The Fumble Of A Quarterback

Chapter 35: Did Something Terrible

His gaze was met with my scowl. Silently I made my way into dad's office as the team behind me started to talk. I didn't care if I was the center of attention. Someone needed to stand up to him. He deserved everything that happened. 

Dad closed the door behind him and shook his head. "Nora...." 

"Don't you dare dad. He deserved it. Did you see what he was doing to Everett?" 

"I was going to handle it."

"Yeah, that was clear since you have done such a good job at it so far," I said sarcastically. 

He ran his hands through his hair and bit his lip in anger. Dad rarely let anything bother him, but I was getting on the last of his nerve. He opened his mouth then closed it as he sorted out his words before he said them. 

I stared at him silently as I waited for his next words. 

"I expected violence from them but you?" dad said as looked at me.

"It's because of him. I was defending him!" I said as I thumbed towards the door. Charles was the cause of all the drama and dad should have known that. 

"Did Everett ask for that?"

"He didn't need to. He needed help and I stepped in."

"But did Everett ask you to slap Charles?"

I closed my mouth as a glare came to my face. "No." 

"Listen, Nora, you don't know all the things at play here. The school and Charles... you don't understand how much they are intertwined."

"You always say that, but does that mean I have to submit myself to torture? to a toxic environment? People on the team think the same way. They are looking for guidance from you but you are not giving it," I said as my voice rose.  

He stroked his mustache as he thought about it. 

"This whole place is toxic, and I have realized that I can't stand it. I can't stand you," I said as I pointed towards him. "I quit. I can't do this anymore. I've had enough." 

"Fine. I accept your resignation."

I nodded. "Good." His simple response caused a fire to light within me. Before I knew what I said, it was already said. "You say there is nothing you can do, but we can. We can stop this."

Dad's head snapped up to stare at me, trying to understand my words. "What do you mean?" 

There was no way I could back track from this. I wasn't good at keeping secrets anyhow. Dad should at least know, especially if the article would be released in a week. "We are working with the city news to release a story of what Charles has done to Everett and how the University has covered it up." 

"You are doing what?" he asked as fear came into his eyes.

I paid little attention to his fear as I felt excited about the story coming up. Everett deserved this. He deserved for his story to be released. "The whole city will know what he had done."

"You don't know what you are doing."

"I think I know exactly what I'm doing." 

Dad stood up from his seat and shook his head. He walked up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Nora, Everett signed a non-disclosure agreement. He can't say anything about what Charles did to him. He will be kicked off the team, lose his scholarship. This would be career suicide for him." 

His words were like a slap in the face. It caused me to take a step back. There was a reason why Everett was unsure about releasing the article. This would mess up his plans. 

"Nora, when will the article be released?" 

"On Sunday," I choked. A lump formed in my throat as the gravity of the situation weighed on me. I should have dropped it. I shouldn't have kept pushing this. He should have kept his mouth shut.

"Maybe it's not too late."

I nodded as I looked towards the door. "Maybe not. I need to talk to him." 

<>

Before I waited for dad's approval, I ran out the door. As I closed the door behind me, I saw Everett resting his back against the wall, looking at his phone, waiting for his turn to talk to my dad. There was no one in the hall now, it was just him waiting in silence. The team probably left knowing there wasn't any more of a show. 

"You can't let the newspaper release the article." 

Everett looked up from his phone and frowned. "I know what this paper will mean."

"You knew all along," I said as my eyes welled up with tears. I thought I was doing something good. I thought I was a team Everett. But that was never the case. 

Everett nodded. "I did."

"Why are you doing this?"

He shrugged as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I realized that football isn't worth saving when I don't even like it." 

"You will lose so much," I choked out. 

"So, I will pay for the rest out of pocket. It's only two more years. Other people do the same thing. And there are always loans."

"But what about after college, didn't you want to play pro?"

He shook his head. "We both know that is my dad's dream. It's not mine." 

Maybe that was true, but I couldn't bring myself to think I was the one that ended his career. 

He pushed off from the wall and wiped a tear from my cheek. "You did nothing wrong, Nora. This is my choice. Charles will not stop abusing teammates. I owe this to my team to stop him," he said calmly.

"Think about this. Is this what you really want to do?"

"I don't want anything else. I have already thought about it."

"But- but-" I stammered. 

"But nothing. I have hated football for a long time. It was time for me to actually make a move to separate myself from it."

"Everett, your turn," dad's voice rang out behind me. 

"I'll talk to you later," he said as he kissed me lightly then walked into dad's office, leaving me alone in the hall thinking I did something terrible.