Pursuit of Happiness | The Sean Joseph Woy Story

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 27: Pendulum
October 30, 2025<hr>"That's right boy!" I yelled, giving Mike a bear hug in the end zone to celebrate our touchdown.

"Do this all night and we'll definitely be playing next week," he said, flipping the ball back to the referee before we both jogged off the sidelines and let the extra point team come on.

An early 7-0 lead against a good team like Mount Union was definitely a reason to have a bunch of confidence. Tack on a field goal and a safety and we ended the first quarter with a 12-0 advantage over the Trojans.

"Woy looks deep for Jackson...it's caught! He's to the 30, the 20, the 10...touchdown Warriors and they'll add to their lead!"

Nothing could go wrong for us, as we added that touchdown to give ourselves a 19-0 lead six minutes before halftime. Meanwhile, our defense was bending but not breaking, blocking a field goal attempt and intercepting a pass in the end zone. Mount Union had a stellar offense, so I wasn't satisfied with the lead, because they could come back at any time.

"And it's halftime here, with Everett going into the locker-room with a commanding 22-3 lead."

The locker-room was filled with joy and some players were trying to figure out who we'd play in the first round of the playoffs next week, but Dad came in and calmed everyone down. "There's still another half, fellas. Don't get so confident just yet. Mount Union has a very good team and this deficit isn't too large to overcome."

I could see the team was divided; players like me knew that Dad was right, while others thought this was already over. Dan got up and repeated pretty much the same thing, but before we knew it, a manager hurried himself into the locker-room to announce there was just five minutes left for halftime.

"And Ross Murphy finds a seam...one man to beat and he's off to the races! Mount Union will return the second half opening kickoff for a touchdown!"

"Still think this is over!?" I shouted to the players in particular that were planning their party spots for afterward. They kept their mouths shut as I shook my head in disgust. The Trojans added the point after and it was now a 22-10 game.

From there, it was a back and forth struggle for power. Our offense came back on the field and proceeded to go three-and-out, but Mount Union copied us exactly, giving us back the ball with about six minutes to play in the third.

"Woy is back to pass...the pressure is coming, but he avoids it! He fires a bomb in Kennedy's direction...it'll be picked off by Jamal Evans!"

I underthrew the ball badly and the Trojans star corner made me pay for my mistake. But he wasn't done with just picking the pass off...he got some blockers in front of him and it was like a locomotive headed to the station; it wasn't going to be stopped.

"...and what a great block on the quarterback put on by Carter! Evans will waltz into the end zone for a Trojan touchdown and it's now just a six point game!"

I picked myself up slowly from the usually friendly turf of Warrior Stadium and watched Mount Union's extra point team jog onto the field once again. As the ball went through the uprights, a few players snickered at me, but I ignored it and talked to Coach Swindell about what we would do on the next drive.

Unfortunately, our offense continued to struggle as the fourth quarter started. Two more three-and-outs were coupled by another interception and a fumble, but they were replied with some three-and-outs of their own. We still held a 22-17 lead with three minutes to go, and after I was thrown down for a sack, we faced a third and 15 with a chance to extend the drive and keep the ball out of their hands.

I dropped back and scanned the defense, feeling the pressure collapse the pocket once again. Avoiding the first incoming rusher, I stepped up, then scrambled to my right to buy more time. Mike stopped his hook route and darted across the field, throwing his hand up to call for the ball. I planted my feet and threw the ball right before getting smacked from behind, in which he caught it and was brought down...half a yard past the first down marker. I raised my arm in celebration, but was quickly brought back down to earth as I saw a piece of yellow laundry on the field.

"Holding, number 65 offense. 10 yard penalty, repeat third down."

Killing the momentum we had, I took another sack to force us into a fourth down. They gathered the punt at the 30-yard line, giving them 70 yards to kill our playoff hopes and complete an improbable comeback. Thoughts of last year's heartbreak in the playoffs against Knoxville High ran through my mind, and I couldn't bring myself to watch their final drive, because of the consequences looming.

"Another first down for Mount Union and they're driving with a minute left!"

Sitting on the bench, I tried picking my head up to watch the end, but still couldn't. Instead, I continued staring through my dark visor down at the ground below, as I let the announcer and the crowd's reaction tell me the play-by-play.

"With just five seconds left, Mount Union stands at the Everett 23-yard line with a touchdown separating them from win number eight. One more stop though would send Everett to the playoffs for the first time in three years."

A collective gasp accumulated as I heard the play unfold. There wasn't a reaction for a while, leaving me to believe that the quarterback was scrambling still, but then a cheering from one side and a sigh of sorrow from the other side of the bleachers told me everything.

"Mount Union completes the comeback and will end Everett's season!"

 

[Fox1994]

Damn. Oh well. I'm sure shit'll end up alright, right?

 

[beamerball811]

Senior year: Championship!

 

[Nevermind]

Lost the girl. Lost the game. Rough times for this young man.

 

[Woy]

Lost the girl. Lost the game. Rough times for this young man.

Indeed they are. We'll see if things look up soon.

Update tonight.

