Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
The win last night should have easily secured FU a spot in one of the two semifinal games, but scandal around a team could make the committee shy away from picking us. Stats can be easily skewed in someone else’s favor. They could say that Florida State deserves the spot because they regularly beat Alabama, which is arguably the best school in the south when it comes to football.
Uncle Damon’s eyes soften. “In the big scheme of things, a kiss with a boy isn’t going to ruin your career.”
“Hooray, progress,” Pop sings, trying to lighten the mood.
Uncle Damon points to Pop. “Exactly. Because of people like your parents, being gay or bi or pan—however you identify—isn’t going to be the thing that holds your team back. It’s the behavior and the way you came out that could get you into trouble. It would be the same if your boyfriend was a girlfriend or if you had even been out before this event. Showboating isn’t acceptable in college football, and that could definitely be considered showboating. But if I’m honest here, not making the playoff will probably be better for your draft prospects. It will suck for the school and the team, but—”
“How do you figure that?” Dad asks, a little calmer now.
“With the news of Peyton coming out and the little stunt he pulled, he’s going to be in the media spotlight more than ever before. He’s the son of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time—”
Dad coughs twice, muttering “the greatest” in between.
“Whatever,” Uncle Damon continues. “The media was always going to be all over Peyton, but now it’ll be tenfold, and if the team does make it to the playoff, all that the media, the NFL teams hoping to draft him, and the fans in the stadium will be focused on is how Peyton is handling the scrutiny. If you go into that semifinal and bomb, it says to future teams you don’t do well under pressure.”
Fuck. I didn’t even think of that. “So that means if we are still selected, I have to play my heart out or lose the possibility of being the number one draft pick?”
My brother speaks up. “Being the first overall draft pick is not the greatest thing in the world.”
“He’s right,” Uncle Damon says. “It’s pressure on top of the pressure you’re already facing.”
“I know, but …” I really want it. “I can deal with the pressure. I know I can. The only time it’s ever gotten to me was this year. When I realized …” My gaze pings around the room. Admitting my feelings is hard because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.
“When you realized …” Dad hedges.
I take a deep breath. “When I realized that I really do like Levi and I want something with him. A relationship. Maybe a future if we can work out long distance when I’m in the NFL.” And now my cheeks are heating up. Fucking great.
Everyone in the room breaks out into “Aww,” and I flip them off with both hands.
Dad moves to sit next to me, and he puts his arm around me. It’s soft; his face is no longer scowling, and his tone is lighter now. “I’m sorry I freaked out. You deserve to have the type of love I found with your pops, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you for it.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Do I think you could’ve gone about it differently? Yes. But the others are right. If I had to choose between you being happy or being the number one draft pick, your happiness will win out every single time. Being number one isn’t …” Dad tries not to wince. “Everything.”
Gasps from all directions fill the space, and Pop reaches over to put his hand on Dad’s shoulder.
“It physically hurt you to say that, didn’t it?”
“Where the fuck is my parent-of-the-year award?” Dad asks, and we all laugh.
With the tension in the room easing, I can finally breathe again.
I expected yelling and disappointment, so I realize I’m getting off light, but now my only concern needs to be how the team will handle it if we don’t make it to the playoff game because of my actions.
They’re going to be pissed. It wasn’t just my future I had to think about. A lot of them have NFL aspirations as well, and I should’ve thought of them first. Not everyone was born into football royalty like I was.
I really hope we make it to that playoff. At the same time, I can spout shit about doing well under pressure all I like, but Brady and I both know there comes a point where it’s too much.
I’ve already hit that point once this semester. I’m worried I’m all talk and that I’ll fumble harder than Dad in his first-ever Super Bowl. We’ve all seen the tape. It wasn’t pretty.