tone.
“Give him some time, he'll come around. You just need to try to understand what he's
feeling right now.”
“To hell with him. I don't need to be treated that way. I've always done everything I could
to understand him. I don't care if I never see him again. Let him find someone else to treat like
garbage.”
Laura just sat there, hoping time would soothe the fresh wounds her friend had received.
She didn’t want to say anything else. Sometimes the best advice a friend could give, was no
advice at all. The stands were now almost empty besides the two girls and a few stragglers who
still sat in dismay. The opposing team walked across the green turf towards the locker rooms.
They walked directly past the two girls as they walked up the bleachers from the field.
As Heather looked up from her seat, the inscription on a jersey caught her eye. The
number 87 seemed to jump out at her. Her rage towards her boyfriend shifted as she looked up at
the face of the spoiler.
The soft eyes of the player caught Heather off guard. He smiled a warm smile that made
her forget for a brief moment everything that had just occurred. Heather couldn't bring herself to
smile back at him, but in the seconds that followed, she suddenly found herself turning to watch
him as he walked beyond her.
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“I'll show him,” proclaimed Heather, “I can find plenty of guys who would appreciate
me.”
“No Heather, it’s not worth it,” pleaded Laura as her friend started to stand up.
“The hell it isn't,” she answered back as she followed the team towards the locker room.
Laura watched from a distance as Heather approached the player. She couldn’t believe
the sight before her. Heather talked to the player for several minutes before he joined the rest of
his team in the locker room. The way Heather moved, Laura could tell that her mood had
changed. She came running back towards her friend who remained in the stands. Laura saw the
excited smile on her face before Heather could utter a word.
“Look’s like grandma’s house is gonna get christened after all.”
“You don’t really mean to tell me that you’re gonna go off with a guy you’ve never met
before, do you?” asked Laura.
“Laura, what’s your problem? This is what I do when a guy treats me like trash. I find
someone else.”
“Todd needs some time right now, that’s all,” explained Laura. “Don’t do this now. I
promise you, you’ll live to regret it.”
“I can live with myself.”
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Chapter Three
Laura sat on her back porch looking up at the stars. Less than an hour had passed since
the game’s fateful ending, which affected everything around her except the weather, and it was a
beautiful night outside. Away from the commotion of the game and the frustration in the town,
the evening was perfect. She realized that miles away, for those who had never even heard of
Harrison high school, it was just an ordinary Friday night. Here, however, the mood around town
was somber and gloomy.
Laura didn’t feel crushed by the events that took place this evening. Presently, her best
friend enjoyed herself with the football hero of the homecoming game, just as she had predicted
before the game. Somewhere out there, Todd bore the weight of the game on his shoulders,
alone. She felt bad for Todd.
Laura came home from the game and wrote in her journal. The night had turned out
nothing like she expected, but she still enjoyed putting her thoughts down on paper. She came
outside to clear her mind, and the air outside was ideal for such a task. Now, everything seemed
so simple to her.
Laura laughed to herself at the foolishness of the people in her hometown. The lives of
the people here had so little meaning. She desperately wanted to escape from it all and get away.
She had trouble keeping track of time, and the days seemed to melt together. She could predict
the entire events of each day as it unfolded before her, and it felt as if nothing spontaneous ever
happened to her. Maybe that’s why she liked Heather so much. Heather filled her in on
everything, and perhaps through witnessing Heather’s life unfold, she managed to satisfy her
rebellious interests. Laura experienced another life through her friendship with Heather, and
often wished she could experience such carelessness.
In some ways, she did indeed envy Heather. Laura had other hopes to keep her focus as
well. Her dreams of college and the wonders she would experience there clouded her head with
their soft illusions. This was where she hid from the world, in her fantasies of the future.
“Hi Laura, have you seen Heather lately?” asked a voice from behind her. Laura jumped
in surprise at the sound, her solitude disturbed by the sudden intrusion. Standing several feet
away from her was the dark figure of a young man. She recognized the tall, well-built individual
at once.
“You scared me to death,” Laura whispered over to him.
“I’m sorry,” Todd apologized. “I just didn’t want to disturb your parents. Is Heather
around? I feel just awful.”
“Oh, I’m sure she feels the same way right now,” Laura proclaimed in a sarcastic tone.
“What do you mean by that?”
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“Look, Todd, Heather’s my best friend. I don’t think I should get involved in your
problems. I think you’re a nice guy, and you probably deserve to know what’s going on, but I’m
not gonna be the one to tell you about it. You and Heather should work this out on your own.”
“She’s out with someone else, isn’t she?” he asked as he walked over beside Laura.
“She’s my best friend, Todd. You really upset her when you made a scene in front of
everybody like that.”
Todd sat down next to Laura on the stairs of the porch. He had changed his clothes and
washed up. His blue and white jacket glistened brightly in the moonlight. His usual rough
appearance had changed with a clean shave. Laura had never sat so close to him before.
Laura didn’t really know Todd that well. Most of what she knew, she had heard from
Heather, some of it graphically detailed. She probably knew more about him than she wanted, or
than he wanted her to know. She kept a distance between herself and Heather’s boyfriends. Most
didn’t last very long. His presence made her uncomfortable, and her conscience made her angry,
at Heather. This was precisely the reason she stayed out of the relationships Heather carried on.
Laura didn’t like explaining to heartbroken guys why Heather didn’t want them around anymore.
He was a name, more than a person to her, and she didn’t know for sure why he had even come
here. Todd surely didn’t know her well enough to sneak into her
backyard and startle her like
this.
“She thinks sex is the answer to all the world’s problems,” uttered Todd, understandably
agitated. “I hate how she does that. A relationship should be more than just physical satisfaction.
I wish she could just listen to me once in a while. You know what I mean. She’s a wonderful
girl, but we never get to talk. Everywhere we go she wants to do it. There isn’t any substance or
romance.”
“I’m surprised, Todd. I didn’t peg you to be looking for any kind of meaning in your
affairs. I figured your relationship was built on the mutual need for one thing.”
“No, most guys are looking for sex. I admit in the beginning that was my main interest.
She was the first girl I ever did it with, but once we got beyond that, I wanted something more. I
don’t feel any warmth when we have sex, it isn’t making love.”
“I don’t think I want to know this much about your relationship with Heather,” spoke
Laura, disgusted with his openness. It took a second before something inside her snapped. “How
can you tell everybody about Heather’s and your personal life. It’s no wonder she gets upset with
you if you can’t keep it to yourself. Some things should be kept sacred.”
“I don’t tell everyone. In fact, I’ve never told anybody. I have too much respect for her,
but I know she tells you everything, she told me so. I’m not telling you anything you won’t hear
anyway. So I’m no worse than she is.”
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Laura sat quietly for a moment, her face bright red. Heather did tell her everything, but
she didn’t think that the guys suspected. Heather’s relationships were merely stories to Laura,
almost unreal. She didn’t even consider the seriousness of what she heard. She felt ashamed that
Todd knew what Heather had told her, like he caught her doing something she shouldn’t, and it
put her on the spot. His honesty confused her. She had never had such an uncandid conversation
with a guy. The embarrassment of the conversation made her extremely uncomfortable.
“Why are you blushing,” asked Todd. “Heather never blushes when she talks about it.
She’s so open about everything.”
“I’m not Heather, now am I?” Laura lashed out. Heather and she were good friends, but