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 28: Haley's Song
October 31, 2025-April 23, 2026<hr>After the heartbreaking loss that ended my football season for the second straight year, I shifted my focus to other things. Despite multiple people insisting I should play basketball since my dad was a star in that sport as well, I declined and instead worried about my studies, lifting for next season and having fun with my friends.

The season's awards were announced and I ended up making All-ICC at quarterback - a first for a sophomore signal caller - after throwing for 2567 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. With the group of players returning, people were already predicting at least a deep run into the District playoffs, but I knew how inconsistent we were and how we'd have to fix that in order to touch the highest pinnacle.

Off the field, my life was going well. My grades were pretty good - particularly in Miss Wilt's geometry class - and I was in the weight room every other day, trying to build on my 6'2", 170 pound frame. I continued to hang out with my teammates from football, besides one, but that's because Bryan still couldn't forgive me for the whole Allison situation.

Speaking of Allison...well there's the lack of speaking. Ever since we skipped class to talk about everything, she hasn't said more than ten words to me and has only texted three times; one of those were to tell me happy birthday. I started hanging out with other girls, but none of them really compared to her or even Candace.

And speaking of Candace, ever since things fell out with Allison, I started talking to her again; whether it was just a simple message on Facebook or even an hour or two long phone conversation. She was doing fine and found someone down there and although I was okay with that, I still wanted to be a part of her life somehow; even though I was over 1000 miles away.

...

"And first in Word Processing I, earning a trip to FBLA States next month, is Sean Joseph Woy of Everett!"

I did take one man's suggestion about adding something to my extra-curriculars. My dad would tell me stories about how much fun he had in FBLA, so I decided to put that on my resume. However, I was more than surprised when I went to the regional competition and won my event; giving me a week-long vacation to Hershey in a month.

...

"Remember curfew's at midnight," the chaperone reminded the group of 40 kids that made the trip to Hershey. "There's an opening ceremony dance at the lodge, but it's not necessary for you to go."

"You know we're going to that," I told Mike, as he nodded his head in agreement. "My dad told me a lot of shit goes down at these and the girls there are smoking."

"Find ourselves two chicks for the week?" he suggested. "I'm tired of the Everett girls, man. I need a new flavor."

"Agreed," I said, performing our signature fist bump with one another.

...

"...teach me how to dougie, teach me how to dougie..."

"What the fuck is this shit?" I chuckled at the poor song selection. Mike shrugged his shoulders, then pointed to the ladies up front. "Good looking out."

"What I can say?" he replied with a smirk, before we made our way to the front of the stage.

Starting to scout our potential hook-ups, it seemed like the two potential suitors were looking for us as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around to see the beautiful brunettes behind us, I put my hand out to greet them.

"Hey, I'm Sean Joseph," I introduced myself, before pointing to my best friend. "And this is Mike."

"Vanessa," the taller brunette introduced herself, before moving on to her friend. "And my best friend, Kayla. Where you guys from?"

"Everett," Mike answered.

"Ahh I don't think I've ever heard of there," Kayla sheepishly admitted. "We're from Beaver Falls."

"Near Pittsburgh right?" I butted in, as Vanessa nodded her head yes. The song then switched to something they seemed to like, so I decided to kill all the small talk. "Come on, let's dance." They smiled as I took Vanessa's hand and Mike took Kayla's, leading them both to an open space.

The grinding was your typical shit; definitely something I enjoyed. However, when I took my eye off of Vanessa for a split-second, I saw someone else who intrigued me. I shook it off and continued focusing on Vanessa's body, but when I poked my head up again, I became even more intrigued with the blonde in the corner.

"Excuse me for a second," I told Vanessa, as I released my grip from her waist and walked over to the direction of the door. I then turned over to see the blonde in the corner, chillin' with a few friends. She made eye contact with me and the warm smile she sent had me reeled into her.

"You do this often?" I asked her as her friends walked away giggling.

"What do you mean?" she returned my question with one of her own.

"You know...getting someone you don't even know to walk over to you just by looking at them."

"Oh, yeah I've done that once or twice," she chuckled. "Haley."

"Sean Joseph," I introduced myself.

"The QB from Everett?" she asked, her eyebrows raised when I said my name.

"Yeah, why? You go to school in the area?"

"Only your biggest rival," she chuckled again.

"Ahh, so you caught me at an embarrassing time last year?" I joked, remembering my terrible performance against Tussey Mountain.

"I guess so. I saw you dancing with that one chick over there...what happened?"

"I bit on the bait and you reeled me in," I said, getting her to smile.

"Guess I sent out the right kind of bait then," she replied, continuing both the fishing analogy and her smile. "You wanna go on a walk? My room is just a few floors above."

"Yeah sure." She took my hand and led me out of the crowd, where we started on the track to her room.

The trek to her room was a quiet one, but once she opened the door, the conversations started to pour out from both sides. We sat on her bed and talked about anything and everything, from musical tastes, to past relationships. It was weird because I barely knew this girl, but I was opening up to her like she was Candace. Something was just different about Haley. I was lost in those blue eyes and wanted nothing more than to stare into them for the rest of the night.

"Damn, it's late," she stated, looking at the clock reading 3:30. "You don't have anything going on tomorrow, do you?"

