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Heart of a Bodyguard



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Mon May 21, 2012 9:41 pm
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan gasped, staring at Eric's back as he followed Coach Ryans. "What?!" she demanded. "You can't be serious, Coach!"

Anita looked at her friend, speechless in shock. The coach didn't hear them, or he chose to ignore them as he led Eric to the locker rooms. The girls stared at each other and stammered, not sure what to make of the situation. They finally sighed, turned away from the field as the sixty-member band - the only good thing about the football games, really - took the field with a jazz show. The girls made their way toward the concession stands.

"Has he ever played before?" Anita finally piped up.

"I don't know," Meagan answered as the line moved forward. "I don't think so. He never mentioned anything..." Not that I would know anyway...I've never really even spoken to the guy about his past school... She blushed at her own rudeness.

"I hope he doesn't get hurt! That would be terrible! Then that would be on Coach Ryans' head, too, and he could get fired for putting a non-athlete out!" Her voice was getting steadily more and more high-pitched and tense.

Meagan spun at her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Anita, stop! He's gonna be fine, okay? I mean, come on, we're talking about Eric here!"

Anita bit her lip, and nodded. The feisty brunette huffed and turned toward the cashier, making her order.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Mon May 21, 2012 10:20 pm
Dynamo says...



By the time they got back to their seats Eric was suited up and on the field. His uniform was #39. This should be interesting, if nothing else, Meagan thought as they sat back down.

On the field, the coach brought Eric to the rest of the team as they sat on the sideline to rest. Giving Eric a pat on the shoulder, he said, "I don't want you hurting yourself out there. Just do what your told, and you'll be fine."

The rest of the team grimaced when Eric approached. One of them said, "Great, now we're resorting to grabbing people out of the audience to help us."

Another kid poked him with his elbow. "Wait a minute, do you know who that is? It's that guy from this morning, the one that roughed up Matt." That seemed to get the rest of the team's attention. There was a mixture of surprise and tenseness to them now.

Rick, the quarterback, came up to Eric and extended a hand. "Hey, I'm Rick, the captain."

Eric took the offered hand. "I'm Eric."

"Sorry the coach had to drag you into this. If Matt wasn't such an asshole we wouldn't have had to resort to this."

"Then why do you keep him around?" Eric asked.

"He's the only running back we have." The referee blew his whistle, signalling for the players to get back onto the field. "We'll try to keep you out of harms way."

"Don't worry about me," Eric told him. He caught some looks from the visiting team, some of them found it amusing that the Gladiators had to grab someone from the audience to replace their running back.

When they huddled up, Rick said, "Okay, we're going to try a shotgun. We need to get through their line no matter what. We can still pull it together, but we need to work together."

"A shotgun isn't going to work," Eric pointed out. "Their line is too strong, they'll break through as soon as the play starts and sack you."

"Right now, it's our only option."

Eric looked over his shoulder. It was a long way to the end field, and they needed to make as much ground as they could. If they could somehow catch the other team off guard and get someone through, they might have a chance.

"I've got a better idea," Eric said. "Send me in to run it."

Everyone looked at each other, then back to Eric. "You're not serious, are you?" Rick asked. You said it yourself, their line is too strong. You'll never get through."

"That's why you all need to work together to give me an opening. They're not expecting the guy from the audience to put up much of a fight. They'll focus on getting through the line, they won't have anyone on the other side to take me down if I get through. If we do it right, we can get a solid lead."

Rick thought for a moment, then said, "You sure you can handle it?"

"Just worry about making that opening for me, I'll take care of the rest."

Rick nodded and said, "You heard him guys, we need to make that opening for Eric at all costs. Break!" They went to their spot on the field and set themselves up for the play. The line got into position, then the receivers moved in behind to reinforce. Eric got a few yards behind Rick so he could get a running start. He needed to be at top speed when he broke through.

