CHAPTER 16

TEXAS SUCKS

After practice, all the freshmen were dragging themselves into the dorm, haggard and exhausted. Everyone went to the cafeteria and then straight back to their rooms. When Caleb got back, he went out on his little balcony, lit a joint, and sat there and smoked, looking out over the campus. It was a beautiful place; the weather here was unreal, nothing like the hot and windy conditions of Enapay. After he had finished his joint, he crashed on his bed and slept until 5.

Caleb got up and went downstairs to get some supper, most of the fellows were already down there playing games and watching television. Caleb went and ordered a steak and potatoes and sat down with Lavon, Lance and Jason. They were all discussing practice today and how tough it is. Lance Wood is telling everyone about the weather where he grew up in Nevada. All Jason Briggs wanted to talk about is how sore he is and all Lavon Jackson wanted to talk about is eating some more food. Caleb sat there listening for a bit and having a few laughs when another fellow freshman football player, Thad Crossland, came up to the table. Thad was an All-American running back from Dallas. About 6’1” and around 190, this kid was very strong and very fast, and it showed in his cocky walk. Caleb had heard about Thad’s running ability since Enapay was fairly close to Dallas, but Caleb wasn’t necessarily overjoyed when Thad sat down without even a greeting and started talking loudly—about himself. Echoes of how great he was and how he was going to be the next Heisman trophy winner at CAU resounded through the cafeteria. He went on to talk about how great the state of Texas was and blah, blah, blah, on and on about Texas. Caleb was a University of Oklahoma fan first, with Oklahoma State a close second. Oklahomans don’t think much of Texas, and Texans don’t think much of Oklahoma.

Caleb ignored Thad’s bragging for a while, but after ten straight minutes of nothing but Thad’s drawling voice, Caleb had finally stomached all he could. He looked Thad dead in the eyes and said, “Texas sucks, and only suckers live in Texas.” The echo of Thad’s loud voice in the cafeteria died immediately, and he clinched his teeth. Nobody in his life had talked to him or about his beloved Texas like that! The other guys at the table just looked at Caleb, startled by what he said; what happened to the quiet guy they thought he was?

“You say that again and I’m going to kick your Oklahoma-loving ass all the way back to Oklahoma,” Thad snarled.

Caleb, without pause, looked right at Thad and said again, “Texas sucks, and only suckers live in Texas.” Caleb Lewis wasn’t scared of anyone, anywhere.

Thad stood up, shoving his chair backward with a shriek. “You and I are gonna take this outside and I’m gonna show you who’s a sucker, white boy.”

“I ain’t going nowhere with no sucker from Texas.” Everyone at the table got up and moved back a few steps.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, motionless. Then Thad suddenly threw a punch, but Caleb caught it and wouldn’t let go. “You are about to get in over your head, sucker Texas boy.” Thad threw another punch with his left hand but Caleb caught that one too, pinning both of Thad’s hands in his. Thad tried to pull free, flailing more and more as he realized how strong Caleb really was. Then, Caleb head-butted him right in the nose, and Thad hit the ground. The other players stood in hushed silence. This is one bad-ass QB, Lance Wood thought to himself.

After Thad had hit the ground, Caleb looked around at his fellow players, who were hovering in a nervous circle off to the side. Caleb reached his hand out and helped Thad back up.

“I don’t like Texas, and I would appreciate if you just don’t talk about Texas when I’m around. And oh, sorry about your nose.”

Thad looked at Caleb, continually wiping the blood dripping from his nose to no avail. “Uh, I’ll try to be more careful next time.” Poor Thad Crossland wasn’t sure how to feel, to be honest—no one had ever treated him like that. Where he came from, he was the tough guy. He then wobbled off to his room, head down, without finishing his dinner.

Even after he’d gone, the other players standing there didn’t move, but small smiles began to break out on their faces. “Caleb Lewis,” Lance said, “you are a warrior, and I will follow you into battle anytime, anywhere, against anyone.” Everyone clapped and laughed.

And so, in less than five minutes, Caleb had earned the respect of the entire freshman football class.