Tyler looked at his parents, then at Rachel, then back at Jack. He took a shaky breath. “I never saw it happen. But Terrance was getting so cut. His body looked strong, but he was… twitchy. When I asked him why, he just said he had a new workout regimen. He said the coach made sure he had the training, the diet, and the supplements that he needed.”
Jack's pen moved across the notepad. “Did Terrance say what kind of supplements?”
“No. He just said he knew what he was doing. He knew other wrestlers got scholarships by taking these supplements.” Tyler's voice was barely above a whisper. “Terrance was so excited about it. He said his dad told him he had real potential, but he needed to bulk up and get stronger.”
“Did he say his dad gave him the supplements?” Jack asked.
Tyler shook his head. “No. He never mentioned who gave them to him, and when I asked, he wouldn’t say. I guess I thought it was the head coach, but his dad is an assistant coach.”
“Did anyone else on the team mention taking supplements?” Mark asked.
Tyler sighed miserably. “Not really. It was like this secret thing. Like, if you were a good enough wrestler, you’d get a special regimen to make you better. If you weren't, you were on your own.”
Rachel felt sick. This wasn't just one man distributing drugs. This was a systematic manipulation of vulnerable kids who just wanted to succeed.
“There was another student,” Tyler continued, his words coming faster now like a dam had broken. “Brad Simpson said he took diet supplements that had been given to him, but they made him sick to his stomach. So he stopped taking them.”
Tyler shook his head, blowing out a long sigh. “The pressure was constant. The coaches… parents… they want the best to make it all the way.”
Tyler's mother made a small sound of distress. His father's jaw was clenched so tight Rachel could see the muscle jumping.
He jerked his head to the side to look at his parents. “Not you guys. Just some of the parents.”
“Tyler,” Jack said gently, “did anyone ever give you anything?”
“No.” Tyler scoffed. “I wasn't good enough. I was just... average. I mean… whoever is giving out whatever the fuck they’re giving… it only goes to the top members of the team.”
And there it was, Rachel thought. The twisted logic of it. Tyler felt like he'd failed because he hadn't been offered the special supplements. Because he hadn't been deemed worthy of the “help” that had put Terrance in the hospital.
“You didn't fail,” Rachel said quietly from her seat by the door. “You were protected by being… average. Do you understand that?”
Tyler looked at her, swiping at the tears spilling down his cheeks. “Yeah… I guess that makes me lucky.”
“Did you ask Terrance about what he was taking?” Mark asked.
“He wouldn’t say… just said the supplements would help him. He said it was legal. He said he wouldn’t take anything dangerous.”
“Terrance believed that because he was told to believe it,” Jack said. “But Tyler, what the students are being given is illegal. And dangerous. And now we need to make sure no one else gets hurt.”
The interview lasted another twenty minutes. Jack and Mark asked careful questions, and Tyler answered them as best he could. His parents sat in stunned silence, occasionally reaching over to touch their son's hand or shoulder.
When it was over, Jack stood and extended his hand to Tyler. “Thank you for being brave enough to tell the truth. You may have just saved someone's life.” He turned to Mr. and Mrs. Morrison and said, “If you’d like to take Tyler home for the rest of the day, that’s fine. We’ll know how to get in touch if we have any more questions.”
Principal Martine stood and smiled gently at Tyler. “I think that’s an excellent suggestion. Take today and rest. It’s been a harrowing morning.”
Tyler nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
As the Morrisons started to walk out the conference room door, Tyler paused at the door and looked back at Rachel. “Ms. Ayers? Thank you. For believing me.”
Rachel felt her throat tighten. “My pleasure, Tyler.”
When they were gone, Rachel stayed in her chair, suddenly exhausted. Jack sat down beside her, his expression weary but determined.
“You okay?” he asked.
“No,” Rachel admitted. “But I will be.”
Jack reached over and took her hand. “You did good, Rach. Getting Tyler to talk. Being there for him. That took courage.”
