| Easy Love Chapter: 6 Unlikely Savior One Week Later� McPhee Household� Andie came down the steps of their home, dressed and ready for their team�s first soccer game. �Jack are you ready?� She called out heading for the kitchen and pouring herself a tall glass of orange juice. She was only met with a muffled groan from the living room. She stopped in mid gulp. She knew that kind of moan. She knew that moan very well. �No� no! Jack no!� She repeated to herself as she walked out and found him laid out on the couch. Piles and piles of tissues surrounded him as he lye motionless before her. �Jack you cannot do this to me! You just can�t!� She berated him. �I�m� fine. Just give me� ten� minutes and I should be up and ready to go.� He mumbled almost incoherently. �Ten minutes? You look like you�re on your deathbed! Jack the team�s first game is today. They need you to be there!� �I don�t think our Jack here is going anywhere.� Her father stated coming in and placing a bowl of soup in front of his son. �I just called the doctor. It seems the flu is going around and I think our boy here caught it. He�s got a fever just bordering on 102 degrees.� �But he has to be at this game! It�s the very first!� �You�ll be there Andie.� Her father replied. �You don�t understand. This is more Jack�s team then it is mine. They believe in him. He inspires them. He gives these amazing pep talks and I� I can�t do that.� She rambled practically bordering on hysterical. �Andie� calm down.� �Calm down? You want me to calm down when I am about thirty minutes away from letting down a bunch of eight year olds? How do you expect me to just calm down? Do you know what something like this can do to a kid? They could be scarred for life and all they will ever remember is that idiot blond assistant coach who couldn�t give them a reasonable pep talk!� �Andie� just listen to me� just speak from your heart. That�s all you have to do� be honest with them. It will be enough. Don�t make it more complicated then it already is. Just be straightforward and simple and let them know that you�ll be there at the end regardless of whether or not they win.� Jack remarked. She nodded. �Okay� Okay. You just� well you just get better and I will� I�ll do something.� She muttered mainly to herself as she left the house. Her mind was clouded with what she would say. She figured something would come to her by the time she got to the field but as she approached the verdant acreage she was still empty. She felt her hands become clammy and her brow become damp with a light film of sweat. They waved at her as they came and circled around her. She stared down at the wide innocent eyes. �Hey� where�s Jack?� One of them asked. She put on a brave smile. �Well� he�s actually at home suffering from the flu and won�t� be here.� She let her sentence trail off as she saw their faces fall. �But hey� that�s okay because you guys are still going to go out there and play a great game!� She stated trying to be enthusiastic and ease their discomfort and doubts. �So okay� why don�t you guys go out and practice a bit before the game?� She suggested weakly. She watched them trudge back onto the field half-hearted. She shook her head and sighed. What the heck was she going to do now? As they came in a few moments later and stood around her waiting for some kind of Earth shattering, mind blowing pep talk she stood there with a blank mind. �Okay� you guys� you just go out there and win this game!� She said trying to sound energized but then realized that they may not win. �Of course if you don�t win� that�s alright too. I mean playing this game isn�t all about winning. But if you win you can move on to the next game maybe leading to the playoffs. Which could lead to playing high school and even college soccer. And who knows where that could lead, possible professional opportunities. Although I�m sure you guys might want to do more with your lives then play soccer. Not that playing professional soccer isn�t a great future. But the chances of you succeeding are slim to nil and who wants that kind of disappointment� but then again�� She stopped realizing that she was creating more anxiety then calmness. She took in a deep breath and looked around at the kids. �Have a great game.� She offered softly. They only stared at her as though she was crazy and trudged out onto the field when they heard the whistle blow. Midway through the game� Her team looked as if they were ready to call it quits. They were so tense and scared of failing that none of them seemed to want to take a chance on actually making a goal. She sighed. Pulling her beanie hat off of her head she began to wring it between her hands nervously. �What did that hat ever do to you?� She turned and stared at the boy walking up to the goalie post. She sighed as she watched him come to stand right in front of her. �What are you doing here?� She asked skeptically. �Jack and I are suppose to meet up and study after the game. I thought I would come and check out this great team that he�s always bragging about.� He turned and watched one of her team players once again shy away from attempting to make a goal. He furrowed his brow. �Well they certainly are� well, cautious.� He remarked. She shook her head. �They�re scared and nervous� thanks to me.� He looked over at her with questionable eyes. �Jack usually gives these great inspiring talks before they go out and practice. They�re really stimulating and gets them motivated but he�s sick with the flu and so that left me. And we both know how I am when it comes to giving inspiring speeches. I�m not exactly Walt Whitman.� She muttered. He sighed looking over at her with a small smile. �I�m sure it couldn�t have been that bad.� He stated trying to be helpful. |
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