Chapter Seven: Marcus

Ms. Hawk is one super-hot woman! When she walks across the room in that short skirt, I can see that I'm going to like English just fine. The first thing she asks us to do is tell what we want to do with our lives, and when it's my turn I say play professional football. I can tell she's really impressed because she smiles like she is agreeing with me. My best buddy Caleb goes next, and he says he wants to play QB in the NFL. We've got to be one of the best freshman QB and wide receiver duos in the country. How many schools in the country have two future NFL players starting as freshmen. That's why Caleb and I both think we're going to win state this year.

Then we start reading this story about some backwoods hillbilly in the dark ages. Just once I'd like to read some stories about black guys playing sports, but that's like impossible I guess. But I have to tell you I spend most of the reading time scoping out the females and admiring Ms. Hawk's legs. There are only two black girls, Jayla and Kylee, and both of them are hotties, but Jayla has already shot me down several times. Kylee might find this to be her lucky year. But I'm an equal opportunity employer, female-wise, so who knows who might get to be on my arm around Homecoming time.

We finish reading the stupid story and Ms. Hawk assigns us a huge 300-word paper on the symbolism. Doesn't she know I've got practice after school and a big game on Friday. I can tell you what the symbolism is...a dumb, hillbilly kid gets sent to reform school because he's a dumb hillbilly kid—end of story. I'll work on my paper Wednesday night; practices don't last as long as they do on Mondays and Tuesdays because we've already put our offense in by then. I like some of the PowerPoint topics. When it's my turn I choose Jesse Owens. I know he stuck it to Hitler in the 1930s, and I want to know more about him.

Algebra I is next, and it's a snap. I usually make a B in any math classes I take, and I never study and even don't always do all my homework. Math has always come easy to me. World History I is my third period class, and Mr. Foster, our quarterback and receiver coach, is the teacher. I bet Mr. Dell arranged that. Coach Foster stops teaching with about 10 minutes to go. Anyway he calls Caleb and me up to his desk, along with Micah the backup tight end to my brother. Coach Foster says he drew up some really neat plays for Micah and me and the other receivers and tight ends and wants to show them to us. While we're up there, I look up just for a second and spot Kylee watching me. I smile, and she looks away, but I may just have to pay her a visit during lunch one day.

And that day is today—her lucky day. she's sitting next to Jayla, and I come up to their table and just sit myself down and start talking and turning on the charm. But I don't stay long because I tell them I've got some more people to see. Joshua always says leave the ladies when they're still wanting more, that's what makes them go for you. He really understands women.

The afternoon classes aren't worth talking about. I keep looking at those plays from Coach Foster and studying over them. Finally, it's time for practice, and Coach Dell gives us a long pep talk before we start. He says this week is when practice really starts and it's crucial that everybody be on the same page before our first game on Friday night. Joshua told me Coach would say something like that. Joshua said crunch time would really start when we played our last two regular season games against Northwood and King, both on the road. Those two teams beat us bad last year, but last year Caleb and I were setting middle school records. Things will be different now—the reinforcements have come!

Put it down right now that Caleb will be good for four touchdown passes this Friday night and at least two of them will be to me. And we'll just be getting warmed up on what we can do. By those last two games, we will be unstoppable, and the whole school will be talking about us. I'm ready to dominate.