Leanne Davis [Davis - Wyatt

W YATT

WYATT! WYATT! WYATT!

The crowd, the entire stadium it seems, chants my name. I hold the ball in my hands, along with the game, the annual championship, and what feels like the whole season. The stadium crowd roars and stomps their feet like a massive wave of energy and noise enveloping me. I glance up at the lights and scoreboard. All I have to do is make the next play. Its simple. I practiced it. I can do this. The ball comes at me from the center, I catch and throw it after spotting my target downfield. Its a long shot and the ball spirals and turns as it arcs, falling directly into the receivers hands. All the while, hes running before crashing down into the end zone. Roars of applause and happy cheers fill my ears. Cheerleaders jump and spin and wave. The team rushes me. They lift me onto their shoulders. For that one shining, glorious moment, we are nothing less than gods.

Ive never felt like that before.

Its intoxicating. After our victory, I become a known factor. All because of a freak injury that the usual quarterback sustained. Thats what allowed me to fill in during this game. My one chance in which I establish myself as a legend so epic, I wonder with some apprehension if I can ever manage to live up to the myth. No. I doubt it. I cant let this new, crazy, yet intoxicating popularity mess with my head.

Im still Wyatt Kincaid. I was fortunate to play really well in a football game and also get noticed at the exact right moment.

My girlfriend, my parents, my grandparents, my girlfriends dad, as well as the citizens of my hometown came out in droves for this critical game and rooted for me from the stands. I didnt miss all the signs and balloons, since they made a huge deal out of it.

After being released from the team and rushing into the growing crowd of admirers following the game, my family and friends hug, kiss, and congratulate me. Their pride is obvious, and they all seem ready to burst. When they eventually leave, thats when the teams real celebrating at an off-campus location begins.

Its my night, and Im a god. Golden. I know its not real. The girls who flirt and touch me so freely wouldnt have given me a second glance yesterday. The guys who are suddenly my best friends werent so interested in anything I had to say last week. My girlfriend, Dani, isnt even here. Shes back home, and I know the solid, shy, salt-of-the-earth Dani would roll her eyes at seeing so much predictable attention and shallowness.

With a smile, I greedily indulge myself in it.

Why? Because hell, this isnt my usual routine. Being respected. Cheered. Revered.

Its the best night of my whole damn life. And Im only a sophomore. Imagine next year. Ill be starting quarterback for sure since Corey will be graduating. Ill be it. The it man on campus. This is the best night ever.

Until its not.

I never tell anyone about it. I never tell single soul what happened to me that night. The only people who know what happened that night are the guys who did it and me. However, I vow to forget it. I bury it deep inside my psyche and never let my heart or soul retrieve a trace of it. I can do that. I can return to my former life and recount all my successes in both academics and athletics. I still have my family and Dani and all the Silver Springs citizens who cheer for me. Most people from the campus of the University of Northern Oregon also wish me well. Some even wish they were me. So what if a few try to spoil it? Or ruin it? Or ruin me? I wont let them. Never. No. Ill never give them that.

I try to ignore the truth, but Im forever changed after that night.

W YATT

That doesnt excuse this! Stop!

Danis screams cant penetrate the fog of rage that is clouding my vision and blocking my hearing. I swear, she seems very far away. Her touch what is she doing now? Swatting at me? I dont care. I can only concentrate on the epic asshole in front of me who is trying to reincarnate himself into me. He wants my dad and my mom to be his parents. As for me? Apparently, Im no longer a factor in this equation.

Wesley. That fucker ruined my summer. All I could think about was going home where everything was the same. I wanted to forget the bad stuff that happened after the football game last winter. Instead, I had to spend my summer watching this blatant asshole sucking up to my parents and cozying up to my girlfriend. All the while, he kept trying to annoy me and get under my skin. Wesley showed up out of nowhere. He was a homeless runaway who robbed an old lady in town before hiding out in our barn. Dani Dawson, my girlfriend, discovered him and somehow, he conned everyone into inviting him to stay with us for the rest of the summer to work off the money he stole.

At this point, Ive had enough. After he inched in on my dad and me while we were fixing Dads boat, a task I always helped him with, Wesley mumbled an asshole remark under his breath at me and now Im done. Im so done. All my life, Ive been the nice guy. The first one that adults trust and expect to keep a level head. Im a leader. From quarterback to straight-A student, I can always remain calm, cool, and collected. I was a super teen who became a young adult and still managed to defy all the stereotypes. Every last one of them. Maybe I did it on purpose. Or hell, maybe Im just a smart, talented, accomplished guy who naturally accepted my place in society, knowing where I belonged and deserved to be.

I never hurt anyone. I never robbed old ladies like Wesley did. I never spat on someone or beat them up for no reason. The rush of emotions that flood my brain are overwhelming, and Wesleys image seems to morph into five figures. The same five that hit me, beat on meno! I step back and grab my head. No. This isnt that. This is now. Its just Wesley. This fucker deserves what Im about to do to him.

Damn. Im usually the biggest guy whenever I deal with adversaries. That includes my height, shoulder width and muscles. I lift weights. A history of training and coaching have sculpted my anatomy into a bulk most juniors in college cant achieve. But damn, if my parents didnt offer to shelter the only other bulked-up jerk after they heard about his former lifestyle and the rest of his shit.

Noooo Dani is screaming now and tugging on my arm. She doesnt faze me. I barely hear her.

I feel something too, but it doesnt register in the honest-to-God red haze I see. I go after Wesley, our arms swinging at each other and raise my fist, preparing to smash it into his gut until I hear a cry.

Not a masculine oof! of unexpected pain, but a feminine, soft cry.

Dani!

Oh, fuck! Fuck. Fuck! I just pushed down my girlfriend. I shove Wesley away and, with a knot in my throat, make myself look down at her. Shes still sprawled on her butt where she fell with her hands behind her.

I drop down beside her, Wesley and all of my rage instantly forgotten. I touch her gently. Lifting her upper arms with my hands, I am careful to keep my contact very soft and barely-there. I hug her to my chest. Shes small at five-foot-two and a hundred and ten pounds, narrow-shouldered and small-framed. I forcibly shoved her to the ground. Well, maybe not shoved, but I moved my arm recklessly, causing her to lose her balance and fall. What if she thinks I did that on purpose? Or realizes it was just careless? Oh, God! What if I actually assaulted my girlfriend? I love her. I would never, ever dream of strong-arming her, let alone hurting her.

Oh, God, Dani! Im sorry. Im so sorry. I didnt mean to. Are you hurt? Shit. Shit. Shit!

I bring her closer to me and hold her. She stares up at me with round eyes and a serious face. Oh, God! What will she say? She could say a lot. I hang my head. Shell never forgive me. She shouldnt. I should be arrested. Here I was, blaming my dad for harboring Wesley after he robbed an old lady. At least he didnt touch Dani or hurt her, and his bad behavior didnt include pushing her to the ground.