Dillon, Texas. A tight-knit town, deeply rooted in tradition and devoted to its high school football team, the Dillon Panthers. It is a place where residents rally together every Friday night, filling the stadium with passion, pride, and unwavering...
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The following day, as Maisy exited the school, she heard her name being called. "Maisy!" Tim walked up to her, holding out a sheet of paper. "Look here. All from my own brain," he said, displaying the oral report.
"A B-? I'm impressed, Riggins. You actually know how to read," Maisy gasped, examining the report. She handed it back to him, offering a genuine smile. She felt a sense of pride that he had completed the work independently for once, and she was equally impressed that Landry had managed to pull it off, now keeping her promise, was to head to his band's gig after the game that night.
"Do you need a ride home?" Tim asked, nodding towards his truck in the parking lot.
"My brother is here, but thanks." Maisy explained, pointing to the vehicle idling. Tim just nodded, walking the other way.
Maisy walked over to her brother's car, which had been parked in the lot for the last couple of minutes anticipating her dismissal from school.
"You and Riggins? You know that Billy wasn't good in school. I expect his brother to be the same," Derek lectured, drawing from their shared history attending Elementary and Middle school. He watched him carefully get into his truck from his driver side mirror.
"It's nothing. Him and the rest of the team just know how important grades are. It's playoffs; you can't mess up now," Maisy reassured her brother as she buckled her seatbelt. "Come on, take me to Alamo Freeze. Burgers on me."
———
Maisy had been enjoying the week with her brother, Derek, who seemed to have turned his life around, putting the past behind him.
Sitting on the bench next to Derek during the game, Maisy noticed his increasing distraction as the fourth quarter began. He stepped away multiple times to answer phone calls, and though she assumed it was business, annoyance crept in.
"Maisy! Coleman! I need a play!" Coach Taylor demanded as Saracen stood beside him.
"Pro gun right. X Y cross," Maisy muttered, her attention divided. Unsure if she had given the right play, she watched as Saracen threw the ball, landing in the touchdown zone with no one from the Panthers to catch it.
"Shit!" Maisy muttered as Coach Taylor gave her a disapproving look. He took charge, calling the plays himself.
After the game, Maisy left the stadium without staying to celebrate the win with the team. In the parking lot, she found Derek by his car, concluding a phone call harshly.
"It was a good game, right? Do you miss it?" Maisy asked as she stood next to her brother.
"Uh, yeah," he replied, not fully engaged in the conversation. Annoyed, Maisy rolled her eyes, realizing Derek hadn't even watched the last quarter to know if the Panthers had won or not.
