Author: Alex Nelson Title: Broken Facades Chapter: Chapter 25 Teetering on the Edge
Justin
I slowly walked into the locker to the sound of my teammates talking, cheering, hoping and hollering to themselves, doing everything they could to pump themselves up for the game. The game, a time when I must perform, when I must be the best there is, the best there ever was. I closed my eyes while I start to dress. All of the voices and other noises went from loud and clear, to muffled, to silence. I tried to tune out everything, everything in my mind from Brad, Alex, Alisa, our parents, Kate, the bull shit with Tony, everything. The only thing that counted was that I play the best damn football game I ever played in my life.
Suddenly behind me, as I get the last of my equipment on, I heard Joe and Mark. "Hey Just! What's up Bro?" I imagined that Tony must be with them.
"Ready for the big homecoming game?" Mark asked as he put his hand on my shoulder. I just pulled away from him, refusing to turn around and face them.
"Hey is that anyway to treat your friends?" Tony said with an audacious tone in is voice as both Mark and Joe started to snicker.
"Remember what I said earlier Justin, get me the ball or your I spill everything to your new friends," Tony said smiling as I pulled my jersey over my head. Fighting back tears, I grabbed my helmet from inside my locker and slowly turned around.
"Holy Shit!" Mark and Joe said simultaneously after seeing my black eye. I could see Tony's mouth change from his smug smile to a stunned open mouth. If I was not upset I would have smiled, however I only said 3 words.
"They found out." I said slowly and walked away not looking back.
"Fuck!" Tony said out loud and hit a locker with his fist.
"What are we going to do now?" Mark asked, looking at both Tony and Joe.
Tony?" Joe asked no longer smiling.
"I don't know!" Tony yelled as he tried to come up with a new plan.
Sarah
"Alisa sweetheart, now what time did you say you were going to the dance?" I asked as I walked into her room after looking at my watch. "The game is going to start soon, honey." I noticed her curled up into a ball on her bed. As I got closer I could hear her crying.
"Oh Mom," she said. She sat up as I sat on her bed and she pulled me into a hug, not letting me go while tears poured from her eyes.
"Baby, what's the matter?" I asked her as I hugged her back.
"Everything..." she said with her head in my arm and still in tears, "I've ruined everything."
"Sweetheart what's wrong? What did you ruin?" I asked as I lifted her head by her chin with one finger.
"Everything, me and Brad, Brad and Justin, Alex and Justin, Alex and me. I messed up everything. And now Brad and Alex will never talk to me again and I can only think Justin won't either. I ruined everything " She said as she fell into my arms again and started to cry even harder..
"Honey, I don't understand, you keep saying that you ruined everything. Just explain what you ruined and why you're so upset what happened," I said, now holding her again.
"I made a big mistake."
"Sweetheart everyone makes mistakes, Just tell me what you did? What mistake would be so big that it could make Bradley be so angry with you that he wouldn't want to talk to you ever again? "
"I found out about something and I didn't tell Brad. Brad found out and told Alex. I told them that I knew and now they're both very angry with me. They're never going to speak to me again. Brad will never forgive me."
"It's ok....shhhh I'm sure Bradley will forgive you, he loves you. I've always known that he loved you, even when you both were little. I could see it in his eyes. Baby he'll forgive, and you know with Alex it will just take a little time."
"Not for this, I hurt them too bad. They'll never forgive me."
"Don't be ridiculous, what could you have done that Brad and Alex would never forgive you for?"
"I found out a few day ago who started the rumor and never told them."
"Oh Alisa...sweetheart, how could you have kept that from the boys?"
"Because it was Justin who started the rumor, and he begged me not to say anything."
"Oh My."
"Now do you see why I couldn't have said anything? I knew it would get this bad."
"Maybe you all just need time to deal with what has happened, you know ... time to cool off. I mean, what did Alex and Brad say to you after you told them?"
"Well Alex grabbed me and he had this look in his eyes...he didn't say anything. Then after he let me go he started for the door. You didn't have to tell me where he was going."
"Oh my goodness. You did try and stop him, didn't you?"
"Of course I tried. I didn't know what he would do. I tried to talk to him but he only moved me out of the way and left, then Brad said he didn't want to see me anymore."
"Alisa, I'm so sorry but that doesn't sound like Bradley, I don't think he meant it, he loves you way too much. I could see it when I caught you two yesterday and I could see it when you all were little. The way he always followed you around and the way he was always next to you whether you were sitting next to each other or standing next to each other. You two always have loved each other, and to just break up because of a misunderstanding after all this time, and after you both confess your love for one another ... fairytales don't work like that."
