Brutus shuffled, his knees stiff as crowbars and feet far apart. Harris poked him in the ribs, his eyes blazed and cheeks flushed. “Hey, hey, hey. Lookit. The lineup’s down the sidewalk. Good thing we arrived early.”
“Poor chumps in the rain.” Brutus stifled a low groan. “This standing is killing me.”
“Why’d you come if your knees are acting up?””
“Took Tylenol 3s but they haven’t kicked in. Damn wet weather.”
“You should drop maybe fifty or eighty pounds. Your doc never tell ya?”
An eye drooped, Brutus exhaled a gust of coffee breath. “You never played football, you don’t know. Once you’re crippled and can’t move, you end up like this.”
Microsoft Clipart
“Yeah. Got an idea. It’s the playoffs, right? Say we buy at least six extra tickets.”
“To scalp?”
“Easy money, man. Provide and collect.”
“Could backfire…”
“One day tickets will be sold online.”
“Don’t do it, Harris.”
~ * ~
The Winter Quarter of Flash in the Pan is here. The theme: Boys and Their Toys. For the rules and how to join, click: http://mommasmoneymatters.com/flash-fiction/
The word limit for Football is 150 words. I used every last one.
How the Cookie Crumbles 
March 4, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Tess….how’s come you know so much about boys and their toys???? 😀
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March 4, 2014 at 11:42 pm
I don’t. I beat my head against the wall to see what falls out. I had no brothers, didn’t do sports or watch them. Didn’t go out with the captain of the football field. 🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 6:08 am
Well you somehow managed to get this stuff. Though it sounds kind of painful…..
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March 5, 2014 at 3:39 pm
My girlfriend once mentioned her Ex’s knees are stiff as two broomsticks after his football career. 😀
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March 5, 2014 at 8:49 pm
Oh my, good description. Obviously, it stuck with you. 🙂
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March 6, 2014 at 4:15 pm
It’s surprising what one remembers when the occasion calls for it. I was like a fly trap when I was a kid. 🙂
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March 6, 2014 at 10:04 pm
🙂
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March 7, 2014 at 11:28 am
😛
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March 4, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Only one more year of my son playing high school football. Keeping my fingers crossed he continues his mostly injury-free streak. I never wanted him to play, but I lost that battle with him and my husband. Argghh.
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March 4, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Yeah. It’s a man thing. I say ouches. 🙂
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March 4, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Like “stiff as crowbars,” and “Don’t do it,” sounds ominous.
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March 4, 2014 at 11:39 pm
I see BIG guys in ominous situations. 🙂 Why do they play football and take a change on being injured? Did you say the money? All righty then. 😀
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March 4, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Uh oh, what will happen? We never get to find out from the flash. I hope one day you will consider expanding some of your flash stories into full novellas. And good on you to know something about football 🙂 I am an NFL girl.
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March 4, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Are you kidding? I grew up in an all female family (my Dad was outnumbered 6 to 1.I didn’t do sports. I don’t watch them on TV. Must be osmosis. 🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Lol 🙂
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March 6, 2014 at 4:18 pm
😀 😀 😀
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March 4, 2014 at 10:27 pm
You got me with the ‘never played football’. The human body only takes so much abuse and then it fights back.
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March 4, 2014 at 11:28 pm
Silly boys and men. Why do they take so many chances? It’s only a game…that pays some well.
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March 4, 2014 at 11:43 pm
“A gust o coffee breath’. Tess your writing makes stories come alive. Well done!
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March 4, 2014 at 11:51 pm
You have no idea how much I appreciate your kind words. Thank you. 🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 12:31 am
🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 3:47 pm
😀 😀 🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Has no-one ever invaded your space with stale coffee breath?
😀 Ha ha. Thank YOU, Sue, for reading and being so kind.
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March 5, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Totally and that’s why your words made the story pop to life. I bet for many others it did exactly the same.
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March 6, 2014 at 4:26 pm
Thank you, Sue. You’re a a jewel. 😀
Ha ha. I’m glad I stopped at coffee breath, not morning breath as had occurred to me, but couldn’t because he was the good guy.
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March 5, 2014 at 1:00 am
Came to visit because I could relate to the name. It took me a few to figure out what was going on here – but I’m with you now! By the way, I can also relate to that anomaly that shows up in my mirror on occasion!
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March 5, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Sigh. I’ve given up looking in the mirror. I washing my face, brush my teeth, do my hair and put on my eyebrows, with memory.
😀 😀 😀
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March 5, 2014 at 1:14 am
naughty boys – scalping is bad tsk tsk lol 🙂 Well thought hun. x
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March 5, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Thank YOU, Jen. Sometimes greed get stuck holding the excess. “-)
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March 5, 2014 at 8:46 am
The ongoing belief that there’s an excuse for not trying to better oneself. My excuses can get just as ridiculous.
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March 5, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Ha ha.Thanks for reading, Glynis. Hope you’re having a good week.
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March 5, 2014 at 9:29 am
Can’t imagine how his knees feel. I played soccer and mine hurt just from that. Never had to deal with tackles like NFL players
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March 5, 2014 at 3:32 pm
I can’t imagine either. Some time ago, a divorced friend of mine saw her husband after 8 years and he played football. He kind of walks like Brutus now, and his back is shot.
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March 5, 2014 at 10:10 am
Did you know my ex-husband Tess because Brutus could be him, played football and everything, lol 😉
As for Harris, well, what more can be said about Harris?
Fab story as ever, love, love love it… 🙂
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March 5, 2014 at 3:30 pm
You are super kind, Sherri. I appreciate the rah rah from your corner. 😀
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March 5, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Always Tess, always…super writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
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March 6, 2014 at 4:23 pm
I would be remiss if I didn’t toot YOUR horn as well. Let’s just go back to the mutual admiration society. 😉
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March 7, 2014 at 8:48 am
Ha Ha 🙂
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March 7, 2014 at 11:24 am
😀 😀 😀
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March 5, 2014 at 2:13 pm
I like teh coffee breathe too Tess, it’s all in the detail!
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March 5, 2014 at 3:29 pm
Ha ha. I’ve been conscious of coffee breath lately. 🙂
Thank you, Gilly.
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March 6, 2014 at 11:56 am
That scalping thing, yeah those boys are bad.
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March 6, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Ha ha ha. Nice to see you, Val.
Scalping used to be a big thing but I don’t know if it happens anymore. 😀
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March 6, 2014 at 4:20 pm
It does, both at the stadium and on line.
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March 6, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Too rich for my blood. 😀
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March 6, 2014 at 4:01 pm
You used those words well Tess. Boys, will definitely be boys, whatever age they may be. 😉
Have a super-duper weekend.
If you get a chance, stop by over at: My Poetic Path, for a fun reblog, I just posted. For some reason, Mr. Cheddar was not amused!!!! 😉
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March 7, 2014 at 3:38 am
I’m with you on what I don’t know about football. We don’t watch sports on TV. Another great story you’ve come up worth.
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March 7, 2014 at 11:27 am
Thank you, Sheri. I love making up stuff to sound like I know what I’m talking about. Well, I DO hear things and they tend to come out when I need them. 😀 😀
Hope you’re having a lovely day.
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March 23, 2014 at 2:10 pm
One day tickets will be sold online 🙂
I like how you’ve captured the dreariness of the situation.
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March 23, 2014 at 2:33 pm
Coming from you this means a lot. Thanks so much, K.
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