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"SHARON!!"
Sharon stopped her pacing and immediately ran to meet her best friend as she raced from the terminal. Moment later, Kelly and Sharon were laughing as they embraced, ignoring the looks other people were shooting their way.
"You're finally here!!" Sharon exclaimed.
"Yes, I finally am. Oh Sharon, it's so good to see you again. How are things?" she asked, finally breaking away and picking up the backpack she'd dropped just before the hug.
"Things are fine and well. Did you check anything in?"
"Of course! A week's worth of clothes and gifts from Jan and Ivana all don't fit in one backpack."
"Silly me, what was I thinking?"
"Obviously, you weren't," Kelly teased as they walked over to the luggage claim. "So has anything changed?"
Sharon groaned. "No, and yes, it's because I didn't try."
"When do I meet him?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
"Depending on the traffic, either before or after tonight's football game."
"Good. The sooner, the better. That way, I have more time to work my magic."
"You're determined to go through with this, huh?"
"It's one of the reasons why I'm here. Besides, when we look back on this five years from now, I bet you'll be thanking me for this."
"Right, if I haven't died from utter humiliation after this week."
"Car crashes, plane crashes, and a bunch of other things, maybe. But I don't think it's been clinically proven that humiliation can kill a person."
"Fine, then I'll be the first and I can have you to blame."
"Sharon!" Kelly laughed. "Why are you so against this?"
"I am not. I'm just really scared of the ideas you have going on in that head of yours."
"Oh come on. Like I'd really do anything to embarrass you."
The two girls looked at each other a moment and then burst out laughing.
"Okay, maybe I would," Kelly conceded. "But you know that it's all in fun."
"Oh, I know that. I think the only reason why I put up with it is because it is you and I trust you."
"Well I should hope so considering we've been friends for close to eight years now."
"And there's not a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for having you around."
"Why Sharon, you're getting all sentimental on me."
"Well Kelly, you're the one who ended up in the hospital because of me."
"Stop it right there Sharon. This is the last time we are ever going to talk about this, okay, and I'm only doing this now because we didn't get to see each other face to face." She stopped in her tracks and forcibly turned Sharon so they could look each other in the eye. "Everything that happened before you moved to here happened for a reason. If anything else, all the craziness that Patrick caused showed you the people who really, truly care for you and you know exactly who they are. Yes, people were hurt, mostly emotionally, myself physically, but I've healed. We all have, and more importantly, we survived, all of us, including you. Therefore, I refuse to give in to any pity or guilty feelings or whatever. I don't regret anything and neither should you."
Sharon shrugged, breaking eye contact. "Give me five years for that one. It's not everyday that we all go through that kind of trauma, you know."
Kelly sighed as she turned back to the luggage carousel. "As true as that is, I hope it doesn't take you five years. We're young and relatively unjaded, I should hope. Just don't dwell too much, okay?" she asked as she pulled her suitcase off the conveyor belt and onto the floor. With a snap, she tugged the handle up and linked her other arm with Sharon. Silently, Sharon nodded and started directing them out towards the parking garage to get to the car.
Damon greeted the crowd with a smile and a wave of his helmet as always as his name was called and he stepped foot onto the football field. A quick scan later, he'd acknowledged where his family sat with Riley's parents, a few other close family friends…
He did his best to keep himself from sighing. 'Stop it D. She told you herself that she might be late to the game if traffic was bad. She'll be here.'
Damon joined his teammates in a huddle and shook all other thoughts from his mind. "All right guys," he heard himself saying. "The only thing that matters now is the game. Play hard, do your best. We only have a couple games left together as a team," he eyed Riley and Vin and the other graduating seniors on the team. "Let's make it count!" He stuck a hand into the circle and his teammates followed suit. "Dragons!" he yelled.
"Dragons!!" his team roared back and broke up for the start of the game.
"Oh my gosh. Could traffic have gone any slower?" Sharon let out sarcastically as she finally parked her car in the crowded parking lot and got out.
Kelly laughed as she quickly joined her best friend's side. "Yes, so be happy. We're here and now both of us can see your man."
"He's not my man," she defended.
"Right, and I'm not a well-known actress or writer or something."
"You're not."
"Not yet anyway," she winked.
Sharon answered with a roll of her eyes. "Come on," she said instead, leading them behind the school. "The field's this way."
"So who is the team playing against tonight?"
"I think a team from a high school about thirty minutes away. I don't think I've seen them play yet."
"What? I thought you'd gone to every single game here."
"Not the very first one. I was helping with the house still back then."
"All right. How'd they do then?"
Sharon paused for a brief second. "That's the only game they haven't won this season, now that I think about it."
"They lost?"