The ball was hiked, and it began. The line pushed against the enemy team, then the receivers came in to help. Eric was already running, and when he passed Rick he grabbed the ball and went straight down the middle. At the last second the line managed to crack, and he needled his way through.

He had been right, the other team hadn't expected him to take the ball through, but there was still resistance on the other side. Three players came down on him at once. He juked one, then the other, just barely evading their reach. But the third player was already on him and moving in for the tackle. Eric held the ball tight under his shoulder and brought his body low so his shoulder pads were facing forward. When the enemy jumped at him, Eric moved under his body and lifted up hard with his free arm. Using the player's weight against him Eric literally flipped they guy over his shoulder. He heard the guy slam hard into the ground behind him as he pushed on. 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, then the other two players finally caught up with him and took him down from behind. He made it to the 40 yard line when he hit the ground.

When he got to his feet the crowd roared with excitement.
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Mon May 21, 2012 11:01 pm
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan sat in the stands and watched, anxious to see how the young man would fare. She inched up to the edge of the stadium seat, chewing on her lip as the seconds rolled by. She held her breath, watching him progress. He's gonna get hit. He's gonna get hit! He's...

She jumped to her feet when he plowed through and took off on a 39 yard drive. Her nervous fidgeting turned into triumphant screaming and jumping, cheering him on for the first time.

"That was amazing!" she screamed, looking at Anita. The girl was just as bubbly, if not more so. She was giggling and squealing in thrill, dancing in place. "We might actually win this!"

"I know! Go Eric!"

A group of kids standing nearby looked over at the girls, grinning and cheering. One of the boys, a freshman by the looks of him, asked, "What's that guy's name?"

"Eric!" Meagan answered, smiling. Maybe Eric was cooler than she gave him credit for.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Mon May 21, 2012 11:30 pm
Dynamo says...



The rest of the team race up to Eric. "That was amazing!" Rick shouted as they all gathered around.

"This isn't the time to be celebrating," Eric told him. "We've got about twenty seconds to plan out our next play."

Rick blinked for a moment, then nodded. "Right. Everyone, huddle up." Eric could see the excitement in everyone's eyes now. Eric's display had amped them all up. "Okay, we'll go for another run. If we can keep this pace we'll get to the end zone in no time."

"Another run isn't going to cut it," Eric explained. "They're wise to us now, they'll be expecting you to use me again. If you send me in, they'll send everything they've got at me."

"Damn, you're right. What should we do then?"

Eric smiled then. "Use it to our advantage," he said, then told them his plan.

When they broke they got into the same positions as the play before. As expected, they took some of their linebackers out of the line and into the back. They hiked the ball, and Eric ran. When Rick passed the ball off to him he charged through the crack the line managed to make for him. Every linebacker charged for him, and he never even reached the 10-yard line before he was taken down in a dog-pile.

The opposing team seemed to relax, but when the referee didn't blow his whistle to signal the end of play they started to panic. When Eric was able he rolled onto his back, and there was no ball in his arms.

"Stop the receiver!" The visiting team's quarterback shouted when Rick threw the ball to their wide receiver. The distraction earned them another twenty yard gain before the receiver was taken down.
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist
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Mon May 21, 2012 11:49 pm
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan laughed hysterically when she saw the feint. She reached over and grabbed Anita by the hand. The two girls started bouncing on their toes, squealing and dancing on the broad stadium step.

"This! Is! Awesome!" they screamed together.

Meagan turned to the field to see the team huddling up again. She grinned, wondering what they would do next. She gasped when she felt her phone vibrate in the secret pocket on her skirt. She fumbled with it, quickly pulling it out. It was her father, texting her. What are you doing?

She smiled, replying quickly. Watching the football game. Eric is here.

Okay. Sending Richard to pick you up when your done.

Anita tapped her arm, pointing to the field. The play was about to begin. Meagan sent an "Ok" before putting her phone back in her pocket, turning her attention to the game.
Last edited by AyumiGosu17 on Tue May 22, 2012 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Tue May 22, 2012 12:09 am
Dynamo says...



