33. "OMG, Girl Power"

The all city team ended up winning the game 20-14, but not without a scare. The winning touchdown came from Taylor near the end of the game.

It was during the last minute of the game and the other team had the ball. They were ahead by one point and it looked like they were about to score again. It was second and goal on the nine yard line. The Clayton quarterback pulled back for the pass and he was violently sacked, just before he released the ball, causing it to go up in the air and back down on the seven yard line.

Taylor happened to be near enough to where the ball was about to land that he was able to catch it.

"Interception by number 66, Ms. Taylor Perkio," the game announcer called out over the loud speakers as Taylor ran for his life, towards the end zone. "To the 20, the 30, the 40 yard line. No one can catch her. It looks like she gonna go all... the... way."

None of the boys on the other team had any chance of catching him as he ran the ball all the way back down the field for a 93 yard touchdown.

The packed stands went wild.

The field goal kicker easily scored the extra point.

The team then returned the ball down the field and the Clayton team had time for two unsuccessful plays before the clock ran out.

"Hey, Tay," Liberty called out when the game ended and the team came off the field. "We were all just discussing how that amazing return on an interception deserves celebrating. The team would have lost the game if it weren't for a girl."

Liberty struck a cheerleader pose with one leg off the ground, knee bent, her foot next to her other calf, and one fist straight up in the air with the other fist on her hip. She held the pose while calling out in a loud, syrupy sweet voice, "O. M. G. Girl Power! Yay!"

Taylor almost rolled his eyes at the display, but stopped himself when he felt a happiness stir deep inside him. What's happening to me, he asked himself as his cheeks turned red and butterflys began to well up in his stomach.

"You know coach is gonna take the team for ice-cream, as usual, to celebrate the win, why don't you guys come along," Martin suggested to the group as he approached.

"I'll ask my mom if she'll drive us. That is, if the rest of you can go," Kaylee announced, before Liberty, Elayna, and Steven, Liberty's boyfriend, took off to ask their parents if they could go with the team to celebrate.

It was then that Johnny ran up and gave Martin a high five. He then threw his arms around Taylor in a big bear hug, causing the feelings in Taylor's stomach to intensify and his heart rate to increase.

This physical reaction to Johnny's hug caused Taylor to pull away.

The expression on Martin's face and his body posture quickly changed and began to convey to anyone who might have been watching, that Martin was a bit less than enthusiastic about Johnny coming over, even though Martin thought he was doing his best to not let his feelings show.

"Did you guys hear," Johnny asked. "Coach isn't taking us for ice cream?"

"What?" Taylor and Martin both replied in shocked surprise and disappointment.

"That's not fair," Martin added. "He's not going to celebrate his only female teammate saving the team from what would have been their first defeat? And why? Because a girl saved the team instead of one of the guys?"

"Um no, of course we're going to celebrate," Johnny responded. "And it wouldn't have been our first defeat. We lost the game when our team played against Taylor and the team she used to play for. Remember?"

With a smile on his face, Johnny took hold of Taylor's hand, interlacing their fingers. At the same time, Taylor suddenly felt a stirring in his pants and it scared him.

He tried to ignore it.

Johnny, unaware of what was happening with Taylor, tightened his grip on Taylor's hand and continued explaining, "Instead of ice cream, coach decided to do something extra special. He's taking the team to Bowlerama '84 for pizza. Of course, that was only after a couple moms insisted that having the only girl, save the team from defeat was an extra special occasion, deserving of something better than the same old after game ice cream at the Dairy Freeze."

"They're not wrong. Taylor deserves a special celebration for her accomplishment, and that place has the best pizza in town," Martin excitedly announced.

"And bowling," Taylor added.

"Don't forget they got a kickass arcade, too," Johnny reminded the group.

During his winning touchdown run, Taylor's male appendage had become untucked from between his legs. While Martin and Johnny continued to discuss how much fun Bowlarama '84 is, Taylor realized his penis now stood erect in his pants, fully engorged with blood.

He discretely glanced down and was thankful that Carissa had insisted on him wearing the skirt, which now kept anyone else from being able to see the bulge that would otherwise be obvious in the tight football pants.

He glanced over at Johnny's crotch, then quickly diverted his gaze. What he saw, was something he was afraid he'd see, but hoped he wouldn't, the outline of a small bulge in Johnny's pants. The barely perceptible, yet unmistakable outline of an erect penis.

A feeling flowed over Taylor. One he recognized as fear, but quickly realized there was none of the disgust that in the past would have accompanied it.

About that time Carissa walked up and spoke, interrupting Taylor's thoughts. "Looks like I volunteered to be chauffeur. Martin and Johnny, your parents are going to drive you. Elayna, Liberty, and Steven are gonna ride to the bowling center with us, Taylor. Let's go."

"Excuse me, miss, uh, Taylor's mom. Would it be alright if she rode with me and my dad," Johnny inquired.

Carissa looked at Taylor with a big grin on her face. She didn't even attempt to correct Johnny for thinking she was Taylor's mom, she only replied to his question.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Taylor." She said, giving Taylor a wink and a smile.

All the way to the parking lot, Johnny kept holding Taylor's hand as they followed Carissa. Taylor was intrigued by what was happening inside him, and couldn't believe he was allowing it, but he didn't even try to pull away from Johnny or try to get out of riding to Bowlarama with him.

At the truck, Carissa announced that they were gonna stay after the pizza party to bowl a game or two and play some video games to further celebrate the awsome accomplishment of the team's only girl.

"You mean, just the three of us," Kaylee inquired.

"Actually, no. Liberty, Steven, Martin, and Elayna are going to stay as well."

"And me too," Johnny chimed in with a grin, giving Taylor's hand a squeeze.

"Let's go," Johnny told Taylor while pulling him by the hand toward a big black truck with a six inch lift kit. "Dad's ready to go."

At Bowlarama '84, the gang had a great time celebrating the team win and devouring a whole lot of pizza. The coach congratulated the team and told them, "Clayton really is a better team than us and they out played us up and down the field. We probably deserved to lose, but thankfully you guys didn't let that happen."

One of the moms then stepped up to not only congratulation the entire team on the win, but also made sure everyone knew that if it weren't Taylor, they would have suffered a loss.

"But, Taylor is the one who won the game today. You guys were behind and about to lose, but she didn't allow that to happen. I happen to know a few of you were less than enthusiastic about a girl joining the team, but you need to give credit where credit is due. Your new female teammate proved herself today. Taylor, come stand next to me."

Taylor moved to stand next to Martin's mom while she continued to talk.

"Now, I want every one of you to line up. You're each going to come by Taylor, thank her for joining the team and congratulate her for making the winning touchdown return on an interception."

Having the whole team, some of the players siblings, and several parents file past him to congratulate him for being such an amazing girl, made Taylor feel special, but he quickly realized that even though an interception and a 93 yard touchdown return was a big deal. It wouldn't have been treated like this if he had been just another one of the guys on the team.

Once the congratulating was done and every single slice of the pizza gone, most of the team began leaving with their parents. Kaylee, Taylor, and the rest of their gang headed to get bowling shoes and reserve a lane.

The whole time, Johnny had been right by Taylor's side and Martin, the only one not obviously having a great time, had been observing the fun, Johnny and Taylor seemed to be having together.

After a couple spirited games of bowling, most of the gang decided to challenge each other to rounds of skee ball, Steven and Liberty excitedly headed off towards the world's largest Pacman machine and Johnny took the opportunity to be alone with Taylor.

He took Taylor by the hand and quickly, when no one was looking, he led Taylor over to a row of claw machines in a dark corner on the other side of the arcade.