The next couple days suck until we go to the National’s. I look at the team before we get off the bus.
”Hey guys let’s do this for Matt.” I hear them chanting Matt as we get off and I hope to win it for the one team member that should be here that isn’t
We have been giving it our all as the score was tied in the 4th quarter. My team mates were breathing hard as I looked at all of them in the huddle. We all were wearing a armband with the letter M that stood for Matt. I knew if he was here the game would of been done by now.
“ Ok guys I know your all tired, but we have this. This is our moment to make our school proud, but to make us feel good inside. We will take that championship from those assholes. We do this for Matt.” I say as each of them nod with a smile feeling energized. We leave the huddle to prepare to make the winning goal
We stood on the 10 yard line to make the winning goal with 40 seconds on the clock. Once the referee saw it was time he blew his whistle. Once I looked from side to side I did my chant and that was it. Adam hiked me the ball as I stepped back. I looked for where my one good throw could go. I had no open team mates. So I decided to make this goal for my brother.
I faked direction going from right to left. I ran copying what Matt would making my way past the opposing team. My team plowed right through yelling Matt’s name. I felt tears come to my eyes as I made it pass everyone making the touchdown just as the clock buzzer sounded. Everyone on our side of the field started cheering as I noticed the referee’s arms go straight up.
I ran to my team while they ran to meet me. We hugged and cried as we were doing this for one of us that wasn’t here. Once all the cheering was over the coach came over to me with the trophy and a microphone. He gave me a smile handing me both, but Adam helped holding the trophy. I looked at everyone in the stands before looking up to see my parents and godparents. I turned to see my team and Adam nod their heads.
“ I know you all are cold and tired. I know it’s been a long game, but I have something to say.” I exclaim as no one moves as they just keep looking down at the field at me before I continue “ My name is Nick Dakoson I am the quarterback of the Fighting Bulldogs. Some of you know me and some don’t. Tonight we won this trophy as a team, but the thing is one of us isn’t here.
Number 30 Matt Hartigan. He has been our running back since the beginning.” I say feeling tears come to me as Coach Rinnert pats my back to keep going before I continue again” He helped get us here game after game. He left for his own reasons to who knows where. He may not be here in person, but his spirit was here every step of the way. He is a son, brother, and most of all a great friend. He was and will always be the heart of this team. He is a part of all of you every game you attended, every ball he caught was for all of you and this team. He is my best friend. So with all that said I want to ask everyone here to please stand up to give our brother a cheer so that he may hear it where ever he maybe.”
Everyone stood up with tears and smiles. The team all surrounded Adam and I as we lifted the trophy up in the air. I looked to see my parents and godparents crying as Adam and I started chanting Matt’s name. Everyone started in as I heard everyone get louder. The team all chanted his name. I turned my head to see the other team come over to join our team as their side was chanting. I couldn’t believe it as I turned to see Adam smiling with tears of his own. We made that trophy rise as far up to the sky we could. I smiled as I had a thought come to me. I chuckled as I spoke if Matt was here.
“ This is for you bro please be safe and well. We love you Matt.” I say softly as people came to the field
Adam and our parents came to us as our dads helped keep the trophy in the air. My mother stepped up to me with tears as she hugged me.
“ I am so proud of you baby, and I know Matt is smiling where ever he is.” My mom tells me shivering as I hold her with my right arm
“ Thanks mom, but I couldn’t of done it without Matt in my heart.” I say as everyone get’s louder
It’s about a hour later that we are back on the road in the school bus as the team talks of how one man got us to this moment. Adam and I are in the back as we see our parents follow as dad was doing his duty escorting us home as a friend of his was in front of the bus. Adam looks at me before he speaks.
“ Bro that was one hell of a speech.” He tells me as I just shrug
“ It came from the heart man that’s all.” I say as he nods
“ Well still it was heartfelt there was not a dry eye bro.” He tells me as I nod
It was late when we got home since the game was out of town. I just sat in the seat thinking of what Matt would of said. Knowing him something in a smart ass way.
It’s been 4 weeks since I have been here. I’m sitting on my foot locker shining my boots. I look around at my squad members who are cleaning. I have my foot locker already for inspection tomorrow just making sure my boots shine to where Drill Sargent Shank can see his face. I loved pissing him off. I guess that was still the kid in me because I loved how I could mess with him like I could Billy.
