Scott pumped his arm and launched the football my way, a perfect spiral. I jogged a few steps back and to my right, just enough to pull it down. Then I repositioned and sailed a pass back to him, a little wobble marring an otherwise smooth arc. Scott made an over-the-shoulder basket catch. The showoff.
I said, "Nice snag, man. You've been practicing."
"A little. Gotta stay sharp, right?"
Scott and I played football together in high school, but college was a different story. I go to the University of Nebraska and Scott goes to Texas A&M, both huge football schools. You have to be damn good to play Husker or Aggie football, and neither of us are that good. We both play on intramural squads, but it isn't the same as the real deal--no stadium full of cheering fans, no fancy weight room, no scholarship.
It was the day after Thanksgiving. Scott and I were both home from college, enjoying the gorgeous mid-70s temperatures with some quality time in my back yard while most of my family was shopping. Actually, I should say
my parents'
back yard, since I haven't lived here full time for two years. It still felt like home.
Scott said, "Hey, Ryan, want to take a break for a while?"
I needled him. "Aw, your arm ain't what it was, Scotty."
He chuckled and said, "Gotta save some strength." We made our way to the picnic table on the back porch and sat on the table with our feet on the plank seat, looking out at the yard, the pigskin between us.
Scott and I were inseparable in high school. In addition to playing football together, we took the same classes, hung out with the same people, and were each other's support system. In high school I knew just about everything there was to know about Scott, even the gross parts. He knew the same about me. I had to admit that we didn't know each other as well anymore after two years at separate colleges.
"So," he said, "how's Hannah doing?"
The one mystery about Scott was his feelings about my little sister. I was pretty sure he had a thing for Hannah in high school, but he never mentioned it and I never asked. I thought they might go out, but as far as I know they never did.
"Hannah's doing great. She graduated this year and started at community college."
"So she still lives here?"
"Yeah. Dad always said he'd kick her out when she turned 18, but I guess he had a change of heart because her birthday was 6 months ago."
"Man, little Hannah is 18?"
I recoiled in false amazement. "Dude, we're 20, and she's always been two years younger. I don't know why this is such a shock."
"I don't know, time flies, I guess."
"Yeah, now you sound like my grandpa. What was it like back in the olden days? Bunch of whippersnappers."
"Shut up. I'm just saying, a lot has changed around here while I've been at college, you know?"
"Yeah."
The sound of the sliding door caught our attention, and we both turned to see Hannah coming out on the patio. "Hey, Scott," she said.
"Hey," he said back, not the most affectionate greeting for someone who was so nostalgic about her youth just a minute before.
Hannah was in shorts and a tanktop, her normal running attire. I said, "How was the jog today?"
"Just OK. Part of my route is closed for construction, so I didn't go as far as usual."
Scott said, "That sucks. Why do they have to close it on a holiday weekend?"
"I know, right?" she said. "Anyway, what are you guys up to today?"
I said, "Throwing the football around. Probably watch a game later."
"Is this what throwing the football around looks like? Sitting on your butts?"
Leave it to Hannah to make me feel right at home. I smiled and said, "Well, we just sat down."
She kept laying it on. "
Sure
you did. Been working out like crazy all morning, right? And just stopped the second before I got home? What a coincidence!"
I couldn't stifle a laugh. "Well, Scott wanted to take a --"
Scott interrupted me mid-sentence. "Hannah, you want to throw the ball around with us for a while?"
"Oh," she said, "well sure. Why not?"
We hauled our butts off the table and went back out in the yard. On the way out, with Hannah out of earshot, I whispered to Scott, "Save some strength?"
He whispered back, simply, "Shut up."
We took turns tossing the ball in a triangle formation. Hannah was no slouch. She'd played lacrosse in high school, and she had good upper body strength and hand-eye coordination.
After a few throws each, I said, "You guys want to play some two-on-one?"
Scott said, "Sure."
At the same time, Hannah said, "Well that sounds unfair. Who gets to be the one?"
"No, it's not like that," I said. "We take turns being quarterback, receiver, and defender. When you're quarterback, you have four downs to make a pass to the receiver on the other side of the yard. The defender will either rush at you or guard the receiver. If you complete the pass then you and the receiver each get a point. Everyone keeps their own score."
"Oh, OK," Hannah said. "It sounds pretty much like what we've been doing, just slightly more moving our feet."
"Yeah, I suppose."
Scott said, "And no running plays. The quarterback has to pass on every down."
"OK," she said. "I think I get it."
I said, "Let's play a practice down. I'll be quarterback, Scott will be receiver, and Hannah, you can defend."
They were fine with that idea. We set up a line of scrimmage even with the edge of the patio on one side of the yard, with the goal line on the opposite wall. It wasn't a huge yard, but big enough that you had to make a good throw.
I lined up in a crouch with Scott to my right and Hannah facing me. She had the posture and facial expression of a bruising NFL linebacker, even if her body was a fraction of the size and a much different shape.
I said, "Hike," and as Scott ran downfield, Hannah burst over the line and slammed into me, taking me down. Her posture and expression were obviously a better indication of her intensity level than her size. As if a sack on the first play wasn't bad enough, she made matters worse by stripping the ball out of my fingertips before I hit the ground, then ran with it behind me to the edge of our yard.
She hoisted the football above her arms and let out a whoop, then literally skipped back to where I was still lying on the ground, unhurt but with my pride dinged. She said, "Hey, that was a strip sack!"
From the ground I wasn't thrilled to give her credit, but she had sacked me, and she had stripped the ball away from me. Picking myself up off the lawn, I said, "Yeah, nice play. But I'll be ready for you next time."
She was still dancing around with the football. "You can't just take it easy when you play your little sister, you know."
"Fine," I said. "All right, I'm out as QB because of the sack. Which one of you --"
Hannah barged in. "Wait a sec, Ryan. I'm just now remembering something."
"What? How to be a gracious winner?"
"Very funny," she said. "No, I'm remembering when you guys used to play football at our house with a bunch of other boys."
"Yeah, those were good days," Scott chimed in. "That was a long time ago."
Hannah continued. "I'm remembering something very specific that used to happen. I think it happened after a strip sack. Yeah, I'm sure of it. You remember, right?"
Jesus. I had an inkling what she meant, but I didn't want to be the one to say it out loud. "No, what are you talking about?"
"C'mon, bro, don't play dumb with me. You and Scott both know exactly what I'm talking about. You guys had a ritual every time there was a strip sack."
I said, "Hannah, that was such a long time ago. Back then it was just a bunch of boys goofing around in the yard. And anyway, how do you even know about this?"