| It is Friday night, and a crowd is gathering at the high school football stadium to watch the Groverton Colts take on the Valley Center Cajuns. K.C. and John lead a group to the home team stadium bleachers that includes; Peter, Claire, Michael, Danny, Josh and his wife, Matt, Debbie, Carl, and joining them Brian. �Jesus, it�s like a time warp, Mickey,� Brian says. �Here�s your program.� Michael hands Brian a program as he sits next to him. �We�ll go over the names of the high school players we�ll likely play against in our game.� �The high school kids play the Saturday of their by-week during the actual football season?� �Well, yeah.� �Doesn�t the coach or the school get concern that somebody could get hurt?� �We�ll be playing flag football, Brian, not tackle and look here...� Chris Hobbs, number 68, is warming up. He looks big and mean enough to be playing in the pros. �That boy, there is Chris Hobbs. He�s a brute of a defensive tackle and plays both sides of the ball. Rumor has it that college scouts have been looking him over. He�s going to be our biggest treat.� Brian looks out onto the field and watches Chris for a moment before looking down at his program and stopping dead in his tracks. The program reads �Alumni Night At Groverton High, dance following this evening�s game.� �Oh, shit! Mickey! Why didn�t you fucking tell me it was Alumni night?� �You wouldn�t have come. Am I right?� Justin pops in between Michael and Brian. �Hey, Mickey.� He smiles. Michael frowns. �Hi, Brian... Say are you going to go to the dance after the game? You should come.� �Justin, I...� Justin brushes up against Brian and kisses him on the cheek before beginning to dash away. �I�m claiming a dance, Brian Kinney, so you had better show up!� Michael gives Brian the evil eye. �What, Mickey?� �What was that all about?� Claire approaches them. �You�d better put a leash on that boy, Michael. I think he�s has his eye on my little brother.� �You�re not helping,� Brian sips. The entire group makes its way into the bleachers to find a place sit. Many people greet Brian and shake his hand. �Good evening, Groverton, and welcome to Alumni Night at Groverton High,� announce a voice over an the crowd. �At this time, we would like all the former Groverton football players attending tonight�s game to come out onto center of the football field.� Brian sits down as K.C., Michael, Blake, Matt, Danny, and Josh head to the isle. �Hey, come on, Brian,� remarks Josh. �That�s us.� Serval men make their way out of the stadium and head to the center of the football field. Stephen, who had been sitting with his wife, Emily, and her family, also makes his way towards the isle. �You guys can go,� Brian replies. �Come on, Brian, you�re the greatest football player this school ever had,� explains Michael. �And you�re going to get over yourself and march down to the football field, and make a idiot out of yourself along with the rest of us!� �Brian,� adds Claire, �all they want is to bask in old glory days. Just let them. �Brian, Brian! Brian, Brian! Brian, Brian!� chants K.C., and soon it is picked by the other alumni football players, then the hometown crowd, then the Hillcrest cheerleaders, and current football players. �Wow,� exclaim Peter, �Uncle Brian, they all love you.� Claire leans in to whisper to Brian. �Time to stop hiding, don�t you think?� Brian stares at Claire for a moment. Then he slowly stands up, and the crowed cheers. �They won�t hurt you, brother. I promise.� Three men, ECU football Coach Jim Stockwell and his two assistants, are sitting in the top row of the visitor�s bleachers. One of the assistant has a video camera. All three men can hear the �Brian,� chanting from the other side the field. �It can�t be!� Jim says in shock. �After all these years. Boys, I do believe the prodigal son has returned. A crowd of about forty men are now gathered around the fifty yard line. All of the men who will later play in the flag football game are in the crowd. Brian is handed a football, and he is caressing the laces with his finger tips. �And number 10,� tells the announcer, � when he played for the Groverton Colts, still holder of the Groverton receiving yards, and rushing yards in a single season record, named all conference, all state, holder of East Central University�s still unbroken record for 1,683 reception yards in a single season. Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and the only man I know that owns a Super Bowl ring! Our own Brian Kinney!� Brian, feeling foolish, waves to the crowd who wildly hoot and holler for him. �Remind me to get even with you later,� he says to Michael and takes off his jacket and hands it to him before trying to quickly to warm up his throwing arm. A receiver takes off running for the end zone, while his coach wonders what the hell is going on. Just as the receiver reaches the five yard line, Brian lets loose with a quick tight spiral that lands right into the receiver�s arms with enough velocity to send him sailing into the end zone on his back side. The crowed goes wild. Brian breathes a sigh of relief as the alumni begin to head off the field. �How�s that for a game opener folks!� says the announcer. �If you want to see more of Brian Kinney, sources tell me he�s playing in the Rotary�s Annual Flag Football game for charity a week from tomorrow right here at one P.M. Tickets are a $5.00 donation and can be purchased at the game.� Stephen and K.C. catch up with Brian. �Man, that was beautiful!� �I guess you dogged a bullet with that one,� says K.C. �You have no idea! I seriously need a drink.� Justin is sitting with his best friend Daphne and several other young people. �But, Justin, he�s like old. He�s almost the same age as your dad� �But, just look at him. I mean, does he look anything like my dad?� Brian looks ready for a photo shoot for the cover of GQ. He does not blend in at all with the men who surround him. Justin sighs, �I want.