"Not at all, but I know my chaperone is going to be pissed that I'm out past 12," I chuckled, which was mixed with half a yawn.

"You can just sleep here tonight," she suggested, which brought a smile to my face for the umpteenth time in the few hours. "My roommate won't care."

"Alright," I said, taking my shirt off before diving under the covers with her. I wrapped my arms around her and quickly fell asleep, with one of the biggest smiles I've had in quite some time.

 

[beamerball811]

wow, plot change, I think SJW will have a girlfriend at his rival school during senior year, possibly giving him locker room troubles.

 

[Woy]

wow, plot change, I think SJW will have a girlfriend at his rival school during senior year, possibly giving him locker room troubles.

Going into his junior year, not senior.

And Jay:

 

Blake Lively <3333333333

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 29: Taking the Next Step
April 24, 2026<hr>"Dude, where the fuck did you go last night?" Mike asked me, throwing a pillow as I finally got back to the room at 11 in the morning. "I'm not mad though, I had Vanessa and Kayla both all over me when you left."

I gave Mike a congratulatory fist-bump for his success with the two Beaver Falls chicks, then started my explanation. "I met some other girl last night and stayed over in her room. You know a Haley from Tussey?"

"Do I know a Haley from Tussey? Who doesn't know Haley Shaffer?" he asked sarcastically as he continued working on a text to either Vanessa or Kayla more than likely. "She's probably the hottest bitch in Bedford County and she dated Ryan Henderson last year...you know, second-team all-state quarterback...going on a full-ride to Arizona. Yeah, that Ryan Henderson."

"Ahh, now it's making sense," I replied, as the name Ryan Henderson struck a nerve. I remember his arrogance towards me after completely outperforming me in their blowout win. He wouldn't let me live it down whenever our paths crossed, so there was a bit of tension there. "You know if they're still dating?"

"Nah," he replied, which improved my mood about the whole situation. "He cheated on her I believe, plus he's going to Arizona like I said, so he's not going to do this long-distance shit. So, yes you have a chance."

"You know me well," I chuckled before checking my phone to see a text from Haley. "I've gotta get a shower and such though...she wants to meet up for lunch."

"Do your thing Sean J," he insisted, before taking the remote on the counter to flip through the channels.

...

I sat on the bench at the lodge, looking around for the familiar tall blonde to appear in front of me. A few minutes passed and I grew impatient, so I took my iPhone out of my pocket and turned on some J. Cole to listen to. Finally, she started her model-esque walk down the stairs and I got up from the bench to greet her with a smile and a compliment. "Hey pretty girl, what are you doing alone?"

"Waiting for some boy to meet me for lunch," she replied, giving me a hug. "You see him? He's tall, cute, sweet...shouldn't be too hard to miss."

"Nope, haven't seen him yet. Think I would be able to sweep you off your feet and replace him?"

She sarcastically pondered the thought, then nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess so."

We walked into one of the large conference rooms, which was being used for a breakfast/lunch/dinner buffet area for the week. I tried picking a small table in the back for just the two of us, but she saw her friends and pulled me over there.

"Kelly, Amber...this is the guy I was telling you about," she told her friends as I stood beside her, giving them a slight wave. "Sean Joseph, this is Kelly and Amber, my two best friends."

"That name sounds familiar," Amber butted in. "Everett, right?"

"Yeah. You guys probably remember me from the game this season...you know, the guy who was on the ground every other play."

"At least you looked cute getting sacked," Kelly stated, bring giggles to the group of three. I laughed awkwardly and started twirling the first bite of my spaghetti.

Lunch with the three Tussey girls went by quickly. I kept my mouth shut most of the time and let them talk about their usual topics; shopping, music, etc. Once we all finished our meals though, Kelly and Amber left to study for their tests later so it was Haley and I alone once again.

"You're free for the rest of the day, right?" she asked me as I nodded my head yes in return. "Okay good," she continued with a smile. "You wanna swim or something?"

"Yeah that'd be cool," I replied, as the thought of that incredible body in a bikini put a smirk on my face. "Let me head to my room and get my trunks and I'll meet you there in 15 minutes."

"Sounds good," she said, before turning around to walk away while I studied that flawless body of hers. I shook my head in astonishment, then turned the opposite direction to go back to my room.

...

"Well are you going to jump in or not?" I asked Haley as she stood at the edge of the pool, dipping her foot to determine the temperature of the water. I swam over and splashed water at her; she kicked water back at me in retaliation. I then jumped out of the pool and started chasing her, catching her after a few seconds. Then despite her struggle to get away, I put her in a fireman's carry and jumped back into the pool. "See, it didn't have to be that hard."

She wiped the water from her eyes and splashed me again, but instead of returning that, I moved in closer and gently put my lips upon hers. After a few seconds of locking lips, I pulled myself away and realized what I did, then muttered, "sorry, I didn't..."

"No, it's okay," she interrupted by giving me a kiss back. "That was nice."

I smiled and gave her what she wanted; a few more kisses before we finally decided to get out of the pool and take it to her room, which was thankfully vacant. Slipping on the "Do Not Disturb" sign, I slipped into her bed and rung the bell for round 2; the first of hopefully many rounds with her.

