The team filed into the boys' locker room after the game. I removed my helmet and took a seat on one of the benches. The room was dead silent, everyone was excited about the win but in fear of the storm that was about to hit.
Coach suddenly came inside. The assistants followed quietly behind him. The looks on their faces were strange and they wouldn't make eye contact with anyone.
Coach cleared his threat and everyone's eyes fixated on him. He suddenly pointed at me. I felt my blood freeze and little goosebumps were forming on my arms.
Four simple words came out of his mouth, his finger still fixated on me. "What were you thinking?"
I sat there frozen.
"It wasn't rhetorical, answer the damn question," he said through gritted teeth.
"I --," I suddenly had a hard time forming words.
"I just wanted to prove something, Coach," I was finally able to mutter something out of my mouth.
He began to step over guys as he approached me.
"Prove what?!" He yelled as he walked closer.
He bent down once he got to me, sticking his face just inches from mine.
"You don't get it do you, Callahan?" He said in a soft tone. "What exactly do you need to prove anymore?"
"I'm a girl."
"Are you? Because when I look at you, I see a damn good football player and then I see a girl. Whether or not you're a guy or a girl obviously doesn't affect if you play or not, right?" He stood up and gestured to everyone else in the room. "All of them just see you as their quarterback."
He began to walk back to the front of the group.
"If anyone decides they're going to undermine my authority next time, I do not care if you are a starter, a senior, or the water boy -- you're done. And this one time, y'all got lucky enough with a win, so now that I see you can do it. Well, let's keep it up."
Coach spoke the final words and left the locker room. Everyone immediately jumped up and began hooting and hollering, laughs and smiles rippling throughout the room.
I stood up and left, making my way to the girls' locker room.