� *halftime* Brian gets in line with Peter to purchase food and drinks at the concession stand. Several people pat Brian on the back or say hello to him. Mrs. Hobbs, an intelligent, short woman, approaches Brian and Peter. She like Brian does not blend with the crowd around her. �Excuse me, Mr. Kinney, Mr. Kinney, I�m Tara Hobbs, Chris Hobb�s mother.� Brian looks at her blankly. �I�m the mother of the big hulking number sixty eight.� �Sixty eight? You said that�s your son? I never have guessed that. He�s got some talent. That�s for sure.� �Well, good. I wanted to talk to you about that. You see he�s got all these colleges coming around, and I don�t understand...� �Hold out for a free ride. He�s big enough and quick enough and has a good sense of the ball. There�ll be a college that will fork over the cost of tuition, dorm, and books.� �Hello, Mrs. Hobbs,� says Peter. �Hello Peter. That�s just it, Mr. Kinney, Chris already has some offers. But I specifically wanted to ask you about ECU�s program.� �Just a second... what was your name?� �Tara, it�s Tara Hobbs. I know you played at ECU, and I have some serious questions about their football program if you could find the time to meet with me.� Out of nowhere, from behind Brian comes a voice that he never wanted to hear again, Coach Jim Stockwell. Both of his assistants are with him. �Well, well, Brian Kinney. It is you. What�s it been thirteen, fifteen years!� Brian turns around. When he Stockwell, he protectively puts Peter behind him. The coach assistant with the camera turns it on to film their meeting. �What, in hell, are you doing in Groverton?� Brian demands. �I could ask you the same question,� Jim snickers. �This is my hometown, remember?� �Yes, I seem to recall this where we found you.� �Mrs. Hobbs,� says the assistant without the camera. �isn�t it?� She nods. �Chris Hobb's mother, Coach Stockwell.� �Well, good evening there, Mrs. Hobbs. Seems like very small world tonight. We were here scouting out talent and wanted to invite you and your family to tomorrows home game at ECU.� Jim snaps his fingers. �Tickets, tickets.� The assistant hands four tickets to Tara. Brian says disgusted, �Don�t tell me they�re still letting you coach.� �Damn, right they are. You should come tomorrow too, as my guest and see the new stadium they built me. They even have your name posted in the ring of honor, Brian. You could come and be my guest on the sideline.� �You�ve got to be kidding me.� �We could even introduce you to the crowd at halftime. Give you some limelight.� �Uncle Brian!� �Not now, sonny boy,� he says to Peter who looks at the student helper. Brian pulls out his wallet. �Here�s for the food.� He looks down at Peter. �You should probably head up to the stands to sit with your mother. �I didn�t realize you still had family here,� Jim remarks. Brian turns his full attention toward Coach Stockwell. �You stay away from me, Stockwell, and you stay away from my family. That was the deal, wasn�t it? I stay away from you, or you�d have my legs broken or worse.� Tara steps in closer to Brian. �You ran out on us. I was angry. My whole up coming season�s strategy rested on you. But all has been forgiven, Brian. You�re a legend at ECU now. A legend I helped create.� �Helped? You, pig-eyed sack of shit!� �What! You still don�t have a grasp of the big picture do you, you, selfish moron.� �What�s going on here?� questions Tara. �I was never a moron, egotistical bastard! You don�t have the power to forgive me.� Brian turns his back on Jim and starts to walk off to the stands to find Peter. Jim grabs Brian by the shoulder and tries to turn him around. Brian goes on the defensive and shoves the Jim hard, right into two assistants, knocking the camera to the ground. The crowd gets even larger. Michael comes running to help Brian as does K.C. and Josh. �What�s the matter with you, boy?!� yells Jim. �I�m not your boy any longer, Coach Stockwell, am I? You better understand that, and stay the hell away from me!� �You heard him,� says Michael. �You�ll regret this!� Jim hisses. �I already regret knowing you.� �Yeah, I remember now. The boy who had trouble understanding which side the bread was buttered on.� Brian flies into Stockwell in spite of his teammates trying to hold him back. �Understand this- What do you think will happen to your precious football program if you�re setting behind bars? Get the hell out of my town, before I start giving interviews!� People in the crowd begin to talk among themselves. �Come on, coach, we�re drawing a crowd here,� begs his assistants. Jim looks at the wall of people that are lining up on Brian�s side. �Right, we�re out of here,� Jim says as he storms off and with the assistant. The other assistant with the camera, however does not move. �Go away, shoo!� cries Michael at the assistant who was still on the ground. The assistant slowly gets up and departs. Peter grabs Brian. �Uncle Brian, what�s going on?� �That�s just a bad man that I use to know, and well, he�s gone now.� K.C. and Josh look at one another. �A bad man? Coach Stockwell?� question Josh. �Something tells me there�s a shit pile of trouble there,� remarks K.C. Brian begins to lead Peter away but stops to look back at Tara Hobbs. �Mrs. Hobbs... if you really want my advice...� �Yes, Mr. Kinney, I do.� �Don�t let that man get his claws into your son.� �But what does that mean? And what do you mean by behind bars? What kind of interviews?� Brian says nothing and just walks away with Peter. �Mickey, do you know what he�s talking about?� �I�m afraid I have no idea. I always figured, Brian, had it all. You know money, fame, success...� �K.C., Josh?� asks Tara. K.C. and Josh look at each other and shrug their shoulders as Stephen steps forward. �I know enough to tell you all to it alone.� �Claire told you something?� questions Tara. �Did Claire tell you something?� K.C. presses. Stephen walks away from the group without saying another word. �Well, I�m going to find out,� Tara states. |
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