 

[beamerball811]

get it SJ

 

[Fox1994]

He's gonna tear the shit up like he usually does, then a tragedy or mistake will tear them back apart. Just a hunch. :ionno:

And when I saw "flawless body of hers" I thought "FLAWLESS" in my best Mortal Kombat announcer voice. lol

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 30: Summer Love/Set the Mood
April 28-August 2, 2026<hr>"I could always take you to Anaheim with me," Mike stated with a smile, holding his second place trophy in hand which guaranteed him a trip to the aforementioned city for FBLA States later this summer. "I'm sure pops wouldn't mind."

"We'll have to see," I laughed, before turning my head to see Haley in the far background. "Speaking of summer plans..."

"You haven't sealed the deal with Haley yet?" he asked in which I answered with a shake of the head. "Well damn Sean J, what are you waiting for?"

"For the right moment," I replied, before walking off to find the blonde bombshell.

I started passing groups of people, dropping the necessary "excuse me" and whatnot, but after making my way through the crowd, I lost my intended target and stood there in confusion.

"You looking for someone?" a voice behind me asked while tapping me on the shoulder. I turned around to see Haley and gave her a hug, before diving right into what I wanted to ask her.

"I know this week has been a lot of fun, well at least it has been for me," I started off, as she nodded her head to let me know that she enjoyed our time together. "Is it going to continue over the summer?"

She looked up for a minute, thinking about something before bringing it back down with a huge grin on. "I guess I can fit time in my schedule for you." I gave her another hug, but she pushed me aside after a second. "This doesn't mean we're technically together though."

My confidence was completely shot after that, because of the way she said it. With everything that went on between us throughout the week, I preferred not to be stuck in the friend zone with her.

However, she completely turned around my mood again when she gave me a kiss. "But that's because you haven't taken me on an official date yet."

I smiled and picked her up with another hug. "Don't worry, I'll take you out the first weekend we're home." And sure enough the following Saturday, we went to Olive Garden and sealed the deal with her becoming the cheerleader to our cliche high school relationship.

After school ended, I spent most of my time with Haley, trying to build upon our relationship. We didn't necessary become inseparable, because we still hung out with our friends whenever we wanted, but usually we were with one another doing something. Things were looking up for us and it seemed like nothing could bring us off cloud nine, until she got a call the week before I started football camp and she started cheerleading.

...

"I'm going to get a drink," I told Haley as I got off the couch. We were at her house watching a movie with her sister, waiting for her to fall asleep. It was just the three of us, as her dad was at work at the local bank, while her mom was running some errands. As soon as I got up and started walking away, her phone started to ring and she picked it up as soon as I got to the fridge.

"Please tell me you're joking!" she cried out as I shut the fridge door. I put my cup on the table and ran over after to her, trying to find out what was wrong as the tears fell from her cheeks faster and faster every second.

I put my arm around her and started rubbing her back, trying to comfort her as much as I can. Still unaware of what was going on, I looked at her and tried to figure something out from her facial expressions. She wasn't speaking anymore; she just nodded her head as the tears streamed down her face, while the faint voice continued to relay bad news into her ear.

She finally put down the phone and wiped her last tears away. I looked in her now reddened eyes and just waited to hear what she was devastated about. Clearing her throat, another tear fell from her eye as she muttered something I never imagined hearing my life this early.

"Dad was...shot...and..."

I didn't want to hear anymore from her because I wasn't sure if I could take it. Bringing her head to my shoulder, I sat there in disbelief as the tears quickly gave my shirt a soaking wet feeling.<hr>Author's note: Short, random update that isn't very good IMO, but it'll build into the original storyline.

 

[beamerball811]

wow devastating ending to the beginning lol

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 31: Confessions
August 3-21, 2026<hr>I've never seen such a power shift in someone's attitude when Haley's father was shot. Yes, the pain she was feeling was obvious, but it was hard to watch her suffer through something so horrifying and I never could put together the right words to say to help her through it.

Instead, I kept quiet and was by her side, letting her know usually non-verbally, that I'd be there for her. My own father found out about the tragedy and said I could miss some parts of camp in order to be with Haley, while the Tussey Mountain cheerleadering coach allowed her to miss their camp until she could stomach going back to it.

We'd go visit her father in the hospital every day, hoping that he somehow would wake up from the coma he was put in. Hour after hour would pass, as I rubbed Haley's hand in support, saying a silent prayer in my head. The more I saw him just lay there without response, the more I was growing closer to him; it's hard to explain. It wouldn't ever hit me as hard as it's hitting Haley, but it was still devastating for me.

One day, after leaving the hospital, I took her back home and was about to leave when she spoke up for maybe the third time that entire day.

"Don't leave Sean Joseph," she insisted, her voice cracking as the pain was still clearly showing from her facial expression. "Stay with me tonight."

I shrugged my shoulder and gave in, walking into the house and sitting on the couch. Haley ran into her room and slammed the door, leaving me to believe she was still very upset about things. I walked to the door and knocked, seeing if I could make her feel better at all, but I was shocked to see her laying in bed with the finest Victoria's Secret lingerie I've ever seen.

