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I flip him off.
“We’re meeting at Baylor’s place, right?” Chris asks, unlocking his own SUV.
“Yup,” Adam confirms. “Everyone else is already there.”
“I’ve got a meeting with Coach Blake. I’ll see you guys there,” I say before climbing into my car.
It’s a short drive to the main building of the high school, where I park outside the entrance closest to the football field. One of the many perks of being chosen as captain is the metal key that allows me to enter the locker room even when it’s technically closed.
I unlock the heavy metal door and push inside the empty, quiet locker room. I’ve never been in here without my boisterous teammates before. The normally noisy room feels hallowed and empty without their loud presence. I bypass the gleaming rows of lockers out into the hallway that leads to Coach Blake’s office. Despite its proximity to the belongings of sweaty teenage boys, it’s actually a location of honor. Every other coach’s office is relegated to the separate sports building I just came from.
His door is closed when I reach it, so I knock before I hear his booming voice call out permission to enter.
“Hey, Coach,” I greet, dropping into one of the familiar folding chairs across from his cluttered desk. The metal squeaks underneath the weight of my tall frame, but I know better than to suggest he swap out the cheap seats for a nicer option. The rickety chairs are perfect for making football players squirm, which is Coach Blake’s favorite pastime. Every uneasy movement elicits a creak he wears like a badge of honor.
“Good to see you, Cole,” he replies, giving me a genuine smile.
Despite Coach Blake’s stoic exterior, I’ve grown to respect him for a lot more than just his uncanny ability to draw the best out of his players. He embodies many of the principles my father is sorely lacking. Like integrity, for instance.
“There are a couple things I want to talk to you about. First off, your training plan for the summer.”
“Training plan?” I echo.
“You’ve got heaps of natural talent, Cole, but that’s no reason not to work extra hard. We ended last season with three straight losses. Now, I know everyone is going to be focused on a full sweep against Glenmont, but I’m more concerned with making it to the state final this year. Prepare for that and facing Glenmont won’t pose a problem. If you work on your conditioning this summer, we’ll be poised to add some new running plays, and your throwing technique could also use some refinement. Thompson and Fields have gotten good at reading you, but you’ll be a stronger quarterback if you can improve your accuracy. Clemens was a good captain last year, but you’re the one the whole team has always looked up to. Use that to your advantage.”
I nod.
“Good. Here are some specific drills to start on before preseason.” He hands me a piece of paper. “Now, I also thought we should discuss your future plans. I’ve gotten a lot of calls from colleges about you, and I want to check and see if there are any particular schools you’d like me to ensure you get to play for. I’ve got connections all over the country.”
“My father has always wanted me to go to Lincoln,” I say. “That’s where he went, and they’re one of the top football programs in the country.”
Coach Blake studies me. I didn’t exactly give the university a ringing endorsement from my own perspective, which I doubt he missed. “They’ve expressed interest, as I’m sure you know.”
“Yeah, I do,” I respond. “I’d like to keep my options open, but there’s no place in particular I’m considering instead.”
“Let me know if that changes.”
“I will, Coach.”
“All right then, go enjoy the rest of your summer. I’ll see you for preseason in a few weeks. Just keep in mind what we talked about.”
“Yes, sir,” I say before heading back out into the hallway. My car’s still the only one in the lot when I emerge outside, and I climb in and head toward Baylor’s.
I park in the open spot that’s been left for me in the driveway and head into the backyard, trying to shake off the residual stress my talk with Coach left behind. I know my father will be happy if I continue playing football in college, but it’s not a priority for him. He just wants me to go to a school that’s competitive enough he can brag to his business partners about it.
Most of Alleghany High’s senior class seems to be in Baylor’s backyard. The lawn and pool are overflowing with hubbub and hormones. Everyone I pass calls out greetings to me, but I only respond to a few.
There are almost three hundred people in the senior class, and I doubt I could name more than fifty of them. I stick to socializing with the football team. Not because I’m a snob, but because anyone I talk to outside of my immediate friend group tends to either gab nonstop or lose the ability to speak at all.
Chris calls it the “Cole Charm.” I call it annoying.
I grab a cold can of beer from the cooler set out on the patio and then head over to the deck, where I can see Chris and Charlie leaning against the railing. They greet me with hand slaps as I settle in the one open chair.
“How’d it go with Coach Blake?” Chris asks.
“Fine,” I reply. “He just wanted to go over the plan for the season.”
“What’s the plan, O Captain?” Charlie wonders.
