Lineage

Chapter 11

Tatum 

    I can not believe how easy it was to skip school all day and come back ready for pre-game activities. Football, dance, and cheer are in the sports complex preparing in various ways. The cheer team is practicing some of their stunts. The football team is in the meeting room studying film of their opponent, Charleston Oaks High School a major rival for Wilkes Hall. Dance is running through a new routine we are debuting tonight during the half-time show. The atmosphere in the sportsplex is charged with school spirit and excitement. I watch Colton through the huge window in the meeting room. He's engrossed in the film and I can see his profile perfectly. He is the most handsome guy I've ever seen, funny how I've just realized this in the last few months. I wish mom and dad would be at the game tonight to watch Theo and Colt get the win. I wish they'd be here to see the new routine me, Teagan and the rest of the dance team are going to perform. I  wish most of all that I could talk to my mom and tell her about my feelings for Colton. Teagan and I have always told our mom everything. She was our best friend. We are such a close-knit family. My parents are wonderful. Even though they work a lot, and by work I mean treasure hunting they always make time for us. We were present on most of those treasure hunts growing up, so were Steve and Colton. It gave us so much life experience and built a confidence that I don't see in many of my peers. Despite all the privilege that came from being a Bancroft our parents always kept us grounded. Traipsing around in exotic locations and living on a yacht didn't cause u to gain a sense of entitlement or that we were above others. We were taught to treat the janitor just as we did the CEO. 

  We finish running through our routines and head to our dressing room to touch up hair and makeup before the pre-game meal. I look through the window to get a last glance at Colt. It sends thrills to my stomach to find him watching me. He gives me a sexy grin and winks as I wave before walking out the door. We change into our uniforms and reapply makeup. We're all wearing our hair in a ponytail with a special bow. Our coach, who's a friend of moms is handing out the bows she had made. 

  "So, I hear you and Colton Barrett are an item?" she grins as she hands me my bow. 

  "We are!", I confirm with a huge smile on my face. 

  "What do your parents think about that?" Coach Waring inquires. 

  I can feel my face fall slightly until Teagan comes to my rescue.

  "Oh, they love it. You know they are about The Barretts. They couldn't have picked a better boyfriend my mom says."  Teagan laughs. 

  "I bet!" agrees Coach Waring. "I think it's great. Happy looks good on you Tay. He's a hottie!" she grins as she moves on to continue passing out bows. 

  Teagan rubs my arm to comfort me and acknowledges that she understands how I am feeling. 

  "Sis, you know anytime you want to talk I'm here, right?" she tells me. 

  I give her a hard hug and wipe a small tear away. 

  "I know Tea...same goes, ok?" I tell her. 

  We're all ready we are waiting to head back to the sportsplex main room for the pre-game meal. I can't wait to see Colt again. We'll be able to mingle so I will get to sit with him. I look down as my phone chimes with a notification. 

   Miss you gorgeous!  

   I miss you too! I'll see you in a few minutes. We are heading over to eat soon. 

   I"ll save you a seat?

    You better!

  "Let's go girls," Coach tells us. I text Colt. Here I come!

   Finally!

  We walk in behind the cheer team and I  scan the room until I see Colt and Theo sitting near the back with a few of their friends. I motion to Teagan and we go sit with our brother and Colt. I take the seat Colt has saved for me. Tea sits across from us. We talk for a few minutes before Teagan, Colton, and I get up to get our plates. We meet Theo in the line as we walk back with our plates full of barbeque. As we start eating Theo's phone starts buzzing. Teagan picks it up and sees from the lock screen that he's getting a text from Lauren. She grins and sits his phone back down. 

  "Lauren is texting." she smiles over at me. 

  "Aww!" I giggle. 

  Theo comes back and sits down shortly after and immediately picks up his phone.     

  "Don't worry she texted you!" Teagan laughs.

  "You read my messages?" Theo asks incredulously.