She pointed her finger at me, then patted her hand on the bed to get me to come over. I obliged and walked over, sitting on the bed, looking into her confused eyes. She pulled me by the shirt and put me on top of her, leaning up to meet my lips. A few minutes of making out commenced, before I pulled myself off and sat back up.

"Something wrong?" she asked me, concerned as of why I stopped.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I shot back, not violently, but also in a concerned tone. "You go from mourning and barely talking all day, to almost ripping my shirt off tonight? That shit just doesn't happen, Haley."

She looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about, so I just rolled my eyes and got up like I was about to leave. "Wait!" she instantly shouted, which got me to sit right back down. "Please, don't leave."

"Then tell me what's wrong Haley," I demanded. "Someone's mood just doesn't change that quick, especially with the circumstances we're dealing with."

She looked around, then back into my concerned eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm afraid of being alone Sean Joseph. I feel like if I throw myself onto you, then you won't leave me."

"You don't have to do that," I said, taking her hand. "I know how tough this is for you right now, but I'm not going to leave you. You don't have to worry one second about that."

"Good," she sighed. "Sorry, it's not you at all, it's me. I just can't get over how Ryan just left me."

"What happened between you two?" I asked, hoping to dig deeper into her past so I wouldn't make the same mistakes.

"Everything was great...Dad loved him and we got along great. But, after a while, things seemed so stale...not from my perspective though, but from his it seemed. Not to mentioned he was being courted by numerous colleges about football; it seemed like I had to play second fiddle. Now to mention he cheated on me..."

"I promise I won't do that," I insisted, pushing aside my mistake with Brandi when I was a freshman. "And I don't want you to ever feel like you're second fiddle with me. If I do make you feel that way though, don't hesitate to tell me. I want to make this work out."

She smiled and gave me a kiss, then laid down and threw the bed covers over her. "I still want you to stay the night though...I don't think my mom will be home."

"Yeah sure," I said, sliding under the covers with her. "She won't mind?"

"I don't really care if she minds or not, she hasn't really been there for me," she stated, as the confessions continued to slip out from her mouth. I gave her a weird look as she sighed once again. "Mom and I don't have the best relationship...I've always been a daddy's girl."

"What's gone on between you two?"

"Where to begin...well there's the pressure she put on me when I was doing pageants as a kid..."

"You mean you were one of those girls?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to be," she said, continuing her mother's faults. "Once I was pulled out of those contests, my mom developed...not necessarily a hatred, but a vengeance against me. She hated how I joined cheerleading, hated how I was the the class vice-president; it almost seemed like she was jealous of me."

"And you two are still bitter towards one another to this day?"

"Well she is towards me. She never had a good relationship with her parents and when they died almost a year within one another, it didn't really seem to phase her. She's fine with my sister Jess, but just doesn't treat me the same. I've almost come to expect it from her."

"Damn, well at least you know your mom," I hesitantly said, the words fumbling out of my mouth like a bad snap from under center. I didn't really want to mention anything about my parents, but it was too late now.

"What do you mean?" she asked with interest and relief; probably because the pressure wasn't on her anymore.

"Alright, are you ready for a long story?" I asked, as she nodded her head yes. She laid her head on my chest and looked up at me, as I started to begin. "You do know who my father is, right?"

"Of course."

"Okay, just making sure. Anyways, my dad was engaged with this one girl from high school and she had me during the winter of Dad's freshman year. Well they eventually got married, but then she was murdered. I don't really remember much about her, and I really hate that."

"That's horrible," she whispered, still shocked about everything. "Did they find out who it was?"

"No...at least that's what my dad tells me. My dad then married another girl, Rebecca, who I thought was my actual mom...until my dad revealed she wasn't after she left us during my freshman year of high school. He wouldn't explain why though."

"Wow, I would have never guessed," she said, gripping me tighter. "You handle it so much better than I do though."

"Yeah, well it still gets to me at times," I told her. "I just either take all my emotion out on the football field with me, or I just hide it really well."

She nodded her head once again, yawned and started to close her eyes, finally feeling the exhaustion after another long day. I smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then closed my eyes and fell asleep, feeling relieved that I opened up to Haley about my still fuzzy past.

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 32: Waking Up
August 22-28, 2026<hr>"...he's probably going to be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life," the nurse told Haley and I as we sat outside her father's room. Despite that bad news, we were both smiling because he had awoken from coma and was responsive.

"Can we go in and see him now?" Haley asked quickly, excited she'd be finally able to speak to her father again. The nurse nodded her head and slowly opened the door while the patient turned his head and smiled to see his daughter walking towards him.

"He's still very exhausted guys," she reminded us before shutting the door. The room was unlit, but the two o'clock positioning of the sun brought a light in through the crack of the window blind. He laid on his bed without much motion, but his eyes were wide open.

"Hey Dad," Haley said, pulling up two chairs to side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," he replied, with obvious pain in his voice still. He then turned his head just slightly and focused his eyes on me, showing a confused expression. "Who's that beside you?"

I looked back at him and cleared my throat. "I'm Sean Joseph, Mr. Shaffer. I'm one of Haley's friends." I didn't feel like saying that I'm dating her, because I could tell he didn't remember me. He did like me before the accident though, but I don't know if he'd think too highly of me on this "first" impression, so I was just going to avoid it altogether for now.