"Tied, and the game was a draw because of too many overtimes."
"So you're the lucky charm, huh?"
"Kelly! I go because everyone I know goes to the football games. There's nothing else to do Friday nights."
"Only because you know the team and the cheer squad," she teased. "Now come on. Let's go in and you can teach me a thing or two about the game."
"What, and not wait until I introduce you to the guys and have them try to explain it to you?"
Kelly snapped her fingers. "Ooh, good one Sharon! I hadn't thought of that idea."
"Me and my big mouth," Sharon groaned as they rounded the corner and Kelly caught her first glimpse of the game. "Welcome to Dragon territory," she announced dramatically. Even as Kelly hesitated a little bit to take in the sight, Sharon tugged on her arm and dragged her closer. "Come on," she urged as they approached the stands. Sharon paused at the ticket booth and began to take out her wallet.
"You sure you want to show your visitor this game, Sharon? We're not doing so hot tonight."
"Are you serious? But we've been doing so well all semester, Mr. West."
"I know, but the evidence is right there," her government teacher bemoaned as he pointed towards the scoreboard. "It just seems like Damon's just not all together here today."
Sharon couldn't hide the surprised expression from her face. "Is that why you're back here and not on the sidelines?"
"Yeah. I'll go back in a bit, but I just needed a break from this mess. Anyway, why don't you two just go on in," he suggested, waving away Sharon's money. "Maybe your presences will be the luck we need to turn this game around."
Sharon waved bye and thanks to Mr. West and led Kelly in closer to the stands. Before they got too far though, Sharon felt a sharp poke in her side. "What?"
"I told you you're lucky," Kelly teased.
"He said 'us'," she tossed back as she looked up and scanned the crowd for seats.
"Oh no," Kelly groaned.
"What now?" Sharon asked, still looking in the stands.
"Your team's down fourteen points. That person you were talking to wasn't lying."
"Great," Sharon muttered, refusing to look just yet. A second later, she spotted a couple of empty spaces on a bench a few rows up towards the top of the bleachers. She tugged again on Kelly's arm to lead her up to the seats, waving hi to a few people she recognized on the way before sitting down. Only then did she look up at the scoreboard and visibly winced.
"We weren't lying," Kelly repeated, catching Sharon's expression.
"No kidding," she muttered. "Let's just hope a miracle happens in the last quarter or we're beat," she said as the whistle blew, announcing the end of the third quarter. "I wonder what's going on…"
Damon sighed as the rest of his team trudged back to the bench, not meeting anyone's eyes. As downhearted as his team was, he felt even more so. This team had looked to him for guidance and he had disappointed them all. His plays had been thwarted, his throws had been off – and his heart just wasn't in the game tonight. No one had to say it out loud directly to him, but he knew everyone blamed him.
'Down by fourteen points… We haven't given up this many points in a game since before I was on this team. We only have a couple more games this season, and every single one counts. Shouldn't that be inspiration enough?"
Damon looked to the stands where his family sat. His parents waved and gave encouraging smiles. Ros and Caleb were both yelling something to him, no doubt trying to lift his spirits as well. He gave a weak wave and then let his eyes wander through the rest of the crowd, taking in the sight in front of him.
A flash of green drew his attention and he turned his head to the left. Ana was rushing over the pick up the pom-pom she had thrown his way. She was looking hard, straight at him and he found himself getting up to come closer.
"What, are you crazy? You're supposed to be cheering!"
She ignored him completely and hissed back at him angrily. "She's here, Damon, so you better get your act together now that your inspiration is here." Her message delivered, she hurried back over to her squad to cheer alongside them, smoothly getting back into the groove of things.
Damon did not have to think twice about whom Ana had spoken of. He scanned the crowds again, more carefully this time, looking for the face Ana had referred to.
The whistle blew, signaling the imminent start of the fourth quarter. His eyes stayed on the crowd though, trying to find his goal…
And then he locked gazes with Sharon.
In that fraction of a second, everything changed for him. His heart rose even as she smiled and gave him a thumbs up for encouragement. He felt his spirits soar, just knowing she was there giving her support, and the fire that hadn't been there all during the game finally burst into flame. One glance was all it took – even as he bent down to the huddle with his teammates, he felt like everything was suddenly clear.
Riley glanced over at his friend and saw that something was different. He barely listened as Damon gave a quick word of encouragement and called the first play. All he knew was that there was a spark in Damon's eyes and passion back in his voice – Damon was back and confident.
"Let's show them what Dragons are made of," Damon urged as the huddle broke, his teammates fully aware of Damon's transformation and feeding off of the energy.
Riley nodded to himself as he crouched down in position. "This game is about to change…"