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He’s drawing things on the whiteboard, and I nod when he speaksany of it It doesn’ton the field, whether I hear his plays or not It’s a friendly--acounts here Except everything counts for et back on my map I need to perform here Forty-five

I can shut this out just long enough I can do it, because I deserve it And he doesn’t get to take that away froure out what I’ame stays on course My mind stays sharp The walls stay in place And his voice--Mr Cotterh for irl with the jet-black hair It’s Chandra She’s good, as good as I assua that I’m pretty sure we share a mutual hatred for each other

She hates me, because I’m better than her--a disruption to her comfort I hate her…because she’s a bitch

She knocked uards And she pushed her sharp cleats into the top of h to make it look accidental But it’s not I can tell I can tell, because I would have played it the sah with such a h? I ell onBut I’ve had a setback Today, I’h a short soccer match

I want irls I just want to go home and bury myself, hide And I want to callfor o back to the space inays to tell him I loved him But now I just want to be alone I’ reasons And I don’t want to explain the other than the beautiful girl in his drawing

"You looked at houess that you have MS"

Shit He knows Of course, he knows I bet that’s why he gave me this chance in the first place I bet that’s how Ty sold ift I didn’t earn

"Yeah, well, you can’t really see MS," I say, and I know I sound snarky I can tell because Ty is here now, and he’swide eyes atwith that face Oh Ty, you have no idea how close Bruce Banner is to turning into the Hulk right before your eyes

"I know I didn’t mean…I…sorry, that was insensitive," Coach says "I just meant you look like you’re in top condition, like you haven’t taken any time off at all"

"Yeah, well…that’s not what you said," I say back, and hearing ht be overreacting I need to breathe and remember where I aize quickly, but he shakes his head no and just pats me once on the shoulder, his touch heavy and sharp and as hot as fire I shudder uncontrollably, but I cover it up fast

"Bruise I took ahis arms while he looks down at his feet

"There’s soet some additional records And real workouts don’t start until December But I’d like to have you on the squad, Owens Honestly…you’d be doing me a favor," he says, and I let ood No…I was great!

"I’d like that," I say, allowing myself this little break I shake his hand and catch Ty’s smile behind him

"Good Well, we’ll see you next week We work out on Wednesdays and weekends," he says, patting ht touch--it’s actually worse But I hold rinding against one another at theit traveled before I stopped it One hand had erased irl--the dirty one Just like the girls in the locker roo to see