"Oh okay," he replied, pain still noticeable in every word. He looked up at the TV and saw highlights of the Steelers/Eagles pre-season game on TV, then looked back at me. "You play football, son?"

I wanted to laugh at him, but thought better of it because of his state. "Yes sir, I'm a quarterback at Everett." I stopped myself suddenly after the last word though, forgetting about the Everett/Tussey Mountain rivalry for a second. Again, I didn't want this "first" impression to be a bad one.

He chuckled and patted my knee. "How's it like losing to Tussey every year?"

"It sucks," I answered, sarcastically chuckling along with him. "I think we'll get them though this year."

"Yeah maybe, since Ryan's not there anymore." He then shifted his attention towards his daughter. "Speaking of Ryan, how's he doing? You speak to him lately?"

I looked at Haley and she gave a "I don't know what to say" facial expression to me. I shrugged my shoulder in response as she shook her head and looked back at her father. "I think he left for Arizona a few weeks ago. Haven't talked to him in a while though."

"Oh that's too bad, I liked him," he said, sighing slightly. He was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the opening of the door.

"Sorry you two, but visiting hours are over," she announced, holding the door open for us to walk out.

...

"Sean Joseph, wake up!" Dad shouted, throwing a pillow in my face. I shook my head and threw it back, before pulling off the covers and standing up. "You've got mail."

"Probably some shit scholly offers from Temple or Ohio," I scoffed, as I followed him into the living room. However, I was shocked to see the envelopes reading more notable schools on them.

Dad grabbed the paper from the kitchen counter and sat down at the table. "Nah, these are offers from legit schools. They'll only get better as the season progresses too."

I sat down opposite of him and start looking through the unopened envelopes. At first I thought he was lying because I saw a letter from East Carolina, but as I went through, the offers started to get better. Robert Morris, Rutgers, Michigan State, and...

"Syracuse!?" I exclaimed, pushing all the other letters aside and ripping into the one with the big orange and blue S in the top left corner. I started to skim through the introductory text - the shit you'd see in every recruiting letter - before getting to the good stuff. "And with a good word from your father, we're offering you a full-ride scholarship to play quarterback for the Orange. I hope to speak to you soon...Coach Marrone."

"So?" Dad spoke up, putting down his paper to find out my thoughts on the scholarship offers.

"It's cool," I replied, hiding back my true feelings. As much as I wanted to go to Syracuse, I didn't want to do it under my father's good word. I wanted them to recruit me because I was good enough to play there, not because they wanted to add another to the family legacy.

As much as I love being the son of Ethan Woy, this right here woke me up, and showed the flaws of it.

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 33: Lunch Break
September 3-4, 2026<hr>"You sure you want to do this? I can't imagine the looks you'll get at school."

"Yeah, I'm positive. I've gotta support my boy somehow."

I smiled, shook my head and pulled the away #7 jersey out of my bag to give to Haley. She quickly snatched it, gave me a kiss, and walked to her car to put it away before coming back inside.

The week was going by quickly, as Haley and I continued to spend time together; whether it was a simple interaction like that at my house, or visiting her father for a few hours at the hospital. School started back up again and our practices was going very smoothly, as we were approaching the home opener against a very good Bellwood-Antis team.

...

"I'm getting some funny looks," Haley said over the phone as I was outside for lunch. "But I just laugh and shrug it off."

"I knew you would," I laughed as I took a bite out of the disgusting school's pizza. "What are you doing after the Tussey game?"

"Nothing that I know of," she replied. "Think I'd be able to come over?"

"You're reading my mind," I stated, before the bell rang, signaling the end of our conversation.

...

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come on in!" my dad announced to the person standing outside the door as he was watching last-minute game film on the Blue Devils.

The door opened and in came the familiar blonde, carrying two brown bags and a smile on her face. "I thought I'd be nice and bring the coach lunch on gameday."

"Are both of those for me?" he asked, returning the smile and pulling up a chair for her to sit down.

"Tough game tonight?" she asked, pulling a sandwich out of her bag.

"Yeah just a little bit," he replied, taking a bite out of his own sandwich. "I've gotta coach a great game and hope my players can execute probably."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," she insisted, before looking around the room.

The school finally opened up an area for him to have an office and he quickly filled it up with various symbols of achievement from college and the NFL, as well as team pictures and pictures of his sons. In the corner, there was a photo of the past; something that he couldn't let go.

She saw the photo and it immediately brought her back to the past. She waited a year to see how see how things would go, but now after leaving it along, she felt it would be a decent time to try something. It sounds kind of pathetic, but she still had a soft spot for him, and she was searching for someone; not necessary long term, but just someone to spend time with. This would be the best, maybe only chance she had to fix her wrongs and make things right.

"Say, what are you doing tonight after the game?" She was optimistic that she'd get the answer she was looking for, but that wouldn't be the case.

"I'll probably watch film till late," he said, crushing the woman's hopes...or so it seemed. "But I could always watch it at your place...you know, if you'd be okay with that."