"We're almost there, just a few more yards!" one of the other players said excitedly.

Rick turned to Eric, his face beaming. "We've got them on the ropes, what now?"

"Now, we go all out," Eric told him. "Do we have any tight ends?"

Eric nodded to the player across from him, the boy's uniform was labelled #7. "Grant here is our tight end."

"Okay, here's how we're going to play it. We'll send out two receivers, one on either side of the line. Me and Grant will make a run on either side to feint them. They won't know if we'll be making a run or a pass." He explained the rest of the plan before they broke the huddle and got into position.

They hiked the ball and fanned out, and just as Eric had predicted the other team didn't know who the ball was going to. When Grant and Eric made their feints to grab the other team's attention Rick threw the ball to one of the receivers, and just in time too since the line broke and he was tackled a mere second later. He ran a few yards before one of the line backers caught up to him, and he passed the ball off to Grant.

Grant ran until two more players came down on him, at which point he made a hard 90-degree turn and dash straight across the field. Eric approached from his right and when their path's crossed Grant held out the ball and passed it off to him. Eric grabbed the ball and dashed like hell toward the end-zone. His heart hammered against his chest as he heard the other players gaining on him from behind. He wasn't a fast runner, he knew this, but the play would be enough to pull him through. He only had 30 yards to go... 20... 10... then he felt the hand on the back of his jersey as one of the opposing line backers caught up to him. He pulled hard against the tug, and when he went down he held the ball out as far as he could. He hit the ground with a hard thud, and the referee's whistle blew to signal the end of play. When the dust settled Eric saw the ball in his out-stretched hands. It touched the ground just behind the end-zone line.

The referee brought up both arms and shouted "Touch down!"
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Tue May 22, 2012 12:30 am
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan screamed, jumping up and down. She swelled in excitement and pride, watching Eric as he pushed himself up. He was something, alright... Even Coach Ryans was jumping, throwing his hat around as he cheered the team on himself.

"And touch doooooooown Gladiators! This is unbelievable! Who would have thought a student in the stands had this much influence on the team! Amazing!" Duke shouted over the microphone. "Somebody, run up here and tell me who the hell this kid is, this world has got to know the talent that we possess on our team now!"

Meagan and Anita both darted, running up the stairs toward the box. They reached the stairs, where they were stopped by a security guard. "Tell Duke his name is Eric! Eric Sanders!" she told him.

"Who, that new kid? Eric Sanders?"

"Yes!"

"Thanks, girls. Enjoy the game."
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Tue May 22, 2012 12:53 am
Dynamo says...



They made the try for point kick after the touch-down, which brought their touchdown score from 6 to 7. From that point on the Edgeworth Gladiators fought tooth and nail against the St. Rita's Armadillos. With their new-found enthusiasm they somehow managed to push through and block the visiting team at every turn. The battle went on, and as the clock ticked they reached the final seconds of the game in the fourth quarter.

The score was 28 - 26, with the Armadillos in the lead. They stood 20-yards from the end-zone, and with ten seconds left on the board they only had time for one more play. They had called their last time out to stop the clock and give them time to discuss what to do next.

In the huddle, Rick said, "This is it guys, one more touch down and the game is ours!"

"We won't be able to make it," Eric told them, and he felt a little pity when he saw all their faces fall. "They'll pull out all their stops to keep us from advancing. As it stands, we won't be able to take even an inch past their line."

"But we're so close!" one of the other kids said. "We've never been this close to actually winning before."

Rick turned to Eric. "There's got to be something we can do, isn't there?"

"There is one thing, and it might be our only shot." Eric looked over his shoulder at the goal post. Only twenty yards, it should be more than close enough. "We need to kick it."

