Snapping the ball, I complete an easy handoff to Logan, but not before Hollins comes at me. He pulls up a split second before plowing into me. The sneer on his face tells me he did it on purpose.
I should leave it. I should get back to the line and call a quick play to catch Vegas off guard. But I’m too on edge and have to poke the bear today.
“Play the damn ball, Hollins,” I yell.
“Maybe if you were, you wouldn’t be losing right now. Fucking fairy.”
“What’d you say to me?” I’m in Hollins’s face before I know what I’m doing. All I see is red.
“You heard me. Maybe if you weren’t such a fairy you’d have an easier time staying on your feet.”
“What the hell is your problem?” Kelly, our center, is right up next to me.
“Aww. Have to have your boyfriend defend you? Fucking queer,” Hollins spits at me.
What tenuous grip I had on my sanity snaps and I’m punching Hollins to the ground.
Whistles and flags are being thrown as someone tries to pull me off him. Every ounce of pent-up sadness and anger is flying out of my fists. My helmet gets knocked off as Hollins swings a punch.
“You can do better than that,” I egg him on. His knuckles crack my jaw.
“Fuck off, Young!”
“Aww, and here I thought you’d be a top.” I give him my smarmiest smile.
“Get the fuck off me, you faggot!” This time, Hollins shoves me hard enough to knock me back off him, straight into the ref.
He’s hauling me up while Hollins staggers to their sidelines. The crowd is booing all around me.
“…as a result, number eighteen of Denver and number twenty-two of Las Vegas have both been ejected from the game.”
Kelly is shouting at the ref about what Hollins was saying, but I push him back to our side of the field. “We need you out there, man. Don’t get kicked out too.”
“You heard what he said to you, right? That can’t slide!”
The anger that’s clouding my brain starts to clear.
Fuck.
I just got kicked out of the game.
I’ve always been the levelheaded one on the field. I’m one of the captains of the team.
And with one jab from Hollins, I put everything I’ve worked my entire life for on the line.
Fuck.
By the time I make it back to the sideline, Coach is waiting for me, his face hard.
“You’ll be waiting for me in my office when the game is over.”
One of the team assistants escorts me back to the locker room. Whipping off my pads, they make a sickening crunch as they land in my locker, knocking everything out of place.
“Calm down, Young. Don’t make this any worse.” His words are harsh. I’ve earned them.
I can’t remember ever feeling like this. I hit the showers, letting the water wash out every bitter thought I’m having.
Fucking fairy.