He loved making me run, or do squats. I look at my bunk and it would pass the quarter test and make that fucking quarter fly 10 foot over. I finish my boots as Shank walks in,’Attention!’ We all snap to attention getting in front of our bunks. Shank walks through and makes comments to make sure everyone has their shit in order. He gets to me and tells me he wants to test my bed making skills. He flips the quarter on my bed and it does what he wants. He looks at me.
“ Good job PFC Hartigan….” He tells me getting a smile as I watch him rip the bunk apart just to continue “ If you were a fucking preschooler!”
He looks at me.
“ Foot locker now.” He says as I step aside. He looks at everything and it is in order
“Good good…” He exclaims before he flips it throwing my shit across the barracks before he continues” What the fuck schoolboy? Did you stop sucking your momma’s tit too soon? Did she keep any of her intelligent kids, or just the afterbirth?”
Shank’s words piss me off comparing me to those sluts that were my sisters
“ Don’t know Drill Sergeant… the only thing I know is your wife said that if you had a dick a tenth as long as mine she’d stop picking up younger guys for sex. Something about they were 4 times bigger than you hard.” I respond as Shank looks at me and he sucker punches me
I turn and hit him back as we exchnage blows back and forth. I am kicking his ass as just to have some of my squad mates pull me off. Shank spits out blood.
“ Everyone you are to stand down is that understood? What happens in the barracks stays in the barracks. You think you can take me Schoolboy?” He asks me as I look at him and grin
“ Any day as I fuck your mother,sister,aunt, wife, and daughter at the same time.” I say as Shank goes and tackles me as we roll on the ground punching and kicking as we roll into guys and knock shit off the open foot lockers
Shank is on top as I kick him off and he goes backwards. I get up and run towards him and he flips me into the storage room doors. I crack them as Shank goes to the door and comes back in with his nightstick he carries. He swings it into my ribs as I hear them crack but I catch the 5th hit and he goes to rear back but can’t. I look at him.
“ My turn you fucking cheap ass bitch.” I say as I cold cock him and grab him by the throat as I throw him into the same doors
I start to walk away as he calls me a fucking momma’s boy. I snap as I hit him full force with a tackle and destroy the doors as I start pounding away. I feel 20 sets of arms grab me and take me to the ground. My squad basically all sits on me to where I can’t more.
“ Hey the fucker said to stand down.” I say as Mike Jackson tells me
“ Dude if we didn’t stop you I think you would have killed him.” He says as I look and Shank was definately fucked up and I wondered if my nickname would finally drop
It’s about a day later I am called into the commander’s office. I am escorted by eight of my platoon mates as I enter to see Shank. Oh fuck they’re gonna kick me out because we fought. The commander speaks to the guys.
“ Gentlemen that will be all. You are dismissed.” They salute before heading back
I stand at attention until he tells me to relax so I go to parade ease. He looks at me.
“ I said to fucking relax private this is a friendly chat.” He tells me as I ease up thinking its a test before Shank speaks
“ Hartigan I have some questions for you.” He says as I nod while he continues “ Why have you not received any letters from home or sent any? Why have you never called home? What drives you?”
I look at Shank before speaking.
“ I am driven by my need to be the best that I can be Drill Sergeant.” I answer as he looks at me
“ No son why are you so damn hard on yourself?” He says as I look at a man talking to me not the ass of a DS that I respect
He looks at me as he talks.
“ When I was eighteen I left home because I had to support my mom and younger siblings. I lost my mom three years later to breast cancer.” I look at him as he continues to speak “ My little brother got involved in drugs and while high killed his pregnant girlfriend. He sits on death row to this day. My little sister graduated and found a nice guy. I walked her down the aisle and she thanked me for living up my future to support them. I told her my drive in life was to provide for them. Do you get what I mean son?”
I give him a nod as I speak.
“ Drill Sargent Shank I just wanted away from my hometown. My family hurt me so I left not that they wanted me. I stayed with two close friends and their families. I graduated early so I could escape my family. No one knows I joined the Army and I’m hear at Ft. Benning. The reason I don’t write home is like I said no one knows that I’m here and I don’t want to contact them.” I say as the two men look at one another and nod as Shank address me
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