SteeleKizz, Inc

Scrimmage

Jaxon

The school week trudged along until Thursday arrived; it was scrimmage day. The football players anxiously awaited Thursday scrimmage. For Jaxon, it was unlike every other practice day. It gave him insight into everyone’s performance status pre-game on Friday nights. If a player was weak or hurt, he could tell by their stance and movements while on the field. If there was a mental distraction, he could tell by their delayed reaction time after the snap.

Football was a game of tactics. Each position is a tactical challenge, where the tactics change each possession. Jaxon honed in on his player’s strengths and weaknesses, even as the second string quarterback, giving him the edge on who to pass or throw the ball to on his possession. It gave the starting quarterback and the coach additional support while on the sidelines, determining the better play by plays and open players they may not see.

Although, on this particular Thursday, Jaxon’s distraction caused many mistakes and fumbling on the field. Unable to keep his focus, he missed several of the coach’s calls relaying the play for that possession. His mind was elsewhere, scattered, and the ball seemed to just follow along with his randomness landing in the opposing team’s possession.

The coach was becoming more flustered with his star back up QB than he had been, ever. Jaxon’s mind remained on something else, someone else. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was about their new science teacher that had his mind elsewhere.

He couldn’t picture her as anything other than a boring old science teacher, yet she had the personality and body type to be a centerfold in a smut magazine. He shook his head, trying to convince himself otherwise. With some older women looking younger these days, with the right lighting and positioning it could be a possibility.

Since her arrival, it seems she was always challenging or questioning everything that Jaxon did in or out of class. Usually, that was Jaxon’s job, but this time the tables had turned. Was she giving him special treatment or attention because of the raucous he’d caused with other teachers and school staff?

Either way, the new teacher had his undivided attention, even when he wasn’t in class. On the field, he was tripping over his own equipment and his normal plays were fouling up, as they were being watched by the coach and starting QB. If he kept this up, his butt would be sidelined for this Friday’s homecoming game.

Jaxon knew he had to be there especially after overhearing that some college scouts were planning and scoping out the two teams’ players that night. This being his only chance to show the scouts that he was worth a full ride scholarship, even as a second string QB. His intellect and astute knowledge of the game were critical keys, but today, you wouldn’t know that he was the Coach’s actual favorite player.

Jaxon knew he had to get his act together, but how he thought to himself. Another play had been called while Jaxon’s thoughts meandered on what the new science teacher had been wearing today. Seth, the team’s center, snapped the ball to Jaxon who was staring towards the sidelines and it knocked Jax back several feet with the ball landing at his feet. He looked down numbly.

Coach Hines blew the whistle and called for the entire offensive line to take a water break, while motioning Jax to his side. Jaxon removed the jaw strap and took off the helmet as he made his way to the Coach.

“Steele, what has gotten into you today, this week,” he demanded. He pointed to the field. “You’ve had six turnovers and fumbled three times. You never did this, even on your first day on the freshman team. You have such great potential, but whatever is going on, you’ll lose quickly if you don’t get your brain back into that noggin of yours.”

Jaxon nodded listening to the Coach. He completely agreed with him. “Yes, Coach. I’ve just had an off day, week, whatever. I’ll work harder.”

Coach grabbed him by both sides of his shoulder pads and pulled him into his forehead. Jax and Coach Hines’ forehead met evenly. “No, you won’t work harder. You already do. Go, shower up. I need you in prime shape, physically and mentally, for tomorrow night’s game. With the scouts here and the Raiders here tomorrow night, I need you. Go home. Rest. Come back tomorrow for warm ups with your head out of the clouds or your ass, whichever. Just come to play!”

Jaxon froze, shocked at the news that he was going to be the main quarterback for tomorrow’s homecoming game. Coach had some high expectations for Jaxon. Tomorrow would be his time to shine and he had to prove to Coach and his parents that all their efforts weren’t squandered on him.

Leaving the field with his head low and mind now adrift onto something new, he’d gone to open one of the set of double doors at the back of the school next to the locker room, but someone was already standing there with the door propped open for him. Smoke billowed around them as they exhaled it from their cigarette where Jax couldn’t make heads or tails of who it was at first.

“Thanks,” he mumbled just before passing by them through the open doorway.

“No problem, Jaxon,” said an all too familiar voice slowly enunciating his name clearly. The cigarette went back to their darkened maroon tinted lips as they inhaled.

Jaxon paused, his helmet to his side, sweat dripping down his forehead. With one hand he raked the sweaty hair back and looked to his right. “Excuse me,” he said looking at the science teacher. “I would think someone like yourself, would, uhm, be smart enough to know smoking is bad for you. You know, being a teacher and all.”

She gave a low devious chuckle at his comment. “So I’ve been told,” she replied. “I would think a strong, confident jock like yourself, would have a better scrimmage than what I just saw. You know, being the silent star quarterback, and all.”

She exhaled again, this time billowing the smoke away from him. She leaned against the doorway she’d opened up. Jaxon fought to swallow the lump in his throat. His gaze nonchalantly wandered over her body with his peripheral vision as he looked back to the field. Was she flirting with him? He shook his head and gave a chuckle.

“Even us jocks, have our off days now and again,” Jaxon added. He reached up and loosened the straps on the shoulder pads as they felt them grow tighter by the minute.

“I guess this is your secret smoking spot,” he suggested running his fingers through his hair as the sweat beaded on his forehead slowly building up to trail down his face.

“You could say as much.”

“I see. Well, take care that you don’t get caught, if not by the coach, but by the principal. This is his special spot too, just not for smoking.”

Jaxon gave her a wink and started to move inside.

“Of course,” she said. “I’m sure that all of us have a special spot we like to keep quiet, hm?”

Jaxon looked over his shoulder to glance back at her. The comment was not something he’d expect from a teacher, nonetheless.

“Uh, yeah, something like that.” He felt weird with that implying comment but attempted to remain polite. “Have a nice day, Mrs...Lawson?”

“Miss Larsen,” she quickly retorted, pinching out the cigarette and walking inside. She now came toe to toe with Jaxon. Her eyes moving down along his frame and back up to his lips and eyes. “But between us, just call me Kat.”

She turned on her heels and sauntered off down the hallway beyond the cafeteria and towards the classes, her hips giving a teasing motion with each step. Jaxon could feel the tension and his heart beating rapidly. She was flirting, he thought finally.