They Called It The Ice Bowl

This story was originally published on Medium.

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They’re calling it the Ice Bowl, and it is already exciting, just barely into the second quarter. Sam is enjoying hanging out with his friends, he feels he needs to really savor these times. They can’t always all get together what with school schedules, work schedules, distance between them for eight months out of the year. This is a time where they really need to relish…

Sam’s phone goes off.

It’s Kara. He had been hoping to hear from her all day, and nothing. And finally, something.

A semi-cryptic message that sounds like she is answering Sam’s question from earlier. She does want to come over.

But Sam is not home. Sam is 30 minutes from home… on a good day. It’s freezing out, it’s windy, there’s snowfall. It’s a longer drive than just 30 minutes right now.

But Kara seems interested in coming over soon, which means Sam will have to leave now.

Sam makes an excuse to Clyde and Adrian. They don’t seem to believe him. He can tell they don’t believe him and they can tell that he can tell they don’t believe him. But they all go through with the lie. Sam bids farewell and runs to his freezing cold car.

The drive home is a mix of hopeful and pure misery. The driving is awful. Having to drive slowly to avoid getting in an accident, but needing to drive right up to that speed… the speed that is almost too dangerous on the treacherous roads, but still just barely safe. Sam needs to get home as soon as he can. He figures he should be home in 50 minutes.

Sam is home in 40 minutes. That probably means he drove too fast, too recklessly. He won’t tell anyone about this. He is a bit ashamed of this. But he is home, and that is what counts. Kara texted him once more when he was driving. He peeks at it. Something about what she should bring.

Just yourself.

There’s a smooth enough answer.

Sam rushes to the bathroom and cleans himself up, still sticky with sweat on his forehead. He brushes his teeth. He uses mouthwash. He flosses. He checks his clothes and his armpits. It’s cold, but Sam’s a sweater, and he’s been indoors wearing these clothes all day. He needs a quick change and a quick deodorant refresh.

Sam laments over what clothing will be nice enough but not so nice it looks like he changed for the occasion. It needs to look like he has just had this on all day. He finally picks a forest green shirt he likes very much. Very nice. Still casual.

Sam puts a movie on and waits.

And waits.

And texts.

And gets no response.

And waits.

He turns the football game back on eventually. Fourth quarter. Still a close game. Almost over. But he missed all the action. Sam somewhat wishes he stayed to watch the game. It looked like a good one. But he doesn’t regret this decision. He is home, Kara is going to come over, this is what he wanted all along.

A text.

It’s Kara, she doesn’t think she can come over now.

Don’t think? What do you mean? You can or can’t?

There’s no answer. There’s never any answer.

Sam watches highlights of a game he missed. This upsets him. He puts a movie back on. It’s an animated movie for kids. He watches it, alone, vowing he will not cry at a kid’s movie, even though they know how to pull your heart strings.

It gets too difficult so he switches his TV back to the highlights and stews in his bad decision making.

They called it the Ice Bowl for Christ’s sake.

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