“Good game,” we repeated and repeated and repeated to the devastated faces of the other team.
It just ain’t right. We already killed their spirits, now we have to lie to them?
After that humiliation ritual, we head into the tunnel, the stadium’s noise slowly muffling behind us. The air inside is cooler, quieter, but my blood is still on fire.
Winning always does this to me.
For a few seconds, everything else disappears. There’s just the high in my chest, the ache in my legs, the truth of it:
I did my job and I did it well.
Coach O’Shea pulls me aside near the tunnel, patting my shoulder, almost like my dad does.
“Hell of a game, McKingsley,” he says as he walks by. “That fourth goal? That was pure instinct. You’re reading the game better every week.”
My chest warms. “Appreciate it, Coach.”
Then my phone buzzes before I even hit the changing room.Daniel.
I swipe to answer.
“You seeing this?” he says immediately. “Social’s going mad. Clips are already everywhere.”
“Social?”
“Insta? Tiktok? We gotta get you on there. People love you!”
My mind wanders back to the conversation with Amin.
“Good,” I reply, dropping onto the bench. My legs feel like lead now that the adrenaline’s fading.
“I’m serious, Jabari. Scouts were in the stands. Proper ones. If you keep this up, you’ll be playing with bigger teams sooner than you think.”
That should make me smile. Instead, something tightens in my previous warmed chest.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. This Novis stint? A stroke of genius. It’s the perfect stepping stone. I know it’s hard cause you’re bigger than this, but hold on. Almost at the finish line.”
I glance around the locker room, eyes landing on Amin laughing as Sol flicks tape at someone.
“Mhm,” I say slowly.
He doesn’t miss the hesitation. “Don’t get sentimental. You’re here to be the top.”
Tuh. I know that.
“By the way,” he adds, “when’s the next game?”
“Tomorrow. Wales.”
There’s a small pause that means he’s already calculating something. “Good. Another chance to prove yourself.”
I roll my eyes, dragging a towel over my face.
“I already proved myself,” I mutter. “Now do your part. I gotta go do cool-downs.”
“I was serious about socials, Jabari. I can?—”
