Chasing the Dream (pt 3)

Derek’s Chevy flew down the rutted gravel road, and dried up corn fields flashed past on both side of the road. The old truck was creating a cloud of white dust trailing behind him so big that it made rearview mirror visibility impossible. Derek jerked the truck off the road and pulled up the long driveway in front of Jerry Little’s family farm. Jerry was a junior, and he was a giant kid. He had played football with Brandon and Derek since his freshman year. The only reason he even bothered going to high school was to play football. Jerry had once told Derek, that if he had to waste his time in high school, he might as well hit people while was there. Derek was glad he did. Jerry led their defensive line, and he was responsible for more quarterback sacks than any player in their rural conference.

Derek threw the truck in park. “Hey run in and get him, we’re already late.”

“Dude, just honk the horn. He’s not your date,” Brandon said and glared at his friend.

“That’s rude. His mom and dad are in there.”

“Seriously!” Brandon attempted to force open the passenger door with a powerful shove with his right forearm. The door stuck and he bounced back. He cursed at it before giving it even more force, and it popped open. “When are you going to get that fixed?” He growled.

“When are you going to learn?” Derek laughed. Even with the stress he felt tonight, watching his friend struggle with his old truck door never got old.

Before Brandon reached the yard, Jerry busted through his front door and piled his gear up on the front porch, and he disappeared back into the house for more gear. Brandon continued toward the house, threw one of the bags over his shoulder and lugged it back to the truck. Jerry soon joined him with the rest of his equipment. Between the three of them they had nearly filled the back of the truck with all the sports equipment required to play their favorite game.

Jerry and Brandon stood outside the passenger door looking at one another. “Come on guys we need to get there; just get in the truck,” Derek yelled from the driver’s seat.

“You first dude, I’m too big to sit in the middle.” Jerry stated with authority.

“You first!” Brandon said calmly but with a snarl and squinted eye that caused Jerry to slide across the front seat next to Derek.

Derek didn’t hesitate one second once both young men were in the truck. He spun around in the large open driveway in front of the barn filled with Jerry’s dad’s expensive farming equipment.

“Why are we leaving so early?” Jerry squirmed in the seat trying to settle his large frame in the tight space.

“Three recruiters are going to be there tonight. Brandon and I are going to run some drills and talk to them before the game tonight.”

“Yeah man, I hope we get picked up by the Illini.” Brandon chimed in as if he already knew he would get a scholarship.

“Dude I just want someone, anyone to pay for my college.” Derek said.

Brandon nodded in agreement and said, “Yeah but if you could choose. Where would you go?”

“I’ve never thought about choosing.” Derek admitted.

“I don’t get why you guys want to go to college.” Jerry shrugged and pushed his big shoulder against Brandon.

Derek turned and looked at Jerry. “You don’t want to go to college?”

“Dude, he’s got daddy’s farm to run when he graduates.” Brandon interjected. “Derek and I are going to start a major business together.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna to open a gym franchise. College is the first step.”

“Derek is going to handle the business side of things, and I got sales and marketing.” Brandon added. “We’re getting out of this small town and making some real money. And I’m not going to get stuck in some job I hate just to put food on the table, like my dad. He’s like fifty and looks like he’s closer to a hundred. The brick plant is killing him, and he hates it.”

“He should quit,” Jerry said.

“And do what?” Brandon said resting both hands on the dashboard staring at Jerry. “Not everyone has six hundred acres of land to get government subsidies from.”

“Fuck you dude, my dad would rather be farming that land.” Jerry sat up straight and his broad shoulders forced both boys sideways.

“Whatever.” Brandon said.

Derek pulled out on to the two lane state highway and sped the truck up. It groaned under the strain, and the V8 engine roared as it finally reached sixty-five miles per hour.  “Chill out, save it for the game.” Derek glared at his buddy. He and Brandon had been best friends growing up next to each other since before either of them could remember. Both of their families had struggled financially, and it was easy to blame the kids who had money. The only kids who had money around here were the farm kids, ones that would inherit large farms that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Derek and Brandon were as close as brothers. They did everything together from sports to school classes to double dates when Derek had a girlfriend. Brandon was muscular and slightly taller than Derek with wave dark brown hair and eyes so dark they were almost black. Everyone loved Brandon. He hadn’t been more than a day or two without a girlfriend since fifth grade. School came so easy for him, he rarely had to study. He could charm teachers and all adults with his quick wit and movie-star smile. Derek admired his friend and tried to be like him in every way. Brandon took his skills for granite, and often didn’t even appear to realize he had anything going for him.

Derek continued, “Point is, we get a chance to impress these guys tonight so we can get money for college. Money neither of our parents have. I know I won’t be going to college without a scholarship, and I don’t want to end up at the brick plant.”

Brandon stuck his fist in front of Jerry and Derek banged his knuckles into it. “Right on dude. What drills do you think they’ll have us run?”

Derek shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to nail it.” The two boys banged their fists together again and smiled with confidence.

Derek squealed the truck to a stop and backed it up in front of the band room’s double doors. It was the quickest access to the football locker room, and because Brandon was the drummer in the jazz band, he had a key to the band room. The three young men jumped out of the truck and without a word started shuttling all of their gear to the locker room.