Day Three of my BeKindRewrite Voices Week story. In football, the legend of the twelfth man came from Texas A&M, but in general it is just a way to refer to the fans and the belief that fan support can help a team win a game. This is also an homage to my sister and my freshman year collegiate marching band debut – she was definitely the twelfth man that day.

With nine seconds left, the fans were going insane. Their hearts pounding, they were expending as much energy as the players on the field, screaming until they lost their voices. Some of them stomped their feet, making the metal bleachers ring with the sound of anticipated victory, while others beat their thundersticks in a driving tempo. One man turned and looked behind him at a small pocket of disinterested fans and couldn’t believe what he saw.

“What the hell’s your problem?” he yelled at them, fueled by school spirit and more than a little alcohol. “That’s your team damnit!”

“Oh please,” a student groaned as she continued to tap away at her smartphone.

“Stand up, cheer for your team! What the hell? The Bears need us now!”

His friend had the good graces to look embarrassed and grabbed his arm. “Dude, it’s ok. They’re taking the field.”

As the referee’s whistle blew, the stadium erupted in a roar, the twelfth man carrying the team on his shoulders as the players took the field…

(word count 173…maybe I can do this)