For the Love of the Game
Friday night. Lights illuminate a green field. The excitement is palpable. I stood in the stands with my friends waiting for the warriors to run onto the gridiron. Excited cheerleaders stir the crowd into a frenzy. The game starts and we're sure that our cheers will move the team to victory. I leave the stands and mingle. Then, when the first quarter is finished, I make my way to the school. We change into sequined skirts and tall, white boots. Tease the hair, then run through the empty halls, heels clacking on the linoleum. Back outside, we wait at the edge of the grass. Music starts and my butterflies disappear into the air. We march onto the field, heads held high. Later, we rejoin the fans. I flirt with that boy. He holds my hand. The band plays and we cheer some more. This was the sum of my high school social life. I lived in southern Idaho in a very small community. Sports weren't just f...