6 YEARS LATER

TITUS REYES

"Did you know that this is the biggest game of his career? Players start winding down at the age of twenty-eight. They might have another good year or two left in them before they step down, but things don't seem to be slowing down for The New York Eagles' star quarterback, Titus Reyes!"

"If he plays well in this game, he'll have his contract renewed for another two years. That'll bring him to thirty when most players think of retiring from the game."

"I've heard that the New York Eagles are going to offer him four years. They're trying to keep him in the game for as long as possible, and I would do the same if I was in their shoes. That guy is seriously hot on the field, and hands down the best quarterback that team has ever seen."

"They might have to pull on their purse strings because rumours say that the Detroit Lions have offered him nearly double what his current team are offering to keep him on, and I've heard that he's expressed interest."

"It's difficult to imagine Reyes as a Lion instead of an Eagle."

"You're not leaving us for the enemy, are you, Reyes?" Denzel chuckled, playfully slapping me on the back as he walked past on the way to his locker.

I was the kind of guy who had a lot of friends, but not many best friends. However, if there was someone that I was going to consider a best friend, it was going to be Denzel Brown. We both played football in NYU together and were discovered at the same time. We were both the youngest on the team and stuck together ever since.

"Not for all the money in the world!" I snorted, laughing. "I don't know where they get some of their information from. Nearly everything they've said about me is bullshit."

Speaking of bullshit, my head angled back to the TV when they mentioned my name again.

"Taking money, contracts, and sports politics off the table, this is a very serious game for Reyes. With how well he's playing this season, he's so close to breaking a world record here. The current record stands at three-hundred and forty-two points in a season by an individual player. That's held by Hazem El Masri in 2004 who played for the Canterbury Bulldogs. Reyes is going into this game with three-hundred and twenty-five points. That means he only needs seventeen points in this game to match the record, and eighteen to break it."

"That's as certain as it is that I'm wearing a grey suit right now." One of the sports anchors chuckled, pointing out the definite grey of his suit. "There's no way Reyes isn't breaking that record tonight. There's absolutely no way. We can definitely expect–"

"What did I tell you guys about watching the sports anchors before games?" Coach Dobson groaned as he walked into the locker room, immediately turning off the TV. "The only thing it's good for is siking you guys out, and that's the last thing we need before a big game."

For a man that coached American football, he was short and stout, and with a balding head, but damn could he teach football. I had learnt a great deal from this man alone since joining the New York Eagles when I dropped out of my junior year of college and honestly, owed a lot of my success to him.

If it wasn't for coach discovering me – and Denzel – during a college game that his nephew was playing, I didn't know how I could have proved myself to break into the world of professional American football.

"This is the last game of the season, boys!" Coach announced, though the entire team knew this already.

We had worked hard this entire season and made it this far. If we won today's game, we would walk away as champions. There was no way any one of us were forgetting that.

"You don't need me to tell you how important this game is, but I'm going to anyone." The locker room filled with a few groans and chuckles, only proving to amuse Coach. "For many of you, if not all of you, this game will probably be the peak of your professional career. The New York Eagles haven't gotten this far in the season in fifteen years, so you've made history as it is. But if you win, you'd have done something that has never done before. You'd have won the championship and for all of you, that might just be the greatest thing you've achieved in your professional career. It'll be the one defining moment that people will always think of when they think of you in ten, twenty or even fifty years time."

"The Detroit Lions won the season last year, and two years before. Everyone thinks they're the strongest team, and that they're going to win tonight's game easily, but we're going to prove them wrong. We're going to prove ourselves just as worthy of winners. Am I right?"

"Yes, coach!" We all roared.

"Come on, huddle." Coach demanded, holding his hand out, palm down, to start the circle.

We all quickly huddled together, and Coach began the countdown. As soon as he reached zero, we all screamed, "The New York Eagles!"

The huddle broke and everyone jogged out of the locker room, heading toward the field where we were being called and the Detroit Lions were waiting for us.

"Stay back, Reyes. I need to talk to you for a moment."

"Everything alright, Coach?" I asked, taking a seat on a bench because this didn't seem like it would be a short conversation.

"This is a big game for everyone, Reyes, but it's an especially big game for you. You only need eighteen points to break the record."

"I'm not worried about that, Coach. There's been games where I've scored nearly double that by myself." I replied confidently and while there was a small pit of nerves in the bottom of my stomach that things could go horribly wrong this game and I could let myself down, I was confident with myself. I had worked all season and worked my but off and now, I was in a very good position to break that record which would have everyone's eyes on me this game. Not that I had given much reason to look elsewhere this whole season.

"I know, but don't get too cocky. This is a big deal. Not only for yourself, but for the team as well."

"I won't let you down, Coach."

