The rest of the team must have been waiting outside, because one by one, they make their way through the doors and find an empty chair. It isn’t until Coach Alvarez and Coach Sage enter that I start to feel the heat that Noah was referring to.
We have an away game tonight, so a team meeting before we leave isn’t unusual, however, it’s been radio silent regarding the fall out of the last game from both the school and my development coach. I like to think Coach Alvarez is a good enough guy that if I got a permanent suspension he wouldn’t tell me in front of the entire team, but that would affect them too, so while they don’t deserve it, maybe I do.
I drop my elbows to the table and run my hands over my head, using the little prickles of hair as a sensory distraction to my racing thoughts.
“Alright, boys. Big game tonight.” Coach holds a manila folder in his hand as he addresses us from the head of the room. “A game you all could have easily missed out on.”
Various heads nod back and forth.
“You all know the rules,” he continues. “We keep it clean. No fighting.”
“Yes, Coach,” the room echoes.
Coach nods, running a hand over his mouth, and if I didn’t know any better, I would think he was trying to hide a smile. “Alright. So, after meeting with the refs, the officials, the head of the athletic department, and the dean of students, they decided that due to the mass altercation and the difficulty determining specific instigators on our side…” He pauses with emphasis on the wordsour side.“No individual student discipline will be issued.”
A collective sigh fills the room, and even though I heard the words myself, I still feel like I’m holding my breath.
Coach gives a quick pep talk and before I know it, Noah is standing and the rest of the guys follow suit, clapping each other on the back. Someone lets out a low whistle, but other than that, they file out the room as if nothing happened.
I push in my chair, give Silas a nod that tells him I’ll meet up with him, and drag my feet to the front of the room.
“Coach.”
He looks up at me, and as if he can already read the question on my face he says, “I relayed the message to your development coach, Hall.” He claps my shoulder. “Take this as your one get out of jail free card. Next year in Toronto when you're out from under the university's rules, you can go buck wild, but for the rest of this season, we need to keep it clean.”
“So, you know then.” I tap my knuckle on the edge of the long table.
“What’s that?”
“You know I hit that guy.”
He crosses his arms. “I know that you stood up for Parker.”
I drop my head, looking down at my shoes.
“I know that as soon as Kingston was on you, you stopped.”
I know he’s saying this to make me feel better, but it still just feels like a reminder that even though I held back, in the end, I still couldn’t make the right choice.
“And I know what everyone else in that room knows,” he continues. “There were too many bodies and your arm wasn’t the only one swinging. I wasn’t going to let them punish one guy without punishing the whole team. They chose the team.”
I swallow, and nod my head, still keeping my eyes on the floor. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go take care of business.”
I squint, finally looking up at him. “Aren’t we playing Leo’s team tonight?”
“Sure are.”
“Do you ever have mixed feelings about that?”
He purses his lips with a shake of his head. “I’m Leo Alvarez’s number one fan all the time. Except for when he’s playing my boys.” He winks at me, taps me with the folder he’s been holding, and heads toward the door.
When it shutters closed behind him. I let out the breath I’d been holding.
The last time I was at this door, I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. And the last time I saw the girl on the other side of it, she watched me come undone.
Tonight, I plan to return the favor.