"I guess I can live through watching some more football after tonight," she scoffed sarcastically, smiling that she got the answer she wanted.

...

"...the Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils and the Everett Warriors...here's the kickoff and we're under way!"

 

[trojan49er]

the plot thickens further...shit the plot has gotten so thick, thicker doesnt adequately describe it.

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 34: Pain Heals, But Chicks Don't Always Dig Scars
September 4, 2026<hr>"Jones has blockers out in front of him...side-steps the safety and will waltz his way into the end zone! Touchdown Blue Devils! Senior back Tyler Jones rumbles for a 34-yard score on the first drive of the game!"

I buckled up my chin strap and walked over to Coach Swindell to determine our first few play calls. Once the extra point went through the uprights and the kickoff went through the end zone, I jogged out onto the field for our first drive of the season.

"Ace Seattle Z on two," I barked out in the huddle before breaking it with a clap.

The defense a group led mostly by seniors and all looked big and strong. There wasn't a weak spot it seemed on that side of the ball and judging by their pre-snap movement, it looked like they were going to blitz me early and often.

I stepped up under center and calmly scanned the defense. The weakside linebacker was stepping up to the line, which would play into my hands perfectly if he actually did blitz. The other side of the defense didn't look like they were doing anything different besides playing their assignments, but I was still going to anticipate the delayed blitz.

"Green 19, green 19...hut, hut!"

Sure enough as soon as I got the ball, the weakside linebacker came in past the left tackle and was picked up by the runningback John Watson. I waited for Mike to dart right into the area that the blitzing linebacker was occupying and as soon as I let the ball go, I took a shot by the other linebacker, coming on the delayed blitz like I predicted.

Mike caught the bullet and immediately turned up field, shedding the cornerback covering him before being brought down by the safety after 18 yards. I jumped back up, dusted myself off and looked over to Coach Swindell for the next play.

The drive continued to be successful in regards to moving the ball. However, my body wasn't liking the punishment it was getting. Every play it seemed like I had a Bellwood defender hitting me, even if it was a running play. I was worried that if it continued like this, I wouldn't make it the rest of the game.

"Woy fires...gets hit...but it's caught by Kennedy for the Warrior touchdown! Everett strikes right back with a touchdown pass by junior quarterback Sean Joseph Woy!"

It would go back and forth for the entire first half. They would score a touchdown, then we'd answer with one of our own. We would go three-and-out just moments after they punted the ball because of their ineffective drive. It was a struggle to take control for both sides, as the halftime score showed 17-17.

"Damn bro, you're taking a pounding out there," Mike said, noticing the bruises covering my body. "You gonna be alright for the second half?"

I reached into my bag and popped a few Excedrin into my mouth, flushing them down with the cup of water I had beside me. "Of course I will be," I answered with a smile, hiding the pain I was actually feeling.

Dad stepped to the front of the room and started going over the highs and lows of the first half, as I sat there still in pain. I again went to my bag to put down another Excedrin, then continued to watch as Dad went over his adjustments for the second half. Once he finished, a manager came in to say how much time we had left and we all got up at once and made our way out of the locker-room.

"Woy takes the snap from the gun...it's going to be an option with Watson...fakes the pitch and there's running room! He's to the 50, the 40, the 30, 20, 10...touchdown Warriors! A big play to start off the third quarter as Everett takes back the lead after a 67-yard touchdown run by Sean Joseph Woy!"

It was much easier to do my thing when the pain was out of my thoughts. After getting congratulated on the sidelines, I watched as our defense stood their ground on a fourth-down play, giving us the ball back with the lead still intact and momentum on our side. A few running plays with John moved it to mid-field, then I hit Thomas Jackson on a deep dig route for 25 yards, getting the best protection I've gotten all night. One more pass play moved it inside the 10, then I gave it to John again and he punched it in, giving us a two-score lead.

Quickly moving to the fourth quarter, Bellwood scored with about four minutes left, cutting it back to a one-score game. Opting to kick it deep and trust their defense, I made them pay with some precise passes to Mike and Thomas, as well as some QB keepers in the option game. With just a minute and 46 seconds left and the Blue Devils out of timeouts, we faced a fourth and four from the 33 yard line and decided to go for the kill.

"Woy drops back to pass...the rush is coming, but he somehow avoids it and has green grass ahead of him! He's going to walk in untouched and lead Everett to their first win this season!"

I tossed the ball back to the referee and immediately had a teammate jump on top of me in celebration. A shot of discomfort raced through my body, but I shook it off and slowly trotted back to the sideline where I watched the clock run out just a minute later.

...

"One more and it'll be gone," I told myself, throwing another pill into my mouth and washing it down with water. A knocking at the door shifted my attention from the battle scars of tonight's game to the visitor I was getting tonight.

I opened the door and standing before me was my beautiful girlfriend, dressed in my sweats while greeting me with a smile. My father once told me that a rapper back in his day said something on the lines of "sweat pants, hair tied, chillin' with no make-up on, that's when you're the prettiest, I hope you don't take it wrong" and whoever that may be, they were exactly right. And she didn't take it wrong when I told her.

"How was the game?" she asked me, positioning herself so she could rest her head on my chest.