Rick nodded. "The three-point difference would be just enough to put us on top." He put a hand on Eric's shoulder. "Eric, since you were the one that got us this far I think you should make the kick."

Eric looked at the rest of the team, and they all seemed to agree. "All right," he said, and they broke the huddle to get into position.

They hiked the ball and Rick planted it on the ground for Eric. Eric ran forward, his eyes trained on the ball even as the line broke down and the opposing team surged forward. With all his strength, he kicked the ball and sent it flying. It soared toward the goal post, and it looked like it was going to make it.

Eric's heart hitched when the ball curved to the left, and he cursed under his breath when it bounced off the post and fell to the ground. The clock struck zero, and the blaring horns signalled the end of the game.

The score: St. Rita Armadillos 28, Edgeworth Gladiators 26.
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist
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Tue May 22, 2012 1:09 am
AyumiGosu17 says...



The crowd groaned, disappointed, but returned to cheering. The crowd that had remained after half time had stayed for the rest of the game, keeping the stadium half full. It was a solid roar of clapping, whistles, and cheers. It had lost some of its energy in the defeat, but it was the first acknowledgment of a good game the stadium had seen in over a decade.

Richard smiled from the top of the stadium, where he had been standing for the last quarter. That was a surprise; it was worthy of reporting to Robert when they got back, so he could let the kid's parents know how he was doing in his new school. Meagan smiled down at the team as the boys huddled together for the last time. She ran down to the grass, leaning on the chain link fence and waiting for him to come over nearer. She chewed on her lip nervously. I was so mean... I was a bitch! He's pretty damn cool. I should at least congratulate him for this; he's not gonna be viewed the same at the school anymore.

At the back of the stadium, Matt huffed, arms crossed. Damn nuisance, he scoffed. First he saves Meagan, then he shows me up, and now this... He pushed away from the wall and began to stalk toward the locker room. "This has to stop. Tonight."
Last edited by AyumiGosu17 on Tue May 22, 2012 10:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Tue May 22, 2012 1:41 am
Dynamo says...



Even though they lost, playing in the game had been a thrill for Eric. He only wished he could play again. After receiving praises from the whole team they went to the locker room to get back into their normal clothes. Matt was already leaving by the time they arrived, and he sent Eric one steely glare as he passed by. Eric simply ignored him.

When Eric came out of the locker room he saw Coach Ryans and Rick waiting for him. "That was a great game you played out there kid," the coach said, patting a hand on his shoulder. "You caught us off guard, I don't think anyone expected you to take charge of the game like that."

"Thanks, sir," Eric said. "I just did what I could to win," though he revelled a little in of pride from the compliment. No one had given him such praise in his old school.

"We're just going to come out and say it," Rick said. "We want you on the team. We think you'd be a great asset, and you just might give us the push we need to get into the championships this year."

Eric raised his brows. Flattered, he said, "You want me on the team?"

"We'd be crazy not to," the coach said. "What do you say, kid? Will you join the team and help us fight to the top?"

Eric opened his mouth to say yes, then stopped when he caught Meagan leaning on the chain link fence near the field watching him. He remembered why he was coming to this school, the job he was supposed to do. He sighed and shook his head. "I'd like to, but I can't."

Both their faces fell immediately. "You can't?" Rick asked.

"I've got things I need to do that would conflict with my schedule if I joined the team."

Rick sighed in defeat, but then smiled. "Well, we can't force you to join. We'd really like it if you could, but if you have other things to take care of we understand. If you like, the invitation will always be open for you if you change your mind."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Eric said. He shook their hands one more time before heading over to where Meagan stood. "Your dad wants us to come straight home. Richard said he'd be waiting with the limo out front as soon as school was out." He paused for a moment when Meagan looked at him with something of regret and apology. "Is there something you want to say?" he asked, expecting another of tantrums.
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Tue May 22, 2012 2:06 am
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan smiled sheepishly. "Sorry?" she said, a little embarrassed that she was doing this. "And...great job. For once, football at the Edgeworth Stadium was worth watching." She nodded and turned away from him, beginning to climb the stairs toward the parking lot at the top.