"You never have before, Reyes." Coach assured me, but the hesitation was evident on his face.

"Was there anything else you want to talk about, Coach? Or am I good to head out on the field?"

"I know it's probably just rumours, but the Detroit Lions haven't offered you a contract, have they?"

"They have." I nodded. "My agent told me about it yesterday."

"And?"

"And what, Coach? You think I'm going to leave the New York Eagles? I started my career here, and I plan to be here until my very last game. I just hope that's not going to be today." I sent Coach a pointed look, needing him to get the hint.

There was no way that I could leave to play for the Detroit Lions, but if my contract with the Eagles wasn't renewed, then I'd have to leave for somewhere else. I planned to continue playing football professionally for as long as my body would allow, and at the age of twenty-eight, things weren't anywhere near slowing down for me.

"I've already got your contract drafted and waiting for you in my office, Reyes." Coach chuckled, a look of relief on his face. "We can negotiate numbers later, but I'm hoping to keep you on for another four years."

"I'm relieved to hear that, thanks Coach."

"No need." He grinned and pulled me in for a hug, clapping me on the back. "Now get out on the field and make yourself proud."

"Thanks Coach!"

After the pep talk from Coach, I was the last one out on the field. The crowd cheered louder as I jogged onto the field and joined my teammates. We did another huddle and got into position. As soon as the claxon sounded, the Eagles for their hands on the ball and as soon as I got my hands on it, I ran at full-speed toward the end zone and scored a touchdown.

Five down, thirteen to go.

The crowd cheered at the points scored so early in the game, giving us a head start on the Lions. They started chanting my name, and I couldn't help but let it get through my head as the adrenaline pumped through my body, spurring me on to do better. To be better.

I was always the most at home when I was out on the field in front of a crowd, playing well and making everyone proud. But most of all, making myself proud.

I couldn't imagine a feeling better than this in the world, and the day my career would eventually come to an end, because eventually all careers had to come to an end, especially in sports, it would truly be a dark day.

But for now, I revelled in the chants and the supports, and fuelled it into scoring more points.

By the end of the first half, we were up twenty-one to seventeen.

"Well done, Eagles!" Coach congratulated us as we huddled around him, only a few minutes left before we needed to get back on the field for the second half of the game. "We've up by four points, but we need to increase that gap between us to show that we mean business. The Lions are going to come back to the second half angry, determined, and desperate to take the game back, but we can't let that happen. We're one half of a game away from winning this entire season, and I know we can do it. We just need to keep our heads high, focus on the goal, and keep on scoring points. Another forty minutes and we'll be the football champions of this season."

"Go Eagles!" We roared and got back on the field moments before the claxon sounded.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I got back into position. I knew what they were all thinking.

I had scored twelve points in the first half, and only needed six more to officially break the record. There had been games this season where I had scored eighteen points by myself in the first half of the game, but the Lions were playing and defending hard this game. It was difficult to get my hands on the ball but as soon as I did, it was nearly impossible to stop me from scoring some points.

"Fuck!" I swore under my breath as I was tackled to the ground, losing the ball when I had been so close to kicking the ball over the uprights.

Six more points. That's all I needed.

The Lions managed to score two points, closing in on the gap between us, but we didn't take that lying down. Between us, our team scored enough points to put a distance of double digits between us, and a touchdown from me was included in that.

One more point. Just one more point and I would hold the record for the highest number of points scored in a season by an individual player.

Just one more.

The ball came flying into my hands. With the end zone not that far away from me and determined to break the record in style by scoring another touchdown, I held the ball close to my body and turned around. My legs worked quick as I cut through the field in direction of the end zone, the taste of victory growing stronger and stronger in my mouth as I got closer.

The crowd's cheers were ringing in my ears, fuelling me to push myself harder and faster, and I felt someone breathing on the back of my neck. They were close to catching up to my, within arms reach, but I was faster and more determined.

The cheers were deafening as I made it over the line and touched down the ball, scoring another five points and officially breaking the record.

Triumph pumped through me as I heard my friends and family cheer from the crowds. Even Coach was celebrating louder than I had ever heard him before, and we were only about halfway through the second half of the game.

I only had a moment to bask in the warmth of such an achievement before it was knocked out of me. Literally.

A loud crack sounded across the field as I was forced onto my stomach, knocked to the ground from behind. A large weight dropped into me, something pressing hard into the back of my spine until I saw black spots behind my eye lids.

My lips parted on their own accord. My ears were still ringing from the crowd's cheers, but they had now turned into gasps and screams as my pain increased.

I had no idea what was happening to me as the black spots increased, the pain became unbearable, and my vision grew heavy until my eyelids eventually dropped and closed upon their own instruction.

Winning had never felt so painful before.

-

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