Chapter 1He inhaled the smell of sweat mixed with the sweet scent of grass, dislodged dirt, the green. The sound of man-made thunder only served to heighten his excitement. If he had known it was always like this he would have put on a uniform years ago, and happily participated in little league.Yet, it didn’t matter. He was here, now, ready to test himself on the gridiron as a Westvale Viking.“He’s gonna do it,” Deke said. “This is it. Right now.”Joshua Champion was on the sideline. He was down on one knee, his left hand on his left knee, his right hand holding his helmet by the grill, steadying it against the ground. He looked up at his best friend since first grade, Deke Swan, and chuckled.“Oh, you don’t think so?” Deke demanded.Smoke was wafting from his mouth, through his grill, draping his head in a querying mist. He looked every bit the warrior, the leader, the team quarterback. Joshua chuckled again. From this angle his best friend looked like a towering demon.Deke eye’s flared from behind the grill. “What are you laughing at?’Joshua turned his attention back to the field. “Nothing,”“Champ?”Joshua was quiet for a moment.“It’s not going to be this one,” he said. “They’ve got Sep locked down. One out of four, this is the down they contain him. Just long enough for the pass. Sep gets ‘em on the next down.”“Pass?” Deke wondered. “Oh … yeah, I see that. Wait, but what…”He didn’t get to finish what he was about to say. The ball was snapped. The crowd howled. The field was filled with human electricity, the riveting excitement of play. Joshua and Deke watched their friend, Sepion “Big Sep” Williams, a linebacker, press the opposing offensive line, looking for an opening. The blitz was on, his goal … sack the quarterback.Sep moved around the side. He perceived it, a fake. The running back moved up the center, with no ball in his hand. Two offensive linemen were in Sepion’s face, closing off his access. The quarterback steadied himself in the pocket. His arm cocked, coiled, and released, a short pass to the tight end, just in time. Sepion pushed his way around the left tackle, and dove for the quarterback, just as the ball was away. The Lakeside Lions had just made a first down. They were good for four more downs.Joshua looked up. Deke looked down. They both smirked.“I did see that,” Deke said. “As a possibility.”Joshua smiled. “I know you did.”“Maybe you should be a quarterback.”“Nope, got enough doing my own job.”Deke leaned over slightly. “I was just playin’, Champ. I don’t care how smart you are, this gig is mine.”Joshua’s grin spread from ear to ear. “Yeah, I know.”“Sack this time,” Deke said.Joshua nodded. “Count on it.”They turned their attention back to the field. The ball was snapped. Sepion moved like lightning, the Lions executed, but not with perfection. Sepion cut through the line like a knife, opened his arms wide, and in a howl that could be heard in the stands, engulfed the Lions quarterback in a savage tackle. They both hit the ground, rending green grass and brown dirt, flinging sweat and swears. One brown, calf-skin covered ball flew freely into the air. A Viking defensive lineman lumbered forward, finding poise in the moment when it mattered. He fell on the ball, securing it under his considerable mass.Behind him, Joshua heard parents, fellow students, and faculty shout with excitement. The game was close. Now it was time to secure the lead. Big Sep had given them an opportunity. They would not squander it.“Let’s go,” Deke said, hitting him on the shoulder.Joshua watched as Deke walked forward, conferring briefly with Coach Barnes before taking the field.Joshua looked at the ground. He put his hand on the grass, and closed it, pulling back a bit of green and brown. He brought the grass and dirt to his nose and inhaled its freshness, its realness. He opened his hand and let it all fall to the earth. He stood up, and looked back.Julia, beautiful, smart, a cheerleader, smiled at him. Joshua grinned, giving her what he hoped was his best impression of cool, since he was still so very far from what cool was supposed to be. At least, this was how he felt.He looked into the stands and saw his parents, Thomas and Ellen Champion. His mother looked so proud. His father was clapping, and pointing at him. He was trying to say something, but Joshua couldn’t hear him. He squinted, struggling to read his lips, get on the field boy.Joshua laughed, and put his helmet on, just as he heard Coach Barnes yell his name. He turned and headed to the field, the gridiron, to again test himself to the limit. A year ago, he was a geek, a nerd. He was also Deke Swan’s best friend, and as such was afforded some leeway in the complexities of high school social politics. However, things had changed. He was now a wide receiver for the Westvale Vikings, and he was very, very good. Who would have thought he would ever be a football star, and popular? Certainly not Joshua Champion.As he ran to the huddle, thoughts about the nature of change filtered through his mind. He couldn’t help it. Life is good. He banished the errant thoughts and slipped into proper mode. He was playing football, a sport he had come to positively love. He knew what play was coming. He could feel it, and after two and a half quarters he had the full measure of the Lions. He was far faster then the cornerback who was assigned to cover him. It was time for him to make a touchdown, for Deke to connect, and for Joshua to be a hero.
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