Matt was waiting at the door for her. When he spotted her, he stepped out of the shadows and grabbed her by the arm. "Bratty bitch," he spat angrily. "You're the only reason he's here! To protect you!" He shoved her away, sending her sprawling on the pavement. She cried out when she scraped her hands and knees in the fall.

"What's your problem, Matt!" she screamed back at him, scooting away.

"You are!"
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Tue May 22, 2012 2:20 am
Dynamo says...



Matt moved in to grab her again, but was stopped when Eric put himself between them. "I think that's enough," Eric said.

"You!" he shouted, jabbing a finger at Eric. "You do you think you are, coming in from no where and strutting around like you own the damn school? I'm the start player of the Gladiators, I'm not going to have some punk from up state muscle in and take my place!"

Eric simply folded his arms. "Cry more."

Something in Matt snapped and the kid swung out and clocked Eric in the face. Seeing the fist impact with his face made Meagan flinch and gasp with horror. Eric, on the other head, turned his head back to face Matt. He lightly touched a hand to his cheek while Matt started juking around like a boxer. "How'd you like that? Want some more?"

Eric merely smiled. "Well, looks like you have some balls after all." He slid his left leg back to take most of his weight as he brought his fists up to fight.
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist
Take that, science!





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164 Reviews



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Tue May 22, 2012 9:27 pm
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan gasped, shifting to her hands and knees and squatting to watch, ready to pounce to her feet if she needed to get out of their way. She chewed on her lip, staring at Eric's back. He...protected me... He really did.

Matt roared, charging forward and throwing all of his weight into a hard right hook. He swung violently toward Eric's face again, but he was met with a quick block and a blow to his own nose. He staggered backwards, growling in his rage, and recovered. He rushed Eric again, hands trembling they were clenched so tightly. He reached to grab Eric by the shirt with one hand, preparing an upper cut at the same time.

"You bastard!" Matt snarled.

Meagan whimpered softly, getting to her feet and taking a couple steps back. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but she wasn't able to answer. She couldn't move. She was mesmerized by the scene before her, by her own realization that Eric, this dark stranger, really was there to help her - and that he was going to, no matter what.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV





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Tue May 22, 2012 10:16 pm
Dynamo says...



Eric blocked the uppercut before grabbing Matt's arm and twisting it. The boy yelped in pain as he released Eric's shirt. Eric released him and moved in with the speed and grace of a tiger. With one quick, solid punch he planted his fist into the dead centre of Matt's solar plexus.

Matt's eyes bulged as he clutched his chest and choked. He went down to his knees and wheezed as he struggled to put air back into his lungs. He tried to say something, but it just came out as another wheeze. Eric knew the kid was down and out, at least for now.

Eric turned to Meagan and said, "Richard's waiting for us, come on."
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Take that, science!





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Tue May 22, 2012 10:41 pm
AyumiGosu17 says...



Meagan swallowed, watching Matt struggle. Eric didn't seem hurt at all, except for the red mark on his face. She blushed, unable to meet his gaze. She turned and walked with him, before him, and headed out the gate toward the parking lot.

Richard frowned when he saw them approaching. "Meagan, what happened?" he asked, rushing toward her.

She blinked and looked down at her hands and knees. Blood was beginning to collect in the scrapes and trickle down her skin. She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I...fell," she lied, opening the door for herself and climbing in without another word.

Richard huffed, spotting Eric. His face and knuckles were red. He went to him. "What happened to her? She won't tell me even though she's bleeding!" he cried.

Meagan stared out the window at the darkening sky. A tear ran down her cheek. There was only one thing that worried her now; Matt was going to declare war on them both now, after that. And just knowing him...he was going to be even more dangerous.
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Timothy 4:14 KJV








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