In what feels like a blur in time, we’re at the house. There’s a huge sign welcoming us, balloon arches, and a Welcome Home banner over the door. Once inside, we’re given sorority tees to put on, accessorized with boas and sunglasses, and gold glitter is brushed onto our faces. It sort of reminds me of—although on a much larger scale here—how we used to dress up the new cheer squad members after tryouts to let everyone at school know they’d made the team.
We hug more people, get introduced to all the girls in our pledge class, and make our way back outside for photos and fun. And it’s really cool to look down the street and see the happy celebrations going on at each house.
Later, we’re taken on a bus to a pretty house on a lake for swimming, food, fun, and lots of bonding.
And as the night winds down, I realize another reason why I feel so comfortable here. The lake reminds me of home.
Friday, August 30th
Together forever.
Chase
“I know your mother was all misty about you having your last first day of high school, and I teased her about it, but I will admit, knowing tonight is the start of your last year of high school football has me feeling the same way,” my dad says, sitting down next to me at the kitchen table, where I’m eating my pregame meal after school.
Tonight, Mom made one of my favorites—a steaming cup of bone broth to start, followed by chicken pesto pasta, loaded down with sautéed veggies.
“It’s crazy to think that in January, less than five months from now, you could be starting your college career.”
I nod at him. With my AP classes and dual enrollment, I have enough credits to graduate in December, will start college academically as a sophomore, and will be able to graduate with my degree in two and a half years. I’d have four full years of football eligibility, but if warranted, I could enter the professional draft at the end of my third football season as a college graduate.
“I know you haven’t decided for sure, but have you told Damon you’re considering it yet?” Dad asks me.
It’s hard for me not to sigh. Damon gets good grades and is smart, but he doesn’t want to deal with the extra work. And there have been numerous times over the past few years when I wished I had chosen to just coast a little academically. Those times mostly occurred when I was studying instead of hanging out with him and our friends.
“I haven’t,” I reply, feeling bad for lying to my best friend. Well, not a lie really, more of an omission of the truth. “He’s already been talking about prom, the graduation parties. I’m sure it’s just because it’s the start of our senior year. Everyone is counting down the days until we’re out of there.”
“It’s smart that you have applied for spring admission to the schools you’re most interested in playing football at. There are so many advantages—”
“I know, Dad.” I repeat the spiel, “I’ll get a jump on getting accustomed to college life and, most importantly, get to be part of the team practices and strength training for a full semester before fall camp begins. Participating in the spring and playing in the spring game will hopefully allow me to prove myself and be ahead of the curve when the other players come in for fall camp.”
“Right,” Dad says with a grin. “Which is good since your goal is to be the starter your first season.” He cocks his head and studies my face. “Unless that’s not what you want. You’re a great player, Chase. This isn’t something you have to do.”
“It’s what I want to do,” I say firmly. “It’s what’s best for me. My career. And although I want to go to college with Damon, do you think that is what’s best for us? We’ve both been heavily recruited, oftentimes from different schools, but pretty early on, we let them know we were a package deal, and if one of us wasn’t a fit, neither of us was an option. It’s not the way it’s typically done, and many times throughout the process, we’ve been told it’s a foolish decision. That we should choose the school where we’d make the most impact, especially if we want to play pro.”
“Is the pressure getting to you?”
“Maybe a little,” I admit. “Actually, no. It’s really not. It’s more that I want to make the right decision. You know that we both wanted to unofficially commit to Nebraska last year, but everyone convinced us to wait. To take our official visits this fall and consider our options carefully before signing.”
“I heard Damon wants you to go on all five of the official recruiting visits you are eligible for. That will be a lot.”
“Yeah, we’ll be playing Friday night and then spending the rest of the weekend traveling and visiting different campuses.”
“Is Lacey worried it will cut into your social life too much?” Dad asks with a touch of concern.
I roll my eyes. “Let’s keep her out of this conversation for now. I know that players can pay for their own flights, so we’ll be able to use the plane, right? That would make it easier at least.”
“Of course. You can go straight from your game to the airport. Just let us know if you want us to accompany you on any of them, so we can make plans.”
“Okay.” I set down my fork and get to the heart of the matter. The question that has been gnawing at my brain since the second Dani left for school. What I really want to ask is if it would be stupid of me to go to the college the girl I love is at, hoping that, eventually, we’d work it out even though their team isn’t even close to being in the top ten. But what I say is, “Would it be stupid to choose to play for the college I’ve wanted to go to my whole life when they haven’t been winning?”
Dad smiles as my mom walks into the room. She’s already all decked out in our school gear.
“I heard that,” she says. “Can I answer?”
“Of course,” Dad and I reply at the same time.
“I think you should follow your heart. Your heart is the reason you are such a good player. It always has been. Go on your visits. Soak up the atmosphere at each stadium. Imagine what it would be like to live in each town.”
“Well, that, plus, you’ll need to consider the team’s record and who your position coach would be,” Dad says. “Determine who would be ahead of you in the lineup, how you’d fit into the team’s current offense.”
My mom rolls her eyes at him. “Chase knows all that,” she says. “I say, let your mind fill with all the pros and cons, but in the end, it’s not about that. It’s ultimately which place feels like it fits your vision for the future. In other words, your dream.”
When she says the word dream, my thoughts immediately go to Dani.
I shove a last bite in my mouth and politely excuse myself before heading up to my room.
I sit at my desk and flip through a calendar hanging on the wall. One date has been circled in red since I hung the Christmas gift up. December 18th. National Letter of Intent day. Nothing is considered official until I’ve signed on the dotted line that will legally bind me to one year at that university. It’s supposed to be the beginning of my future.
My phone buzzes with a text from Lacey, letting me know she’s almost here.