He kept his eyes on Billy McMannus until the kid slowly rose from the bench and moved even more slowly toward the section of the bleachers Levi had deemed their postgame meeting spot.
“Thanks for joining us, McMannus,” Levi told him.
Billy mumbled something under his breath and joined the rest of the team on the bleachers.
Levi sighed and adjusted his visor, which was no longernecessary considering the sky full of stars blanketing them from overhead. Butnotwearing his lucky visor? Yeah, that was never going to happen, even if the luck was still catching up to him from the college circuit.
“Listen up, team!” Levi began. “This was our first game and—”
“Weateshit,” Teddy Kostas interrupted.
“Watch it, Kostas,” Levi warned.
“Sorry, Coach,” Teddy replied with a sigh.
“All right,” Levi continued, addressing the entirety of his team. “Wedideat shit tonight, but does anyone know why?”
Billy McMannus’s name rose in a shallow murmur among the team members.
Levi nodded appraisingly. “Yes,” he agreed. “We were missing our best player tonight. But…what if therewereno Billy McMannus on this team to begin with?”
“Uh… Thanks, Coach?” Billy replied drily, and the rest of the team chuckled softly.
Levi narrowed his eyes at his star player who was so far living up to his not-so-stellar academic reputation, and Billy held up his hands in defense but said nothing else.
“Youallhave your talents,” Levi continued, addressing the entire team. And he meant it. Even the players who weren’t starterscouldbe with the right discipline, the right coach. But washethat guy? Levi didn’t know. And he still had a hard time wrapping his head around trying to become that guy when he knew after this year it wouldn’t even matter.
Buttheydon’t know that, a voice in his head whispered, one thatsounded a lot like a roommate he knew who was finally warming back up to the two of them being friends.
Levi sighed. “It was a rough start, and you all need your rest, so I’m going to let you all head home. But I’m giving you an assignment to work on before Monday afternoon’s practice.” This earned him a chorus of grumbles. He lifted his whistle to his lips in warning, and the grumbling died down. “IfIhave to work this weekend to figure out where we need help, then so do you. So, come Monday afternoon, I want one page,handwritten, with what you thinkyoucould have done differently in tonight’s game. The focus is onyou, meaning I don’t want one page telling me how you think one of your teammates could have madeyourlife easier. The only person you can control out there is yourself. So that’s who I want to hear about, okay?”
Murmurs of “Yes, Coach” bubbled up from the stands from all except one player. For the first time that night, Billy McMannus was smiling as he leaned back on his elbows like he was kicking back in on a chaise at an all-inclusive resort.
“What’s with the face, McMannus?” Levi asked, and Billy let loose a soft laugh.
“What’s the matter, Coach? Can’t the one guy who has ‘no homework’ this weekend take a second to gloat?” He put air quotes aroundno homework.
Levi shrugged. “He could, if such a guy existed. But last I checked, you’re still a part of this team, and if you had done something differently, you would have been out on that field tonight. So there is no way you’re off the hook for this, my friend. One page.What couldyouhave done?”
Billy’s smile fell, and though Levi knew the others were probably dying to taunt him about the shutdown, he was happy to see that the tone of his voice was enough to warn them not to.
“Grab your kits and get out of here,” Levi told them after several moments of silence. “I’ll see you on the track for warm-ups after school on Monday.”
“Yes, Coach!” they responded in unison but with far less enthusiasm than he’d have liked. For tonight he’d let it go. They’d all been through enough.
They jogged to the sideline, packing up their kits and then heading off the field. Before he left, Billy McMannus glanced back at Levi with his jaw set and his eyes dark and narrowed.
Levi responded with a single nod.
Don’t let other people tell his story, Haddie’s voice reminded him as the advice crept back to the front of his thoughts, and Levi tried to shake the sound of it away. One stupid text almost a week ago, to which she of course did not respond, and now his inner monologue belonged to her.
That didn’t mean he’d been thinking about her all week and what her nonresponse meant. Or that he’d been thinking about the fact that exactly zero late-night texts had appeared since. All it meant, Levi reasoned, was that Haddie gave some good advice when it came to soccer and getting to know his students. His admitting to her—like a complete idiot—that she was basically the best thing he’d ever tasted had nothing to do with it.
Who was he kidding? Of course what he’d said had everythingto do with it. And now, as his team trailed off the field, he found himself wondering not just how her game went or if she was having a similar talk with her team but instead if he’d royally fucked their friendship beyond repair.
She’d acted perfectly roommatey the whole week. She’d simply never broached the subject of the ill-fated text, and he had certainly followed suit.
***
