Saturday (Part Two)

Somewhere in the distance, the Platters were playing. It was now 12:45 pm and Napolean sauntered up to me as the rest of the team and the coaching staff trudged off the field eyeing me coyly as if I was to go to the gallows. Thats what it certainly felt like. As the final annoying solitary player left the field, Naploean turned to have a look at me. 6'1, 160 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes, I was your typically smart aleck, alienated teen. He stared at me a little more before asking me to stop up the 35 yard line. I obeyed without a word. Sweat dripped down my face and into my eyes. The sun glared down on us. It was unusually hot out. I sang that Platters diddy in my head once more. He walked to the sideline. "Get down in a three point stance", he said. Again, I obeyed. "On hit, sprint to the opposite endzone", he said. Shit, 65 yards. I should have done golf. " Set...HIT". I took off at light speed, the Platters song stuck in my head.

2:15 pm. The radio says its a Platters tribute day. Sweet. More 60's tunes to hum too. I ran 25 sprints. Pain had never been so numbing. I can see why players shoot their coaches. If you gave an AK-47 after that, I would have gone fucking Rambo on him. Showered, clean and dressed, I felt the need to hang out with my friends and since it was a Saturday, I could see no problem. Barefoot, I walked up the stairs of my two-story Colonial house to reach my phone. As I entered my room I realized something. I had left my phone at my girlfriend Allie's house last night when she was having a party. I now clearly remember booze, which would explain the lack of alarm clock and the general disorientation this morning. I was not looking foward to retrieving it. Fortunatley, for my unlucky self, my mother called the house (for some odd reason she works on Saturdays) and asked me to pick up some groceries. Ok, I thought to myself, shopping and then out. This couldn't get so bad. I slipped on some sandals and headed to my car. Locked the door of the house. My keys were still in the house. I groaned. It was going to be one of those days.