"We won by two TDs and I accounted for all of them," I bragged slightly, hoping the pain wasn't noticeable in my voice. The medicine didn't kick in yet so I was still trying to hide how I was feeling, so she wouldn't get worried at all about it.

"Sounds like my boy was amazing like always," she said, curling up even closer to me. I looked into her eyes and gave her a kiss, then flicked through channels on TV. I finally got to the local news and they were talking about tonight's games, which sparked my attention.

As they talked about Tussey Mountain's win over Glendale, I finally felt the pain leaving my body. But once it left, I blacked out and didn't feel anything for a good 15 seconds before waking up to see a worried Haley in front of me.

"Wha...what happened?" I asked her, with the pain leaving my system but dizziness replacing it.

"You fainted," she answered, before handing me a glass of water. "Here, drink this."

I took her orders and finished the glass quickly as I tried to figure out if the Excedrin was the reason for fainting.

"Do you want me to call your dad or something?"

I shrugged her suggestion off. "Nah, I'll be fine. I'm just going to head to bed."

"Alright, I'll join you."

I gave her a confused look, but she knew exactly what I was thinking and shook it off.

"You're not getting any. I'm just staying so nothing bad happens again."

"Fair enough," I sighed, before turning off the TV and slowly walking back to the bedroom.

 

[trojan49er]

lil-e pulled a brett favre...threw a td pass even tho he didnt even know what was goin on...either that or this will lad him down a path of drug and alcohol abuse to numb the pain. Especially once E breaks the news that "mom" killed SJs actual mother...the truth will come out eventually

 

[Woy]

<hr>Chapter 35: Addiction
September 7-21, 2026<hr>"Why everything that's supposed to be bad make me feel so good?"

The words from another older artist, Kanye West, rang through my headphones as I walked downstairs to the locker room for practice. I was feeling slightly better since the beating I took on Friday, but what was helping was the Excedrin I started to take consistently.

I never would take enough to faint again, but I did become dizzy at times and when that happened I'd take myself out of practice. Coaches were worried but I kept assuring them that nothing was wrong. I knew the after-effects of taking one too many now, but I was building up an addiction towards them so it was tough to just quit.

...

"Woy looks to pass...finds his receiver Kennedy in the back of the end zone! Touchdown Everett and they'll expand their lead to five scores over the hapless Forbes Road Cardinals!"

...

"Woy drops back, but it's a designed QB draw. He makes one tackler miss, gets a great block from his tight end and has a lot of room in front of him! He's to the 40, the 50, the 40, the 30, no one's going to catch the junior star quarterback! Touchdown Warriors!"

...

However, we were still winning, which helped things out a lot. The addiction wasn't affecting my play on the field; mainly because I wasn't shoving pills down my throat every other drive. Not to mention, I wasn't taking any beatings like what Bellwood did to me, which made the pills useless for the most part. Still, when Haley was over at my house one day, I decided to not take any and that ended badly.

...

"Are you feeling any better?" Haley worryingly asked, holding my hand as I looked up at the ceiling. I looked at her and nodded my head, then put my hand over my mouth and looked down at the garbage can below me. Today's lunch came back out and landed into the waste basket, which brought a sigh from Haley. "I guess not."

"You don't have to do this Haley," I insisted, cursing at myself silently for not taking any Excedrin today. "I can take care of myself and you can go hang out with your friends or something."

"I want to stay here with you, whether you're sick or not," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before finding an open spot on the couch to sit. I weakly smiled and sighed to myself, kinda hoping she would leave so I could take a pill or two and satisfy my cravings.

With school in the morning, she left around around ten that night. I decided to push the limits and ignore my cravings again, falling asleep on the couch just minutes after Dad came home from a "friend's" house.

...

"Lunch again?" Miss Wilt asked the focused coach, as she left herself into his office. Ethan looked up and smiled, then pulled out a chair and put his computer on sleep mode.

"Why thank you," he replied, taking a bite of the spaghetti she brought him. "How's your kids treating ya today?"

"Pretty good," she answered. "I didn't see your son in class though...does he think he can skip?"

"Nah, he was sick last night and I let him stay home. He's supposed to come in a little later though so he can practice today."

"Oh I see. Was he specific with it? Like did he say it was a headache?"

"Not really...I did see he puked a few times though."

"Concussion?" she asked out loud, then shook her head as a sign of apologizing. "Sorry for asking so many questions...I'm just worried. My one student in a night class I teach at ACM did a really good report on concussions in football and it really opened my eyes."

"Maybe so, although he wasn't complaining about headaches to me."

"You should try and get him to the doctor's as a precaution," she suggested. "If it's nothing, then that's alright. But you don't want to take a chance on him playing through something serious."

"Good point," he agreed. "Think you can take a sick day tomorrow?"

"Why's that?"

"Because you suggested it, I'd want you to come with us."

She smiled and nodded her head, before walking out of the room as the bell rang. Ethan returned the smile, then looked at the picture of Melyssa and him on the front of his desk and sighed.

"We'll see if it works out," he thought to himself, finally taking his eyes off the picture and onto the computer, where he'd go right back to work in preparation for this Friday's game against Central.