When mrs. Lewis calls me Thursday night, I’m thinking about all the normal things people are doing, while Benny’s lying in a hospital bed, his future uncertain.

They’re eating pizza. Watching lame reality shows on television. Griping about too much homework. While they go on with their lives like nothing in the world is wrong, some people’s lives will never be the same.

I want to punch something because of the unfairness of it all.

“We had a little bit of good news today,” she tells me.

“Benny touched his head. The doctors called it a purposeful movement, and they said it’s a very good sign.”

I lean back on my bed and breathe a sigh of relief. “Has he said anything?” I ask her.

“No. Not yet.” She pauses. Takes a deep breath. “Colby, the fact of the matter is Benny has massive traumatic brain injuries. His prognosis at this time is unknown. We need to be patient and see what happens in the coming days and weeks. The doctors have told us to be prepared for a long road of recovery.”

“Like, how long?”

She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. I know she’s trying to keep it together, for my sake. “Honey, we’re talking months. Maybe even . . . years. We just don’t know.”

I swallow hard. “Thanks for calling me. I really appreciate it.”

“There’s one more thing I want to tell you,” she says.

“What’s that?”

“You play hard tomorrow night,” she says. “You think of Benny, and you win that game, just like he’d want you to.”

“You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him,” I tell her, tears in my eyes.

“I know.”

“And we’re gonna win that game.”

“I know.”

It’s an away game in Lansford, about a twenty-minute drive, which means most of our fans will make the trip to watch. As annoying as it gets to have everyone talk football with me everywhere I go, the support we get on game nights is incredible. Once in a while, I wonder if I’ll miss that — knowing you have a whole town on your side.

In the locker room, Coach passes out the round stickers with Benny’s number and tells us to hold the helmet with the face guard against our chest and place it on the right side.

I know it’s all about showing that we love and support him, but the thing is, I don’t want to play with a sticker of Benny’s number. I want to play with Benny. And the stickers remind me that I will probably never play with him again. And that right there is enough to make me want to run away and never come back.

But of course, I don’t. I told Mrs. Lewis we’d win, and I have to somehow put all my feelings aside and go out there and play.

“I want you to remember something,” Coach says. “Football is about defending what’s ours. Let’s go out there and defend our territory, like we do every game. But tonight, and every night for the rest of this season, let’s defend our friend and teammate Mr. Benjamin Lewis. We will not let our guards down, for him. We will play with confidence, for him. We will play our best, for him. I believe!”

“I believe!” we yell.

“Now go out there and make him proud.”