Chapter 4
Chapter Four
ADAM
Iwas always late. I growled as I threw my truck into park. Granted, the snow-slush mix everywhere didn’t help. I expected my players to be respectful and on time, even on an early Monday morning practice right after Thanksgiving break.
And yet, here I was, late.
I was doing my best.
My best to build a team and teach these boys to believe in themselves. On top of that, play the right players and avoid angry parents and town gossip. Throw in the mix be a single dad and hopefully not ruin Danny’s life.
I pulled Danny past the signs for the upcoming high school dance and into the gym.
He refused to get dressed this morning. Kept pulling off and throwing his shirt.
He wanted the one with no tags, but it was dirty.
I even tried ripping off the other shirt’s tag, but he still refused.
I finally found another shirt with no tags, and then he made a huge ordeal about his socks.
The boys lined up on the black out-of-bounds line and were running ladders. The team captain, Jacob, had taken control of the group.
They were good kids.
Danny followed me, rubbing his eyes, and walked over to the bleachers, four rows up and into the middle, his designated spot he always chose. He yawned and turned on his tablet.
I felt guilty everywhere I looked.
Guilty I had let the boys down by being late, and guilty that I hadn’t let Danny sleep in longer. These early morning practices were going to kill me. I made sure Danny had what he needed, changed my shoes, and rushed onto the court.
“Sorry I’m late, guys. I know it’s not respecting your time.” I looked at Jacob. “How about we have a shoot off to see how many pushups I have to do after practice?”
He chuckled. “You’re on.” It was important to me that they saw I didn’t ask them for something that I wasn’t willing to do.
The team rallied around me. Jacob said they were done with warm-ups. We spent the rest of the forty minutes working on plays, running drills, and ended with a free-throw competition that had me doing thirty-five pushups. I ran laps at the end with the team until my lungs and legs burned.
“All right, boys, circle up.” I motioned my finger like a lasso in the air. The team tightened around me. “Remember, we have a game tomorrow. Keep those grades up and get a good night’s sleep. Treat yourself to a carb-friendly dinner tonight.” The boys nodded.
I looked at Jacob. “Captain, count us off.”
Jacob smiled and put his hand in the middle, the team followed his lead. “Okay, Eagles on three. One, two, three, Eagles!”
The boys headed to the bleachers to grab water bottles or off to the locker room and the showers. We had about thirty minutes until school started.
I leaned against the wall, catching my breath, and stretching out my calves. There was something about the high energy and competitive nature that made time fly.
I was exhausted, but in a good way. Not from life or things I couldn’t control. But from pushing my body to its limit and having it answer.
Jacob took the stairs two at a time up to Danny. He gave him a high five and said something. Danny nodded but didn’t meet his eyes. I remembered what he said about it making him uncomfortable. Was it okay that he didn’t look them in the eye when they talked to him? Would the boys care?
Ethan was by Danny too. He was a freshman on JV, but we often practiced at the same time. He liked to help Danny with the water bottles at Varsity games when JV wasn’t playing. I’d been impressed with his work ethic and his kindness to Danny.
I made my way toward the bleachers.
Two teenage girls opened the double doors facing the outside. They were giggling as one pushed the other farther into the gym.
“Can I help you, ladies?” I asked as the girls turned bright red. Jenny, the cheer captain and Jacob’s girlfriend, stepped forward.
“Umm…yeah.” She cleared her throat and pulled her blond ponytail over her shoulder. “If you are done with practice, I was wondering if Jacob was here.”
She held a poster board with candy bars at her side. Looks like someone was getting asked to the dance.
“Jacob,” I called toward the bleachers, “someone’s here to see you.” I nodded at the double doors. “Danny, let’s go to my office until I need to take you to class, bud.” I looked at Ethan. “Nice hustle today, Ethan.”
Ethan gave me a small smile. “Thanks.”
Danny stood and walked toward me, eyes glued to the tablet.
“Whoa!” Jacob grabbed his shoulders before he tripped down the stairs. “Better keep your eyes on the prize. Which, in this case, is not falling down the stairs.” He grinned, and Danny peeked at him as Jacob jogged around the corner to the girls.
“Jenny!” He pulled her in for a hug, lifted her in the air, and her face lit up with joy.
Watching Jacob with his girlfriend was hitting a little too close to home.
High school sports star and his head cheerleader girlfriend.
I could see my younger self and Cassie in them, like looking into a mirror of the past. I hoped Jacob knew who he was and what he wanted in life.
