Page 66 of Trick Play

I couldn’t be reading this right. It was a mistake. A wonderful, beautiful mistake.

I had a B in Current Events. That brought my overall GPA two-tenths higher! That was two-tenths of a cushion I needed so desperately.

It felt like I could take a deep breath for the first time in months.

An assignment I turned in last week got graded, and I got a perfect score. One hundred freaking percent! I did it on my own too. It was during my regular tutoring time, but she was reviewing an essay I wrote while I worked on this. I turned it in without her double-checking because we were running behind. I assumed I’d get a D or C if the professor was feeling generous, but I aced it! I did it!

I practically floated into the arena for practice. Nothing could touch me. Nothing could take this feeling away.

“You okay?” Reid asked with a laugh when he met me at my locker.

“Great.” I smiled.

He narrowed his eyes. “Glad to hear.”

It was. I deserved a break. Some good news after being torn down day after day for weeks. I needed this. One tiny bit of proof that there was an end in sight. That I could do it.

One boost, and I was ready to go. Bring on any opponent, any challenge. I was on top of the world.

“Keep it up!” I yelled at the guys throughout practice, fighting my fatigue to keep their moods up.

“What’s gotten into him?” Hunter asked Benjamin loud enough for me to hear.

“Couldn’t tell you.” Benjamin slapped me on the back. “Just happy to have you back.”

He was so dramatic. It wasn’t like my playing was affected by the black rainclouds that followed me around like ghosts this semester.

Had I been as excited and boisterous as previous years? No, but I was also a senior and more focused on playing my absolute best than making sure everyone was having a good time. I’d been selfish, focusing on what I needed to do, but it was necessary. If I didn’t step back and take the time I needed, I wouldn’t be here at all.

It did feel good to be back. Even if it only lasted a day.

Haley accused me of being a playboy when she first got here. She saw me as a big man on campus, getting acknowledged by the majority of people we passed.

Little did she, or any of them, know how wrong that facade was.

What playboy spent more time in the library than his, or any, dorm? People thought they knew me because I put myself out there for three years. They didn’t bother noticing I’d gone missing since September.

If it actually bothered me, I probably would have been upset that no one made that realization, but honestly, I was grateful. They assumed I was around and didn’t bother me about going to parties or hanging out with the guys when I was really hidden away in a study room.

And that was how I knew who my real friends were.

“That’s it for today,” Coach called, and we headed toward the bench for the showers we earned. “Nice work out there today,” he said as I passed. “I need to see you before you leave.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten.” Since he didn’t say it was an emergency and he didn’t use the voice that told me I was in deep and needed to start coming up with reasons for him to spare my life, I figured I had time to shower and change.

“Hey, you want to get dinner later?” Hunter asked as I passed him coming out from the showers. “Benji––”

“Don’t call me that,” Benjamin shouted.

“––and I are going to see if we can get Reid to commit to an hour away from your sister too.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, sure. I’ve got to meet with Coach, then I’m good to go.”

“Cool.”

I quickly pulled on my clean sweats and headed over to his office. Maybe he saw my grade and wanted to congratulate me.

The door was only cracked open, so I knocked.