‘Miller!’
I pulled a face before turning around in the quickly emptying hallway. I was starving and wanted to head out for lunch, not talk to him right now about my wobbly future.
‘Hey, coach,’ I said in response, holding back a sigh.
‘Spoke to that scout Peterson again and he said you still haven’t given him a proper answer to the offer. What’s going on?’ Coach asked, not bothering with any small talk.
‘Uh, I've still not decided yet,’ I replied hesitantly, shifting the strap of my backpack higher up my shoulder.
‘I called your father and he seemed surprised. Didn’t you talk about it with him?’ he frowned.
‘A little,’ I shrugged. Technically we had. Just before we argued and I stormed out of the house so mad that I punched a rock. Not my finest hour.
‘You should put some serious thought into it, son,’ coach said, patting my shoulder a lot harder than necessary. He really didn't know his own strength. ‘It’s an opportunity which won’t last forever. Doors close quicker than they open in my experience.’
‘Thanks, coach,’ I replied, forcing a smile. I let it drop as he waved me off and headed in the direction of the teacher’s lounge.
Damn it. Everyone wanted to rush me. It wasn’t like it was one of the most important decisions of my life or anything. Except it was.
The problem was, overthinking. It made decisions very hard to make. Especially the big ones. Did I want to even to go to college? Probably. But right now? I don’t know. It’s generally what people did after finishing high school but I didn’t want to end up wasting years on a subject I didn’t give a shit about only to end up getting a dead-end job and coming back home. Or worse, relying on my dad’s income to get by.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Tara,’ I blurted out, surprised by her sudden appearance beside me.
‘What were you thinking about so seriously?’ she asked.
‘College,’ I answered truthfully.
‘You decided where you’re going yet?’ she asked, gesturing for me to follow her in the direction of the cafeteria.
‘I haven’t even decided if I’m going,’ I snorted.
‘I think you will. You’re way too smart to not go. And you’re one of the only people I know who actually enjoys the learning part of school,’ Tara mused. ‘But I wouldn’t let anyone tell you what to do. It should be your decision in the end.’
‘It seems like it should be, right?’ I half smiled. ‘My future, my decision.’
‘It’s hard to figure out what you want. Sometimes it’s easier to think less and take a risk,’ Tara shrugged.
‘Like you did with George?’ I asked slyly.
‘I suppose so,’ she replied, shoving through the cafeteria doors. ‘It was hard to say no – he was very romantic, showing up at my house in the middle of the night and all.’
‘Well, he likes you a lot,’ I pointed out.
We joined Remi and Kyle at the table they’d snagged in the corner near the window. It was still drizzling outside but I was hoping it’d clear up by tonight. It wouldn’t be fun going to the lagoon with rain. Cold we could handle but rain really dampened the mood – no pun intended.
‘-very annoying, you know.’
‘I know. I get told several times a day. That doesn’t mean I’m wrong, though,’ George replied, dropping down into the seat next to Tara.
