Page 97 of Puck Me Back to Life

Then the locker room doors swing open. Coach walks in. The interruption hits the room like a whistle. Conversations stop. Players look up.

Coach rarely visits after practice unless he has something to say. “Listen up.”

Immediately, everyone's attention shifts. Including Kai's. Relief flashes briefly across his face. The sight bothers me more than it should. Because it means he needed an escape and Coach just gave him one.

Coach folds his arms. “We're making a trade.”

The locker room erupts. Naturally. Half the team starts talking at once. A trade announcement in the middle of the season is basically catnip for professional athletes.

“Who's getting shipped out?”

“Please let it be Lopez.”

“Fuck you.”

Coach ignores all of it.

Someone tosses a roll of tape. Someone else immediately throws it back. The room devolves into chaos. For a moment, I even forget about Kai's leg.

Then Coach raises his voice. “Enough.”

The room quiets. Mostly.

“The paperwork isn't finalized yet.”

A collective groan follows.

Coach continues. “You'll get the details tonight.”

“Coach.”

“What?”

“Can you at least tell us if we're losing somebody?”

“No.”

“That's rude.”

“It'll be in your email.”

The complaints begin immediately.

Speculation spreads like wildfire. Everyone has a theory. Everyone is wrong. I barely hear any of it. Because Coach is walking directly toward Kai.

My attention sharpens.

The conversation around us fades into background noise.

Coach stops beside his stall. “Hayes.”

Kai looks up. “Yeah?”

“Office. Couple minutes.”

The room doesn't react. Players get called into Coach's office all the time.

Most people don't think twice about it. But Kai's expression changes. A flicker of unease.