Read Online The Extra Yard by Mike Lupica - Free Book Online

you heard!” Teddy said. “Where this time, the gym?”
    â€œYou can find out a lot of interesting things about football on the Internet,” she said. “I’m just putting that out there.”
    He ate in silence for a couple of minutes. She went back to reading the paper. When he finished eating, she said, “I haven’t even asked—how are you planning to get to the game?”
    â€œJack said he could pick me up, if I wanted.”
    â€œNope,” she said. “I’ll take you.”
    There was another silence at the table, before Teddy said, “Is he planning to come?”
    They both knew who he was talking about.
    â€œHe said he was,” Teddy’s mom said.
    â€œFigured,” Teddy said. “You two going to sit together?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter whether we do or not,” she said. “This isn’t his day. It’s not my day. It’s yours. Just remember that.”
    Then she pointed at him, her face serious, and said, “And to wear your helmet.”
    She said she’d clean up. He went back upstairs, killed more time on his computer, texted Jack and Gus and Cassie. Finally it was a quarter to ten, and time for him and his mom to leave for the field. He put on his uniform and walked down the stairs, helmet in hand.
    On his way through the front hall, he caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror. Not knowing his mom was watching, he turned and took a better look.
    â€œLooks like a football player to me,” she said.
    â€œRemember that time I dressed up like a player for Halloween?” Teddy said. “I almost just said ‘trick or treat.’ ”
    â€œNot today, number thirteen,” she said. “Definitely not today.”

TEN
    E verything was in fast-forward from the time he got to the field.
    He stretched with the rest of the Wildcats. He warmed up with Jack, along with the rest of the receivers. When he looked over to the stands, even they seemed to be filling up quickly, as if everybody at Holzman Field couldn’t wait for the season to officially start.
    Teddy noticed that his mom and dad were standing next to each other, right in front of Mr. and Mrs. Callahan and Gus’s parents.
    I’ve finally got a dad in the stands, Teddy thought. I just don’t know how I really feel about that .
    Cassie was down near the field with some of her soccer teammates, standing in the narrow area between the fence behind the Wildcats’ bench and the first row of the bleachers.
    She waved Teddy and Jack and Gus over to her, maybe ten minutes before the kickoff.
    â€œWell,” she said to them, “this is what we’ve been waiting for.”
    â€œWe?” Teddy said. He looked at Jack and Gus, who both shrugged.
    â€œBehind every good man is a good woman,” Cassie said. “Haven’t you ever heard that one?”
    â€œWhat if it’s three men?” Gus said.
    â€œWell, that would probably require a great woman, wouldn’t it?”
    Teddy looked past her, up into the stands. “If you spot a great woman at the game, let us know.”
    â€œI’d definitely like to meet somebody like that,” Jack said.
    â€œOkay, enough chitchat,” she said. “Go make yourselves useful and win the game.”
    She knuckle-bumped them, one after another. Teddy was last. Before he turned to leave, he couldn’t help himself, as nervous as he was. He tipped back his helmet and smiled at her.
    â€œYou’re ready,” she said.
    â€œYou know what?” Teddy said. “I am.”
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    For as long as Teddy had been a football fan, he’d heard announcers on NFL games talk about how much the game sped up when you went from college to the pros. Well, maybe the same thing happened when you went from never having played a real game of football to here .
    The Wildcats won the coin toss and decided to take the ball.