Story from a song

Joseph Parker
Intro to Creative Writing
Roxanne Carter
Expanding a line from a song

I'd rather be a hammer than a nail.
Simon and Garfunkel

“SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS!”
The coach bellowed at his players. The response was half hearted at best. Someone near the back of the huddled players mumbled something about defense but it was drowned out by a particularly loud sneeze from one of his teammates. “SHOULD I JUST CALL IT NOW BOYS; TELL THE BUS DRIVER WE ARE LEAVING EARLY”.
The players were aware that this was a rhetorical question and that there, unfortunately, was no chance of leaving early. In the locker room next door the coach’s half time speech was working his players into a frenzy. There was the sound of metal studs grinding against the floors. Shouts and screams interspersed with curse words. The chanting became louder and louder echoing off the locker room walls. “YOU HERE THAT? THEY STILL WANT IT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?” Again the players remained quiet a couple just whimpered. The bellowing coach was swiftly becoming exasperated but his spirits were lifted slightly when finally one of the players snaps. Leaping to his feat and ranting at his team mates using expressions like, “one more half, show em’”, “what were made of” and “were still in this:” No one really believed him but there were a couple of token nods and a couple of half hearted shouts.
It was hardly where the coach wanted his players to be emotionally but time was ticking away and he had to get his players back on the field. “RIGHT WE ARE GOING BACK OUT THERE” he ignored the grimacing players “AND WE ARE GOING TO PLAY OUR GAME AND WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE HERE WITH OUR HEADS HELD HIGH.” It was a nice sentiment and it lifted the spirits of the players somewhat. For a split second they forgot about their opponents and how much bigger, faster and stronger they were. There was a momentary flicker of belief and the players jogged to the field with some renewed vigor. The coach sighed as he walked out behind them bracing himself for the oncoming half and thinking all the while about what he would say at full time.