Page 34 of Off Sides

“What the hell are you talking about?” Calvin asks, his voice scratchy and deep, like he hasn’t used it all day.

Adler just shrugs, being a total shithead. “I heard Montgomery is off playing house with Austin. They’re a couple. Can you believe that shit?” He waggles his eyebrows at Calvin. “Guess you missed out.”

“Fuck off, Adler.” I say, making both Calvin and him look over at me.

“You haven’t heard this story, have you?” Adler tilts his head to the side as Shields—always willing to be a sidekick—walks over and props his elbow on Adler’s shoulder.

“Oh, this is a good one,” he says like he’s thrilled.

Calvin stands up, towering over them—menacing and huge. “Shut. Up.”

“Aw, don’t worry, Duke. He’d find out eventually that his left tackle is a f—” I don’t let him get out what I’m sure would have been a nasty word before I use two hands and shove the motherfucker so hard, he hits a locker with a loud thump.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Hey!” I hear my brother’s voice as he runs over. “Knock it off.”

“I didn’t do shit!” Adler says, raising his hands as if he’s a victim. “It’s all your baby bro.”

“I swear to God,” I say, trembling, my fists clenched as I lean in. “If you ever say that shit again⁠—”

“Stop.” Micah places a hand on my chest and looks me over like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Calvin is watching stoically nearby. Micah turns his attention to Adler. “Go out to the field.” He looks around the locker room. “All of you. Go.”

I know he doesn’t mean me, and I wait until the locker room clears before grabbing my shirt and pulling it on over my head, waiting for the lecture.

“What happened?”

“He’s a bully. And you let this shit go on. Why? Because he’s good for the team?” I shouldn’t accuse Micah of that. I shouldn’t be an asshole to him, but I’m angry. About so many things.

I want to kiss Calvin again.

God, that kiss.

It changed my world.

Every perspective.

I just wanted to keep doing it over and over. But I saw a broken man today. The same man I’ve seen since I met him. Now I know exactly why, and I can’t really do anything about it.

I could punch a bully or two, but I’d get suspended, and they’d go on being dickheads. It’s not fair, and I’m angry about it.

Micah is quiet for a minute, taking a seat on the bench by my locker. “This about Calvin?”

I know I can’t tell him anything about Calvin—I’d never betray him like that—but I sit down next to him and look him in the eyes. “No. This is about Adler. Being a dickhead and bullying a teammate.”

Truth.

And Micah isn’t surprised at all. And why should he be? He’s known about this. “Can you get Calvin to talk to me about it? To report it?”

I snort dismissively over that because we both know the answer. “He’ll never talk about it.”

“But he does with you?” he asks carefully.

“Nope.” I let the p pop on my lips and kind of feel like an asshole for lying to my brother—even though it’s not really a lie. Calvin doesn’t really talk about much. And now I’m starting to doubt that he ever will.

He’s shutting me out.

I shouldn’t have pushed him so hard.