Just landed.
I then go over to see my emails as the plane is starting to slow down. I see two from Ken, one of them that is marked Urgent.
I open it up and read it right away. Seeing that he’s cc’d Brad, Cam, and Eric.
Subject: Owen, Hutson, Arber, Brady, Markus.
Gentlemen,
It’s come to my attention that five players on the team have requested a trade. The requests were made official through their agent.
I am going to get on a call with their agent this afternoon to see if there is something I can do to try and get them to stay.
I’ll let you know.
I look over and see the five guys in question all hanging together.
Brad responds within seconds.
Ken,
I’m going to need to be on the call. I’m assuming I know why they are asking for a trade.
I shut the phone down, not bothering to answer the emails. I get up, grabbing my backpack and look over to see Cam with the guys. He turns his phone and shows them the email, and I want to walk over to him and snatch his phone from him.
“Is he showing them the email?” Eric says. “What an idiot.”
“He’s not worth it,” I say, walking off the plane and heading straight to the bus. I look over at Cam when he walks in.
“I’m guessing you got the email.” His face goes a little white when he sees my expression, but he quickly recovers.
“Yeah, I was asking them what it was about.”
“Save the bullshit,” Eric snaps, “I can’t deal with it. Eyes notice you always with them, I have to wonder if you’re the little bird in their ear?”
“Whatever,” Cam replies, sitting in the seat across from us.
We get to the hotel; everyone has a key waiting for them. I get into my room and my phone rings. I look down seeing it’s Ken calling.
“Hello,” I answer, putting the phone to my ear.
“Hey,” he says, breathing heavily, “I thought I would call you.” I swallow, thinking this must be it. “Just got off the phone with Steph,” he says of the agent that represents them all, “they are requesting either a trade or that we get rid of you.”
I sit on the bed. “Well, I don’t know what to say.”
“I will tell you I told him to fuck off, no one tells me what to do with my team, but that’s just because he pissed me off. I do have to tell you; Brad is already making the plans to replace you.”
“He’s been making the plans to replace me before I even started,” I tell him, putting my elbows on my knees, “so that doesn’t surprise me.”
“You have a big game ahead of you,” he says. “Why don’t you get through the game and we can figure things out when you get back?”
“Ken, is it worth it?” I ask him. “All of this. Is it even worth it?”
“The team is playing like shit and I’m sorry, but it has nothing to do with you. We know that at least those five are going to do what they need to do to make sure we lose the game.”
“I can’t bench them,” I tell him.
