“And she owns her own business.” Landon lifts his chin. “Hey, Sloane. Have you met my friend, Evan?”
Evan’s jaw works under his skin.
Sloane spins around and smiles. “Yeah, I know Coach Cole. His son is going to be starting PT at the clinic this week.”
My eyebrows jump. “What happened to Lucas?”
“He twisted his ankle jumping off his friend’s roof onto a trampoline.”
My head falls back as I cackle. “Oh, shit. Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Because I knew you’d laugh likethat.”
Ivori shakes her head as she fights her own laugh. “That kid is always getting into trouble.”
“Tell me about it,” Evan grumbles.
“Sounds like you’ll be spending a lot of time with Sloane at the clinic.” I waggle my eyebrows, being totally obnoxious to my best friend.
The music stops and the speaker crackles as Jayden’s timid voice floats through the crowd. “Can everyone hear me okay?”
I lift my arms overhead and shout. “Yeah, Jayden! Woo!”
Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, Jayden climbs the stairs and walks onto the stage. “Thank you for coming out today. No pun intended.”
Everyone chuckles.
“This won’t be long, but I just wanted to let you all know how this event started and share my story.” He clears his throat and a hush falls over the crowd. I clasp Landon’s hand, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“I’ve known for a long time that I was in the wrong body. I hid it from everyone, as we do, for fear of judgment and ridicule.But I was inspired by the head coach of the varsity lacrosse team, Coach Ainsley. Where is she?”
My cheeks burn as my friends point to me, and garner everyone’s attention.
“There she is. Hi, Coach Ainsley!” Jayden waves, and I wave back. “For those of you who might not know her, she’s a legend in this town. She made history as the first female in New Jersey to play on the boys’ lacrosse team.”
The crowd cheers, and Landon sticks his fingers in his mouth to whistle.
“She broke the gender norms set by society,” Jayden continues, “and she made me realize that it doesn’t matter what your gender is. What matters is who you are inside. Your heart. Your hard work. Whether you’re a good person.”
He pauses and glances out at everyone listening. “She made me feel like it’s okay to be who I am, and that I would be supported. And unfortunately, she got some hate for it. She almost lost her job because of it. But in the end, this town came together and rallied behind her...just like you’re rallying for me right now.”
Landon dabs at the corner of his eye, and I kiss his cheek. “Softie.”
He swipes his thumb under my eyes. “Look who’s talking.”
Emotion balls in my throat, and pride swells in my chest. This is why I became a teacher, a coach. To help inspire kids and let them know they’re not alone.
That they can change the world.
“So, I’d like you to join me in presenting Coach Ainsley with this fantastic news that we’ve been keeping from her,” Jayden says.
My head whips to Landon, who’s wearing a shit-eating smirk.
“Coach Ainsley, the board approved the turf installation for next season.”
My jaw drops as my eyes widen. “What?”
Landon throws his arms around me as the crowd cheers. “We’re getting turf.”
