EIGHT
Austin
I walked into the office. Coach glanced up at me with the same look of disgust he usually wore, even when we won games. He didn’t say anything as I sat down at a hard, wooden seat in front of his desk.
“You going to be ready for this next game?”
“Yes, Coach.”
No frat-boys?
“Good. I hear your grades are up, and I’ve heard you’re not partying hard. Who’s this new girl you’ve been hanging out with?”
I did my best to mask my emotions.
“Girl, Coach?”
“Come on, you know what the hell I’m talking about. Trey gave you up to get out of trouble.”
That fucker…
“It’s not serious, Coach,” I lied.
He read me like a play-book.
“Tell me the truth. She going to distract you?”
“No, Coach. It’s under control. Football first. Always.”
“Damn straight,” he said then glanced down at a printed spreadsheet. “Your stats are looking solid, but I want you to try to push yourself a bit farther this next game. Can you do that, son?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Why the hell do all of you guys say my name every time you answer?”
I cracked a smile.
“I’m not sure, Coach.”
He waved a hand through the air in front of him.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I’m too damn old, but I want one more big win.”
“We’re going to deliver it this year, Coach.”
“Well, make sure you’re not spending too much time chasing tail.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Get the hell out of here,” he said. “Remember, give me double.”
I stood and walked out of his office, determined to find Trey and give him a piece of my mind. If Coach thought I was fucking around with a social life, he would stop helping me do my absolute best and increase my chances of hitting the pros after I graduated.
Many players like me dreamed of hitting it big, even if the average career of a football player was only about five or six years at most. And most of us had no chance of making pro. I believed I would make it, and that made me special.
Coach saw my potential, and I didn’t want to let him down. At the same time, a little down-time with Brooke wouldn’t be a bad thing. When I walked into the locker room, I saw Trey sitting on a bench, waiting for me. He stood up, holding out a palm.
“Calm down, buddy. He tricked it out of me.”
“You need to mind your own damn business,” I said, walking over.
The other players crowded around us.
“I don’t go around blabbing your secrets.”
“You don’t know any of my secrets,” he said.
“Oh, no? How about what happened at the Med-Center.”
His eyes widened.
“Who told you?”
I grinned, still having no idea, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Was it Brooke?”
“No, it wasn’t,” I said. “You ratted me out to Coach. That’s what we’re talking about here.”
His demeanor changed instantly. He put a hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at it then back to his face, looking him straight in the eyes.
“I’m sorry, man. Coach is all over me, and…”
“It’s fine,” I said, cutting him off. “Just don’t let it happen again.”
“Get a fucking room, you two,” someone yelled.
The others laughed then wandered away.
“You getting suited up?”
“Yeah, yeah, give me a minute,” I said. “I’ve got to make a call.”
“That damn Brooke is going to ruin your future,” he warned.
“Let me worry about that, alright?”
I stepped away and pulled out my phone to call Brooke. She answered right away.
“Hey, Austin. What’s up? I just got out of class.”
“I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I ran into Derek and his goons again today.”
“How’d that go?” She asked as if she already knew the answer.
“I took care of it. Hey, I think we should talk about my goals.”
“Your goals?”
“What I want to do with my life after I graduate.”
“You’re going pro, aren’t you?”
“That’s the dream, but I don’t know if I’ll make it.”
“You’re going to make it,” she said confidently.
I smiled, loving her support.
“We could hang out later tonight.”
“Hang out?”
“You know, see where the night takes us,” I added quietly so my teammates wouldn’t hear.
“Oh yeah?”
“I’ll come by after I clean up after practice.
“Make it after eight. Jocelyn will be gone by then.”
“I’ll see you tonight, Brooke.”
“Bye, Austin.”
I ended the call, feeling confident in my plan to rid myself of the pesky woman. Once we had sex, I’d be able to get her out of my head and be able to concentrate on more important things, like football and going pro.
The thought of going to hang out with Brooke later that night and having my way with her made me work even harder on the field as we played a full scrimmage game.
Coach yelled at us from the sideline whether we executed a play perfectly or not. When I noticed him watching me closely, I made sure to put in some extra effort. Thanks to Trey, he would be keeping an eye on me throughout the season. As a star, I had to keep proving myself to my teammates, the fans, and especially Coach.
No pressure.