The Pep Rally

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We started a show on Netflix.

Something about high school football. We didn’t make it through the first episode but they mentioned the ‘pep rally’.

It brought back a memory.

I played one year of ⚽️ soccer. 

Hated every minute of it. 

(Even scored an own goal).

We had a pep rally.

I recall the pep rally in full color memory because that year (I was a freshman) I had a brand new, huge crush on a girl.

She was going to be there, along with the entire school, and I was going to be in full uniform as a member of the team that everyone came to cheer.

Sure I was seldom-used, but it was the first game of the year.

No one knew that.

There was a huge bonfire. 🔥 

A loudspeaker 📢 and the entire school body 🏫 was there.

Including my crush 😻 who was front and center as they began to announce the players.

We were lined up in alphabetical order so I didn’t have to wait too long to catch the soccer ball on my right foot and make a quick circle ⭕️ trip around the bonfire 🔥.

“AT FORWARD, CLIFF….”

I took off running…balancing the ball perfectly and pushing it in front of me as if I knew how to play the stupid sport.

I looked straight at HER and her smiling eyes 👀 was the last thing I saw before I tripped.

Well, I didn’t really trip.

One of my teammates (and a good buddy too) kicked the back of my right foot….

…which made contact with my left foot.

The ball wound up in the 🔥 fire.

My face, chest and knees all ended up in the dirt and a roar of laughter echoed in my head.

“Cliff lost his footing,” the Coach announced.

I’m not quite sure how long my face was in the dirt, but eventually I had to get up…

…didn’t I?

Know who helped me up?

No! Not her!!

She was laughing too hard to be of any help.

The guy who tripped me!!

“That was perfect,” he wailed, through waves of laughter.

“You all right?”

I stood up slowly. Brushed the dirt off.

Another teammate was making his way around the fire.

My crush was clapping for him. 

She was still laughing.

At me.

That’s what I think of when ‘Pep Rally’ is mentioned.

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