*1-The Football Field

                                    

                                          
 Newly Edited 
                          
"Go Gracie, go" screamed my best friends Wes and Luke.
                          
Upon their screams, I took off like a rocket. The touchdown line was just in sight. I could see it. I focused on it and forgot everything else. The wind whipped my hair from side to side, even though I remember putting it in a tight pony tail. It must have come out when I was playing. Considering I was playing with guys twice and almost triple my size, I could see why. For a few second I forgot where I was. All I could see and feel was the line and how amazing it felt to run at this speed. How everything smelled better and I could hear more clearly than before. Even though I shifted almost six months ago, I didn't gain my new abilities and sense like I was supposed until now. It has slowly been happening over the last couple of weeks. I could hear more clearly than before, see better in the dark and smell better.
                          
 As a lioness and also as a shifter, our reflexes, hearing, smelling and tasting and speed, were better than most humans. Even when we are born and have not yet shifted. But they get even better once we shift. Because of the shift, I could now hear when my dad was calling me. Thinking I was in my room when I was really six blocks down the road at the football field playing football and other sports with my two best friends Wes, and Luke and others. That's why I was able to run home in record time and pretend I was in the bathroom or something before my dad came into my room.
                          
 I have always been a tomboy, dressing more like a guy then a girl, even when I was younger. No one ever teased me until we went to high school.  Then all the sudden, people looked at me weird for hanging out with guys all the time and the way I dressed suddenly came into question. My mom warned me that something like this might happen once I got to high school but I didn't listen. I was young, careless and free. All I cared about was my job at my dad's restaurant and hanging out with Wes and Luke.
                          
 Even though I lost a few friends in high school and was teased at first for the way I looked, I didn't let it bother me. Overtime it when away on its own. People knew I wasn't going to change my looks for anyone.  They all knew me as little Gracie, the tomboy sweetheart who always played with the boys and did outrageous things like a boy.
                          
 And so it went on and I finished high school. It was now the summer after my first year or college. I had come home for the summer. I missed my parents and Wes and Luke. We all planned we would came back if we left for the summer. But Luke and Wes didn't leave. They got a scholarship to play ball at Michigan State University and they stated.
                          
 I was so out of it and almost to the line when suddenly I got body checked from the side. I got hit so hard I dropped the ball. My vision blurred and I couldn't see for a second. Then I heard voices, people yelling my name, they seemed so far away. I landed on my side. My whole body aching from the impact, my shoulder felt funny, I raised my arm and it didn't move. I didn't understand at first then I realized it was dislocated. I tasted blood in my mouth and realized I had bitten the inside of my cheek on impact. My leg burned. I turned on to my back, and closed my eyes. The sun was shining so bright. I thought why didn't I notice it before, that I was so bright. The voices got closer and closer until multiple shadows blocked the sun. I looked up and blinked a couple of times, trying to focus my eyes. But it was hard. My head felt dizzy and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and take a nap.
                          
 "Gracie, Gracie, Stay with me. Gracie, don't close your eyes sweetheart" said a deep voice. I Moved my head from side to side, I struggled to stay awake. But it was so hard. I felt someone's hand brush my hair from my eyes and my vision cleared out more.  The shadows that were blocking the sun were Wes, who was on his knees beside me, Luke who looked worried and the other guys I was playing ball with. Widening my eyes, I noted that Jace, Johnny, Cade and Austin where there, so where the guys on the other team. I tried remembering their names but I drew up blank. It was weird because they were all guys I either grew up with or Wes and Luke had introduced me to.
                          
 "What the fuck, man". I heard Luke shout at someone. He got up and walked away and I lost sight of him. I turned, trying to see who he was talking to. But Cade was blocking my view.
                          
 "What?" said a voice I didn't recognize. He sounded familiar but I couldn't place him. 
                          
"What do you mean what? You asshole, you completely body checked her. Did the fact that she is a girl escape your mind" yelled Luke. From what I could see between the cracks of Cade and Austin's legs, which wasn't much, Luke was advancing towards the guy. Who I noted was Brady. The new guy that Johnny brought over, he introduced him to all of us before the game began. I remembered him because he was the only one who wasn't ok with me playing the game.
                          
 "Well then maybe she shouldn't have played with the big guys" he yelled back. Luke blew up at that and ran towards him. He tackled him to the ground, sat up and swung at him. Brady's head bounced from side to side and I gasped. Luke didn't usually hit people. He was so calm and collected. Sure he had a darker side underneath and you knew better than to mess with him but he was usually like Wes, carefree and fun.
                          
 "Just calm down Gracie, we are going to get you to the hospital." Wes said leaning down so I could hear him over the commotion. My gaze slid upwards and I saw concern and anger in his eyes. "Make Luke stop." I whispered but it came out all gurgled because of the blood in my mouth, and I didn't think he heard me until I yelled. "Luke, stop and get over here". Looking over again, I saw that Cade and Austin where holding Luke back from Brady who was Swearing and spitting blood. I picked up a couple of his words and wanted to get up and beat the shit out of him myself. "You're seriously knocking on a brother because of some bitch that didn't know where she belonged" he yelled back at Luke. Luke struggled against Cade and Austin's hands but they didn't let him go. He was furious. His canines came out and his eyes turned yellow. He wasn't in control of his animal. If he didn't calm down soon he would shift into the Tiger that he was and ripe Brady apart.
                          
 But he didn't have to do anything. Because Johnny twisted Brady in his arms and shoved him hard. Brady was taken by surprise and fell down on his ass. In a dangerously low voice Johnny told Brady. "Get the hell out of here; I don't want to see your face again". With a deep breath, and a deadly look in his eyes, Brady took off, mumbling about what a shitty game this was and how they were all being pussies.
                          
 Luke got himself under control and walked back to my side along with the other guys. "I called an ambulance" said Austin, looking worried. "I so sorry about that Gracie" said Johnny. He looked like he blamed himself for what Brady did because he did invite Brady over.  But I didn't blame him. Shoving myself with my elbow that wasn't fucked up, I sat up and spit the blood out, looked up at them and said. "A dislocated shoulder and a few scraps, it's not that bad" I said smiling.
                          
After a second of silence, they all burst out laugh. "That's the Gracie we know and love" said Wes. My whole body hurt but I didn't let it show.
                          
 -Cassie