Page 6 of Trick Play

No amount of medication, to-do lists, or focused breathing was going to change the way my brain was wired.

Why was I the one expected to change? Why did I have to adjust to the way the majority of people learned and functioned? Why wasn’t my way enough? Why did I always have to be in the wrong?

I wasn’t stupid. I understood what I was taught. I could memorize facts and dates. I genuinely enjoyed learning about history. I did it differently.

It had been this way my entire life, but the struggle had never been this difficult before. The pressure and frustration never got to me because I didn’t let it. Sure, I wasn’t like my classmates, but that never bothered me because I had something none of them did. Hockey gave me the escape I craved. A place where being myself was fine. I wasn’t looked down on. I was encouraged to use all my energy and keep moving and fighting and pushing myself. On the ice, I wasn’t normal. I was excellent.

I wanted to get to the professional level. I wanted to leave school behind and be where I belonged.

The last year or so had pushed me to the edge. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could listen to people tell me I wasn’t enough. That my very best didn’t measure up to their standards. That giving it my all was failing according to the world.

I only had a semester and a half left, but I wasn’t sure I could make it.

Chapter 3

Kennedy

Things couldn’t get worse. That was the only comforting thought I had as I headed into my new History of Photography class. I hit bottom and things could only go up from here. The next six weeks would be intense with the additional work, but I would manage. I always did.

I waved to Professor Clements as I walked in.

“Good morning, Kennedy. It’s nice to have you in a class again.”

“Good morning, Professor. I’m glad I got to squeeze one more in with you.” That wasn’t a total lie. As much as I was dreading adding on to my mile-long to-do list, I truly enjoyed my art history classes with him.

He grinned and leaned back on the stool he had positioned in the center of the whiteboards.

I noticed a few familiar faces and almost asked if they’d been tricked by the major’s requirement changes, too, but that wouldn’t be making the best of a rough situation. I couldn’t do anything about it, and I’d been given a somewhat decent solution. Now I had to survive until December.

The clock over the entrance changed to ten, and Professor Clements stood as the door swung open. A tall, muscular guy practically fell into the room. He looked back as if searching for the reason he tripped before smoothing his long blond hair back and offering a painfully perfect smile to our instructor.

“I’m so sorry. I got a little lost. I haven’t taken a class in the art building in a few years.”

“That’s all right. We were just getting started, so go ahead a take a seat.” Clements waved in the direction of a free chair in the row next to me.

I held my breath and stared down the intruder. The audacity. The absolute nerve.

How dare he come here. This violated three years of neutrality. This was my space. I didn’t cross into his world, and he didn’t come into mine.

He glanced around the room as he sat, likely looking for one of his fellow Neanderthals.

When he checked over his left shoulder, his eyes connected with my death glare, and I willed all my energy into vaporizing him.

He flinched and quickly faced forward.

That’s right. Run away.

Coward.

Clements walked along the front row, passing out the syllabus, and I took the opportunity to pull out my phone and send an emergency message to my best friend, Lauren.

Kennedy: Lucifer is in my new class

Lauren: LUCIFER????

Lauren: Is this a code blue?

I wasn’t sure what code blue was, but I appreciated that she understood the gravity of the situation.