7 / FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20—PARTY AT DEVON’S HOUSE

Ernie and I went to the party that night at Devon’s house. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, even though we’d won thirty-four–ten. And I could tell that Ernie was ashamed at giving up that sack, which made me feel even worse. I’d asked him to do it. We decided we’d just show our faces for a few minutes and leave.

But right away, Shane started riding me.

“I hope you took notes, Two! I believe the scout from Ohio State took a few.”

“Yeah, good game,” I said. I was hoping to avoid a scene because Shane was a born scenestealer. I knew I’d end up looking like a fool.

This girl Shawna was hanging all over Shane—like literally hanging onto his arm as if she was afraid he’d scramble away.

Shawna was not his girlfriend, by the way. Shane’s girlfriend was Jenny. Shawna might have been the only girl in school who was hotter than her. Jenny and I were friends because we’d been on the video yearbook staff for three years. I happened to know that she was visiting her grandmother in Minnesota for the weekend.

Ernie and I started talking to some girls in the kitchen, but I couldn’t concentrate. I kept thinking about Shane in the other room with Shawna. I kept thinking about all the crap he’d been shoveling at me for the past four years. And then I started thinking about that day we dammed up the creek for our army men, and I started getting kind of upset.

“What’s the matter with you?”

This girl—her name was Becca—was glaring at me.

“Nothing,” I said. “Sorry. Uh, why?”

“Because I asked you a question—like three times!”

“Sorry,” I said. “The answer is yes.”

Ernie and the girls laughed.

“Good,” Ernie said. “You want to know the question?”

You could hear Orlando and Shane in the other room yelling some rah-rah stuff at each other. Stuff about how we’re going to State this year, how unbeatable we are. Then Shane changed the music. I knew it was Shane because he put on Eminem. It was what he always played.

“The question was,” Becca said, smiling now, “do you guys want to get out of here? I have some blankets in the car. Let’s go to the lake.”

“That sounds really good,” I said. “I would love to get out of here.”

I’d never spoken truer words. I couldn’t wait to leave. And Becca was really sweet. We’d started flirting a couple weeks ago, but we hadn’t gone out or anything—at least not yet.

But part of me was also making a plan. I was thinking, I wish I could show Jenny what Shane got up to while she was away. She should know how he was making a fool of her.

I wish I could say I was thinking only about Jenny’s feelings, protecting her dignity. But the truth is I was mostly thinking of myself. I just wanted to get back at Shane.

The four of us left the kitchen and walked through the living room toward the front door. On our way through, I had my phone out—filming Shane and Shawna on the couch. Just as we were hitting the door, though, Shane saw me.

“What’re you doing?”

He stood up. Shawna, whose legs were draped across his, fell onto the floor and dropped her bottle of beer.

I shoved the phone in my pocket as we walked out the door. Shane caught up and grabbed my shoulder. “What was that all about?” He still had his drink with him. The ice clattered in the plastic tumbler.

“Nothing, QB1. Nothing at all.”

“Give me your phone,” Shane said.

“Nope.”

“Give it to me now.”

Becca took my hand. “Let’s go,” she said softly.

Instead, I punched Shane in the nose.

I don’t know what came over me. All the weeks of frustration—all the years of frustration—bubbled over all at once.

Shane stumbled back. Anger coursed through me—it was like I wasn’t in control of my body. I’d never felt that way before.

Shane set his drink down on a step. I came after him. As he looked up at me, I socked him in the eye. Becca and her friend screamed, and people poured out of the house to watch. I lunged at Shane again, but he was ready this time. He threw a fist into my gut that doubled me over.

I couldn’t breathe. That was when Shane reached back and delivered a monster haymaker into my jaw that made me see stars.

Boom.

I crumpled onto the ground. Not only was Shane a better quarterback than me, he was a better fighter too. Which I should have predicted, since I’d never been in a fight. I knew he’d been in a lot of them over the years.

When I opened my eyes, he was standing over me. I thought he was going to kick me, but Ernie stepped in front of him.

Shane lost it. “You’re just my backup!” he screamed. “You got nothing on me!”

It was like he couldn’t believe somebody had dared to challenge him. By hitting him, I’d broken some kind of social agreement: Nobody was supposed to mess with him. Ever.

He was hysterical.

And, in all his anger, he seemed to have forgotten about the recording of him and Shawna. He kept screaming at me. Ernie kept on guard in case he attacked again. But it didn’t seem like Shane wanted to fight anymore. He was too far gone into his angry fit.

When Shane turned to pick up his drink, I pulled out my phone and started recording again. At that point, I didn’t care if he beat me up. I didn’t care if he stole the phone. I was all in. I was going to put an end to his crap.

He was going down.