I was so confused at that age. So many people asking about what you wanted “to be,” scholarship offers for basketball at different schools, and the entire world felt like it was staring and demanding answers.
Danny clipped his ankle on the last step of the bleachers and almost fell. I caught him and grabbed his tablet. “How about I hold on to this until we are sitting?”
I didn’t regret all of my decisions though. I’d do it all again to have Danny. We walked out of the gym, through the hall, and toward my office. Through one last double doors, I rounded the corner and saw Brandy, the cheerleaders’ coach, waiting in front of my door.
Crap.
The doors closed behind me, along with my escape. She’d asked me several times to help with the different fundraisers throughout the year. I might have hinted I could help with the next one, hoping she would forget. I turned on instinct, hoping she wouldn’t recognize me…
“Coach Peters,” she called in a singsong voice. “You are a hard man to track down. It’s no wonder no one has caught you yet.” She smirked, proud she had trapped me.
“Sorry, Brandy, but—” I turned back around to face her.
“It’s not happening.” She placed her hands on her hips.
“This fundraiser is for the entire sports program, not just the cheerleaders. You really need to help. Since you won’t sell tickets or participate in the PTO bake sale or anything else I’ve suggested, I signed you up to chaperone the upcoming dance. ”
What?
No.
My hands were sweating. “Come on, the dance? There has to be another option. What am I going to do at the dance?”
Danny started rocking and bumping his shoulder into me over and over while clearing his throat.
Brandy eyed him curiously. “You literally just stand there.” She waved her hand. “It’s easy! Keep people from getting too rowdy. Should be right up your alley; most of the mischief makers in this school are on your team, and they’ll be on their best behavior if you’re there.”
I glared. They weren’t troublemakers. Granted, the one who stole Ms. Bates’s gnomes, and the group that threw rotten pumpkins at cars are still running extra laps, but they were good kids.
Danny kept up with his fidgeting, and I handed him his tablet. “Fine. I’ll chaperone the dance.”
“I’m so glad! Thanks.” She spun on her high heels. “Oh, you need to bring a date.”
“Whoa! Wait, no way.” I held my hands up between us.
She turned back around. “Yes way, or else the other mom chaperones will spend the night trying to dance with you and not actually do their jobs.” She rolled her eyes.
“Not interested.” I folded my arms.
“I don’t care.” She grinned. “I’m sure your friend Jessica could come.” She turned and left.
Jessica was just a friend, regardless of what everyone in this town assumed. She had wanted to be more than that when I first came back to Hillsdale, but I wasn’t ready for a relationship then, not that I am now.
I don’t know if I could ever trust anyone like that again. For relationships to work, you have to be vulnerable and open. You have to believe the other person cares about your happiness.
I learned the hard way that that isn’t always the case. Sometimes people just want to manipulate and control.
People will change. They hide parts of themselves until it’s too late.
After I married Cassie, everything changed.
I could no longer make her happy. I had tried for ten years to be who she wanted.
Giving every piece of who I was into hoping she would accept me and be happy.
I went to the college she chose and studied the degree she thought would get us the most money.
Money that she spent before I could earn. The credit card debt clung to me every step I took, even now.
Danny shrugged as he headed toward my office. He reached under the couch and grabbed a blanket, took off his shoes, and wrapped the blanket around himself.
I did a lot of things wrong with the divorce three years ago.
Like assuming all the debt and giving her all my assets just to stop the fighting, but in the end I was the winner.
I still couldn’t believe Cassie didn’t fight for Danny, and based on every lawyer I talked to, she couldn’t change her mind now since she signed away her rights.
Danny clicked on one of his games, the sound bouncing around the small office.
“Turn your volume down, please.”
I repeated myself three times before he heard me and turned down the sound.
I shook my head. Seriously…a date?
What was I supposed to do with that?
If I asked Jessica, she might think it meant more than it does. That I’m ready to date, and namely that I wanted to date her. I pinched the bridge of my nose.
But if I went to the dance alone, I’d spend the whole time making excuses and dodging handsy women.
I had Danny and the team, plus taking care of my place and Mom’s. My life was full and busy. I didn’t need or want any drama with a woman. At least the dance wasn’t until January. I would worry about it later.
I signed on to my desktop and went into my email. I scrolled and noticed one from Ms. Faith about upcoming school events and her asking for volunteers, and was reminded I still needed to apologize to Danny’s teacher.