Girls Can't Play Football

Chapter 14

I was ready with my answer. I didn't think it was exactly right but I didn't think it was wrong either. Just a question to ask Coach before I tell him my decision. One question upon which I will make up my mind.

If you haven't guessed, I was in the changing room outside the field for P.E. A day after the whole 'will-you-be-my-partner' thing happened at his office. I rubbed my sweaty hands against my shorts into which I had earlier changed and exited the changing room.

I decided that I'd tell him towards the end of the class-- when people are too tired to notice what's going on. I don't want it anything to be made public yet so I'd just rather stay in the low, although I'm pretty sure some people already know that Coach has taken up an interest in me as a student.

Coach clapped his hands together, rather loudly, to gain everyone's attention. His eyes scanned the students until it came on me and a questioning look went over his face before it got masked with an authoritative one as he realized all the students had started talking once again. His face was one of rage and he yelled at the top of his voice for all of them to be quiet. Everyone quietened down.

Everyone.

"I will not accept this kind of behavior in my class again! One more time and you get a warning. And you all know the rules: three warnings and you're out. So unless you want to get expelled, I'd think twice if I were you before starting to talk." He ended it with a sickly, sweet, sarcastic smile which immediately made me roll my eyes. He's back at it with the stupid expelling thingy again.

We were made to do around ten laps of running as the warm-up. I think it's because he's angry today; he seems to be taking his anger out on us. Huh, who am I kidding? This is just the normal.

We didn't do much today, just the occasional running. We were given a ten-minute break every time we ran five laps, so I guess it was fine. 

The bell rang signifying the end of the class and all the students ran out. Coach's eyes fixated on me as I stayed there, being the only person who didn't leave as I had to have my discussion with the Coach first. 

"Hey, you coming?" Alex asked as they walked past.

"No, you guys carry on. I've got something to do first." I smiled at him and left him as I went toward Coach.

"You made up your decision, Sam?"

"Can I back out whenever I want to?" The question had been in my mind for the whole day now and it was driving me crazy.

He sighed. "I guess, but it's not that easy. It's going to take a month for you to back out as you're signing a contract with the university before you join including the terms and conditions and what not. . . it's basically gonna take time. It's not just going to happen out of the blue." He explained. 

I nodded. One month I could wait for. "I'm in," I blurted. The words were out before my mind could register what was going to happen. Although this had been my very decision from the start, it's scary how excited I already am to start the training. I shouldn't be this excited. I should be as far as possible from this game.

But I can't. . . And I have to accept that. Baby steps, I guess. But steps forward nonetheless.

A smile broke out on his face. "Great." He held his hand out and I shook it. "It'll be fun working with you, Sam. You're going to have to come in for some paperwork about some policies tomorrow but you can come for the first training on Thursday."

I smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. Thank you for helping out."

"Yeah, no problem."