  "No! I promise. Your phone buzzed so I picked up and saw her name on the lock screen." she assures him. "I am happy for you big bro!"

  "Me too. It's sweet. She is really great!" I agree. 

  "Yeah, she is," He acknowledges. "She's coming to the game tonight!"

  "Yay!" Tea and I say in unison.

  "You sly old dog!" Colton slaps his best friend on the back. 

  Not long after we finish our barbeque it's time for the football team to head to the locker room to suit up, so they can run through their drills. Dance and Cheer stay and do our stretches in the sportsplex. We head out to the stadium when it's time. We see the stadium is already almost full, but we see our grandparents and Steve are sitting front and center. We waved and laugh when Steve blows us kisses. Just before we take the field for the teams' big entrance I notice a beautiful redhead making her way toward our grandparents. I elbow Tea getting her attention and gesture toward Lauren who's just sat down with our grandparents and Steve. I know that Teagan loves that our brother has a girlfriend as much as I do. He is such a great guy, but he's been a little unlucky in love. He seems to have a great ability to pick the ones that are just interested in him because of the name. More to the point, the money that goes with the name. Lauren isn't like that. She has our full approval. She looks over about that time and we wave at her. She waves back enthusiastically. 

  It's time for cheer and dance to head to the entrance of the locker room. There is a whole routine we go through as the team makes their entrance onto the football field. It gets the crowd razzed up! Theo is always the first player through the banner. Colton is right behind him followed by all their teammates. They run to the fifty-yard line and then to the sideline. Our dances are choreographed to the songs the school band plays along with the cheer routines.  The pep and spirit that cheer and dance help cultivate is contagious. The entire stadium erupts in applause as the team tears through the banner and runs onto the field. We run behind them and then to our spots on the sidelines.

  At halftime, Wilkes hall is up by two touchdowns. Dance takes the field for our halftime performance.  This new routine is bomb. We've worked extra hard on this one. I glance over and realize that Colt and Theo are standing in the doorway of the locker room, so they can watch the new routine. The music comes on we smash it.  It goes off without a hitch and we get a standing ovation from most of the fans when we finish. As we run back to the sidelines I turn toward the locker room and blow Colt a kiss before he disappears through the door. 

  By the beginning of the fourth quarter, Wilkes Hall has scored two more touchdowns and is on another first down when Colton is tackled in a huge pileup. That isn't anything new, but this time he doesn't get up when everyone piles off him. The ref immediately calls for the coach and team doctor. I feel my legs buckle. Luckily Teagan and Chloe another dance team member are beside me and hold me upright while I shake with fear. Theo, the coach, and the team doctor are there, but Colt still isn't getting up. We see Steve making his way out of the stand towards the field, so coach tells me to go.  About that time I see the first responders heading towards the field with a stretcher. I take off running across the field and meet Steve as he is coming through the gate. He takes my hand as we sprint the rest of the way to Colton. 

  "It's ok honey. He took a hard lick, but he'll be fine" he tries to reassure me. 

  Theo meets us as we get there and takes me in his arms to comfort me. Colton still hasn't been revived so they load him up on the stretcher. You can hear a pin drop in the stadium. I'm about to lose it as we follow the stretcher off the field. We're met at the gate by our grandparents, Lauren, and Teagan. Lauren immediately goes to Theo's side. 

  "Tatum can ride with me to the hospital", Steve says. He turns to Theo, "make sure you bring this one on home!" 

  "I will. We'll be there as soon as the game is over," he tells Steve. I can see the worry etched on his face. How in the world he can play when his best friend is unconscious is beyond me, but I know the whole team will make sure they smash Charleston Oaks after this.

  "Please keep us posted, we will be there soon". grandmother hugs me and then Steve. 

  We quickly walk to Steve's truck and follow the ambulance out of the parking lot. 

  The game resumes after a few minutes and Theo and the rest of the team make sure there is no chance they'll lose. As soon as the game is over everyone heads to University Medical Center.