"Mother, this isn't a fairytale. What part of 'I don't want to see you' don't you understand? It's over."
"Sweetheart, I just think that you need to give it time."
"I don't feel like talking about it anymore I just want to be alone." She said as she curled up on her bed
"Oh No! You're not sitting up here alone at home. You have a game and a dance to go to."
"Mother I can't....I can't go without Brad and Alex."
"Sweetheart, it's going to take time for them to heal and maybe they need each other to do that."
"Ok fine they are going to use each other to deal with this, but who I am going to use?"
"Do you really need me to answer that? Do you really think that only the three of you are hurting? Bradley and Alex are going to help each other, who do you think could use your help?"
"Oh my god! Justin!" she said as she jumped of the bed..
Justin
"Man, Justin these guys are on my ass," Tony said while he and I walked off the field after going 3 and out again for about the 15th time. We were down 14 to nothing and the 3rd quarter was about to end. They had 2 touchdowns. No one has ever scored 2 touchdowns on us. We were forced to punt again and I didn't know what to do.
"Shit I just can't get free. I'm getting double teamed and tripled team by these guys," Tony said.
"Whatever," I answered while taking off my helmet.
"Thank god you're not throwing me the ball like ...like ..." Tony said as we got closer to the bench.
"Look, don't worry about it," I said coldly as I sat on the bench and held my head down. I couldn't get focus and although I was so angry with Tony and not throwing to him like I could have, I needed him to help us win.
"No, Justin I was wrong," he said as he sat down next to me, "I should never have held that over your head," he said quietly as he looked around. "I forced you to tell Brad and now because of it Alex hit you. I can't believe I made you lose your true friends," he said looking down at his feet.
"I should just quit the team. I cost the team not only our homecoming game but the number 1 seed as well. I deserve to get kicked off the team."
I could feel my anger slowly dissolving away. "Well I know a few people who wouldn't stop you." I said smiling.
"I think I deserved that."
"But I wouldn't be one of them," I said as I gave him a little smile. "Tony you could become a great receiver, you have all the tools needed. All you have to do is work on them. You don't have to pull all that bullshit that you do. If you didn't do all the mind games and manipulation you'd be all state and easily get into college and play ball. And more people to would like you and be willing to call you a true friend, including me."
"I see that now, I can't believe I said what I said yesterday. I would have made it worse if I had forced you to throw the ball to me more than any of the other players. You would have had like 10 interceptions and we'd be losing the game by more, and it would all be my fault. And that's not the half of it. Because of me you're not playing well. I just want you to know I'm sorry," he said as he looked up at me and held out his hand.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Sometimes you're a good guy when you're not being an asshole," I said as I reached out to shake his hand, then he pulled me into a hug while we sat on the bench.
"Sorry." he said "I just thought you needed that." He turned red.
"One more thing. Why do you hate Brad and Alex so much?"
"I don't know, I guess I was jealous. When we were little it was always the three of you and Alisa together and I never could get into your circle. Then when we got into high school and they left you and you started hanging with me I was so....happy, but I always was scared you'd go back to them. Then when you told me about Brad, and I saw how mad you were, I got mad too."
"I understand now, but if you haven't noticed I'm a friend to the end. I would never leave you out in the cold. It was so hard for me those three years. Even though I didn't hang out with them I still missed them."
"I see that now, I really do. Well, now that we have all this settled how are we going to come back....fearless leader?" Tony asked with a smile.
"I don't know, I just don't feel up to this game."
"I've never known you to be a quitter Justin," Tony said with a bit of fire in his voice.
"Neither have I," said a voice from behind me.
We both turned around, I almost wet myself when I saw her. "ALISA!" I hollered as I ran to her and gave her a hug, not wanting to let her go, I was holding back tears. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"FUMBLE!.....FUMBLE!....FUMBLE!" The announcer shouted over the loud speaker while the everyone in the stands exploded with cheers. "THE PANTHERS GET THE BALL....THE PANTHERS GET THE BALL BACK ON THEIR 20 YARD LINE WITH ONE MINUTE LEFT IN THE 3RD QUARTER"
I looked at Alisa then around in the stands, desperately looking for Brad and Alex. She just looked at me and shook her head. "I came to watch you win," she said, then flashed me a smile so bright I suddenly felt that we could win.
Copyright 2001, Alex Nelson Posted: June 24, 2001.