“What business were you wanting?” Adam asked Danny.
Danny shrugged. “I thought maybe I could just ask for money.”
Adam shook his head and grinned. “I don’t think it works like that.”
Jesse came and set down the pie plates.
“OHHHH, Coach Peters got a date!!!” The teens in the booth ahead of us started laughing and making kissing noises. My breath caught.
Would this cause problems for Adam? Would it cause problems for me?
Danny’s eyebrows pinched down. “Date? What’s a date?”
I could tell he was feeling concerned. I forced a shaky smile. “No, Danny, it’s not a date.” I smiled at him, trying to give him comfort I didn’t feel.
“But they said…”
I shrugged, pretending I didn’t care. “People say things all thetime that aren’t true.” I leaned in and whispered. “They probably don’t know we are working on a project.”
Danny nodded, but glanced over at the teens, his eyes held concern.
“Excuse me.” Adam stood from the bench and stalked across the linoleum floor. The teenagers went silent.
I chewed my lip, unsure how to react to the upcoming confrontation.
“Hey boys, what is rule number one?” Adam tipped his head to the side.
They must be on his team.
“Respect others and yourself,” the boy with the blond curly hair mumbled and avoided Adam’s gaze.
“Right. So what do you think about how you’re acting?” Adam’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm.
“Sorry, Coach,” the boy mumbled.
“We were just joking,” added the one in glasses and an oversized hoodie.
“Yeah, we didn’t mean anything by it,” added the third in the group, as he raised his palms.
Adam rested his hands on his hips. “Right, but words can hurt.”
I thought back to high school. It had been so easy to say I was joking, that the pain I caused was meant in good fun. My shoulders drooped. I wished I could go back and erase the person I was.
“The words you use show more about you than the recipient,” Adam continued. “And to me it shows you boys need more direction. After practice, you will stay and run laps until I decide otherwise.” Adam’s voice left no room for argument.
“Yes, Coach,” they replied in unison.
Maybe I should run laps too. Would it earn me the right to move on from my past? I spun my ring.
Adam leaned toward them. “I will run them with you. If you can beat me, I will cut down the time.”
They grinned and nodded. “Deal.”
He had reprimanded and then diffused the tension. That was amazing.
“All right, see you boys at practice.”
They nodded. He walked over and sat down as though nothing had happened. “Now. About that school project,” Adam said.
