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The clock on coach’s desk ticked with each passing second

“Can we get this over with so I can go hoe of complete collapse and an explosion that would take out anyone around rip on hroller coaster and there was no ride attendant to let me off

I squeezed ers were still nuy like I was underwater

“You’re about to go hoood What in the hell happened out there? First, you show up late, taking a spot off the roster from someone who showed up on tiht that could’ve cost us the game on a technical”

“I’m sorry”

“That’s the best you’ve got for me” He slammed his hand down on the desk

He’d always been a fair coach—LJ situation aside He wasn’t one to yell and screaet in your face He did the whole quiet disappointed to chew you out without screaht noas beyond caring about anything

“Maybe Johanssen ant to tellto do with you being late?” His eyes bored intodown deep to the center of uts to him, but not today

My nostrils flared It was too ether was to shut down

It was like I’d been kicked down to the botto, no higher brain function It had all been bashed out ofI’d hoped for, for so long—that I’d finally get ansas gone She was gone Forever

And I couldn’t say it out loud yet

At some point the words, ‘Get out,’ left Coach’s h the motions

The locker rooone home Even without me, they’d won I didn’t want to face them I didn’t want to see the accusation in their eyes that I’d screwed up and hurt the teaured out they could do it all without me from here on out

Jules stood waiting for ht quiet She was all brightness and light, but even now my smile was brittle, forced All I wanted to do was lay down beside her and hold her I wanted to feel her arms wrapped around me and bury htmare was over

“What happened?” She covered my hands with hers and she brushed over the small cut on my eyebr