He straightens. Still holding the jersey. Gazing outward now, processing. I return to my own tablet.
Trey Dillingham glides past the bench. Looks at Max. Looks at me. Again at Max.
“MAX.”
“What.”
“JERSEY!”
“I’m thinking.”
“You’ve been thinking for five minutes.”
“Edges are complex, Hammer.”
“PUT THE…”
“Thank you, Trey,” I say without looking up.
Fuze skates near and stops. Points at me. Points at Max. Glides away making a gesture I fail to see but which provokes laughter from the entire defensive line.
Max puts the jersey on. Finally. In the unhurried way of a man who has decided that dressing is a leisure activity.
“Heel load point,” he says.
“Before the crossover initiates.”
“Got it.” He pushesoff. Glides back to the drill. Runs it again, and I watch on the screen this time because I am a professional who uses available technology.
His positioning is perfect. Not better, but perfect. First try.
He realizes I’m watching. He doesn’t acknowledge it.
Thenotlooking is somehow worse than if he had.
I write in my notes:The subject demonstrates rapid technical correction when motivated. Motivation source: unclear. Investigating.
I’m sure about the source of the motivation.I’m not writing it down.
His image reappears on the screen when the tablet enters screensaver mode. How did he change it again? I was holding the it the entire time. When I glance up, he’s drinking from the squirt bottle, but his stare is zeroed in on me. He winks and grins. Then he turns away in the opposite direction. Now Max is putting on a show. Harder stops. Sharper turns. Clipping the boards a little too close when he passes me. Not enough to get called. Enough to get noticed. On purpose.
I blow the whistle. “Stevens.”
He turns immediately. Too immediately. “Yeah, coach?” he says, another grin already forming.
I step onto the ice fully now, closing the distance. “You’re done.”
The grin falters. Just a fraction. “Done what?” he asks.
“Done for this drill.” A beat. Then, “You’re benched.”
Silence. Pure, stunned silence. Then the eruption.
“Oh, shit?—”
“No way?—”
“She benched him?—”
