"chapter 18- walk away"

"please welcome your beverly high eagles." was announced & the crowd roared with cheers as the boys ran through the banner.

the homecoming game was finally here, and malibu was out for more than blood. brooke sat with sammy cheering in the stands. this was one of the happiest times of the year in beverly, she gazed over and caught a glimpse of olivia with chris. brooke sighed, she didn't know how to forgive olivia for what she had done to her. all brooke knew was she missed having her bestfriend sitting by her side.

"good evening everybody, and welcome to the twenty eighteen homecoming game. the cross town rivalry between malibu and beverly. comes to a head tonight." the announcer stated as the crowd continued to cheer.

"hey." coach said approaching asher who was on the field cheering.

"coach." asher replied.

"you know i can't have you on the sidelines here while suspended. it's the league rules not mine." coach baker sighed & asher's face softened.

he couldn't play in the homecoming game, one of the most important games of the entire season & now he couldn't even stand on the field with his team. he watched as his team huddled without him, & in that moment it really hit asher.

they didn't need him.

"tonight we're playing for something bigger boys, bring it in. let's go." jordan ordered his team.

spencer's friend shawn had just been murdered earlier that day, but spencer was still their with his team ready to play. moving to beverly was an adjustment for him, but in his heart he was an eagle. an one thing eagles do is use the negative energy of a storm to help them soar even higher, and that's what spencer planned to do. not just for himself, but for shawn's memory.

"beverly on three. beverly on me. one, two, three, beverly !" the team shouted in unison.

the whistle blew & the game begun.

the dolphins managed to match every single move beverly made, it almost didn't seem right. the first half of the game was over & malibu was leading beverly fourteen nothing. then suddenly it clicked for coach baker, malibu had their playbook. thank god they had spencer, who called chris down to help teach south crenshaw's playbook to the team.

they started the second half of the game & using the new plays was working. beverly was gaining points back play after play. & after one play jordan watched as a malibu player took off his helmet and looked at asher confused. then jordan put the pieces together that asher was the one who gave their playbook away. in the final play of the game spencer passed the ball to jordan, jordan made the catch scoring a touchdown.

"touchdown jordan baker, beverly wins the game!" the announced yelled and the crowd was in an uproar.

"the beverly eagles with a dramatic comeback victory, clinching the division!" the announcer continued as the beverly fans poured out of the bleachers and onto the field to celebrate with their team.

brooke sprinted down and towards jordan who engulfed her in his arms.

"you did it." brooke squealed as jordan lifted her up.
jordan put brooke down & looked into her eyes.

"i know this is a weird time to ask, but will you be my girlfriend?" jordan laughed & brooke nodded grasping his face, and kissing him.

then coach walked over as the couple pulled apart.

"you're a superstar." coach baker said to his son.

"thanks, dad." jordan replied glancing over at brooke.

this was a moment jordan had dreamed of his entire life, finally making his father proud. finally being enough for him.

"i'm so proud of you. do you hear me?" his dad continued.

"i love you." jordan smiled at his father.

"i love you to son." he said hugging jordan.

they continued to celebrate on the field & it was like the world had stopped, and finally after all the hardships, drama, and losses beverly had faced. things were finally beginning to align.

brooke sat on the bench while jordan cleaned out his locker.

"good job, good game." asher said to some teammates as they exited the locker room & jordan looked up at him.

"nice catch. if i don't watch out, you're gonna take my spot in the playoffs." asher said as brooke & jordan both ignored his comment.

"where'd that trick play come from." asher asked.

"crenshaw's playbook." jordan revealed continuing to pack his bag.

"we should add it to ours." asher joked.

"good idea, man. you know, we're gonna have to come up with a whole new playbook. since somebody gave malibu ours." jordan said zipping bag up and grabbing brookes hand as they walked by asher.

"yeah i can't believe that happened." asher said softly and brooke laughed.

"come on ash, it was you." brooke huffed & asher turned around to face them.

"i saw the look you threw delgado, okay ? how you told me there's no way we could win ? they read every single move we made, man." jordan hissed.

"will you just let me explain this?" asher begged.

"explain what?" jordan said angrily.

"i made a mistake jordan, okay? my life was falling apart, and in a moment of weakness-" asher started before jordan cut him off.

"another moment of weakness. how many times are you gonna use that sorry ass excuse to cover yourself, huh ? & your spot in playoffs ? it's gone. as soon as i tell my dad what you did you're off this team." jordan yelled.

"you serious right now? over one game, that you just won ? i thought you said it was just football, man?" asher asked.

"you know what ? no. not to me. & if you would've been there on that field with us, you would've felt that. let's go brooke." jordan said sternly grabbing his girlfriends hand and walking out of the locker room. & as they walked out brooke glanced back at asher.

all alone, and a part of her heart hurt. although he'd put her through hell asher has been her bestfriend, but nothing brooke could say, or do could drag asher out of the hole he kept digging himself deeper & deeper into. so she had to put herself first, and do the only thing she could do.

walk away.