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Why do I secretly hope his threat is sexual?
Chapter Eight
TD
“Panthers on three! One, two, three…”
“Panthers!”
The team walks together toward the locker room at the end of our Saturday practice. Last night’s game was a win, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, for a while, I thought the Westwood Warriors were going to be victorious. They were definitely prepared for Brody, as well as our running game, but we made them work for every stop they made. Late in the fourth quarter, we were able to get around their strong offense and run in a score that put us on top. The defense was able to hold their late-game push for points, giving us the win in the end.
Hard fought game on both sides.
Now, the players are headed to the locker room at the end of our Saturday walk-through. However, my eyes search out one particular player, who seems a little off today, despite having a good game last night. I watch Brody head for the locker room, walking beside his friends. The others are still hyped up from the win last night, but I can tell there’s something weighing on Brody’s mind, and I plan to get to the bottom of it.
The assistant coaches take off, and once my office is locked up, I head for the parking lot. As players come out, I make sure to say something encouraging about last night’s game, giving them compliments and accolades for the positives I saw. When the last group steps out, Brody is hanging toward the back. He’s smiling as he listens to Matt talk, but there’s still something different about him.
“Later, Coach,” Matt hollers, heading this way to go to his car.
“Later, Matt. Good game last night,” I reply, holding up my fist for a bump as he passes.
When I say goodbye to the other players, I turn my attention to Brody, who keeps walking. “Brody, wanna lift?”
He stops, and for a moment, I think he’s going to turn me down. The kid definitely has a battle going on in his head right now, and while I won’t push him, I’d love to help if I can. “Sure,” he says, his lips curling up a bit in appreciation.
He throws his gym bag into the bed of the truck, climbs inside the cab, and the moment I turn over the engine, I crank up the air-conditioning. “You had a great game last night,” I say, hoping to get him talking.
“We all played hard,” he replies. That’s one thing I’ve always noticed and appreciated about Brody. Anytime I compliment him, he turns it on to his teammates. “Matt’s TD that last quarter was epic.”
Smiling, I reply, “Sure was.”
“I was worried for a bit. I didn’t think we’d ever cross that goal line,” he says, keeping his eyes on the parking lot in front of me.
“I knew you guys would do it. The determination was there. Just had to find the right play to make it happen,” I state like the proud coach I am.
He doesn’t say anything else as I pull out onto the road and head toward their apartment. “Everything all right with you?” I ask casually, trying not to be too assertive.
“Fine,” he replies, almost too quickly.
“Okay,” I say, keeping my hand nonchalantly on the wheel. “If you need to talk though, I’m here.”
Silence fills my truck, and I decide now might not be the right time to push him. He’s clearly working through a few things in his head and needs a little space to get through it. He knows I’m here for him when he’s ready, and that’s all I can do. Though, I may shoot Ellie a message later, just to give her a heads-up that I suspect something’s on his mind.
I pull through the back alleyway and park in the lot behind the diner. Ellie’s car is there, but I know she’s working this morning. I stop in one of the first parking spots available and keep the engine running. Brody just sits there, staring straight ahead. My heart starts to beat a little faster as worry sets in. He’s definitely battling something in his head, and it kills me I can’t just fix whatever it is.
After a few minutes of silence, he says, “Can I ask you something, Coach?”
“You can ask me anything, Brody,” I assure him softly.
He turns my way and asks, “Have you ever been camping?”
Okay. That wasn’t what I was expecting.
“Uhh, sure. Several times. Why?”
He doesn’t reply right away, just holds my gaze. “Matt and his dad go together every year, just the two of them. They went last weekend, and while I love hearing him talk about it, it makes me a little sad too.” He swallows hard. “I’ve never been camping.”
A lump forms in my throat, making it hard to breathe. “Do you want to go camping?”
