Let Me Show You (Silver Knights)

Chapter 1

Cooper

Sweat drips off the tip of my nose, my heart thudding in my chest like a racehorse. I feel like I’m on top of the world. A smile stretches across my face from ear to ear as a thrill settles in my bones.

There's something about the few practices before our first game of the season that gets my blood pumping, that gives me the biggest build-up.

I love football, it’s been part of my life for as long as I’ve been able to hold a ball. It might not be my dream to play professionally, but it’s still a highlight of my life.

This is my last year playing at Silver Valley University, and I want this season to be the best. I’m bringing my A-game, putting everything I have into it. I want to leave this school with a championship.

“That was one hell of a practice!” Coach shouts.

“This year is looking to be one of the best. I don’t say this often, sure as hell don’t want to jinx it.

” He leans over and knocks on the wooden bench, making the group of us chuckle.

“But you’re looking to be a mighty fine group of men. Keep it up. Don’t let me down. Got it?”

“Got it, Coach!” We all shout back.

“Alright, get your sweaty asses out of here. See you tomorrow.”

Taking my helmet off, I shake out my shaggy blond hair. It’s drenched in sweat. I wrinkle my nose when I get a whiff of myself. Yeah, I need a shower, that’s for sure.

I jog over to the bench and grab my water bottle, downing half of it before I start to head toward the locker room.

“Novak,” Coach barks. I stop and turn to look at him. “Over here for a minute.”

“What’s up?” I ask as I walk over to him.

“We need to talk.” He steps up to me.

A grin stretches across my lips. “Are you breaking up with me?” I chuckle.

“What?” His brows furrow together, and I snort a laugh. He shakes his head. “Smartass,” he grumbles. “Look, I want to talk to you about your classes.”

“What about them?” I frown. We’ve only been back for two weeks. There’s no way I’m already failing them.

“Last year, you struggled in a few of your classes. You barely got by, passing by the skin of your teeth. This year, I want you to get a head start on things.”

“What do you mean? How can I get a head start on things I haven’t even learned yet?”

“Not like that. I think you would benefit from a tutor. Someone to help you as you go, keep you on top of your schoolwork so you don’t have the chance to fall behind.”

“Tutor?” My gut sinks. “I can’t afford a tutor.”

“There’s a few that volunteer, maybe they can help. Or, do you have any friends who can study with you?”

“What happens if I don’t get one? I could study harder on my own, too.”

He shakes his head. “This is your last year, Cooper. If you fall behind or fail a class this semester, you're not allowed back on the team in the new year.”

My lips part. Is he fucking kidding me? Football season ends in January. He seriously wouldn’t let me come back for one damn month?!

My good mood is gone in an instant. Coach has always been a hardass, but I’ve been on this team for the last four years. Why would he do this to me now?

“Hey, what did Coach say?” Brody, one of my old teammates, asks me. I look up to see him standing near the bleachers, his girlfriend, Ellie, wrapped up under his arm.

He graduated last year and took the job as the assistant coach.

Shoulders drooping, I walk over to them. “Pretty much that if I fail any of my classes, I’m not allowed to play next semester.”

“What the fuck?” Brody’s brows furrow, shooting a glaring look toward Coach’s back.

“He can’t do that, can he?” Ellie asks, chewing on her lower lip, her blue eyes filled with worry.

“He can,” Brody grumbles. “Not that I agree with it. There have been complaints that the sports divisions have been getting preferential treatment. That athletes have been given multiple chances, getting special treatment when it comes to their grades and their behavior. Theo is breathing down their necks now, keeping a close eye on them. I guess this is Coach’s way of doing what is expected. ”

“Let me talk to Theo. I’m sure there’s something we can do.

The school year has only just started, and there’s no way to know if you’re going to fall behind or not.

And there would only be what, a month left of your football season in the new semester?

Then you're graduating. They can’t take this from you! I won’t let them.”

“Don’t do it.” I smile softly at Ellie. She’s my best friend, someone who’s more like family to me. “Don’t give me special treatment.”

“If I can help, let me,” she pleads.

Ellie’s personal life is a complicated one. It’s her final year at SVU as well. Silver Valley is her hometown. She left after high school because of some tragic personal reasons and came back a few years ago to better her life for her daughter, Lilly.

Brody, the man on her arm, is one of her five partners. She’s in a polyamorous relationship with her childhood best friends and our new dean of the school, Theo.

It’s a long story, but this girl has been through so much. Way more than any person should ever go through in a lifetime.

What kind of best friend would I be if I took advantage of the fact that one of her boyfriends happens to be in charge of the school?

I won’t. I’m not that kind of person. This is my issue, and I’ll deal with it myself.

“Did he say anything else?” Brody asks.

“Told me it might be a good idea to get a tutor, and get a head start on things before I get the chance to fail.”

As much as the idea of getting a tutor sucks, I think it might be the best option.

We’re only a few weeks in, and already I’m finding the workload to be a struggle to handle between classes and football.

I'm also struggling to keep my mind on my assignments long enough to get the information to stick.

Adding tutoring to my schedule might leave me with less free time, but at least I’ll have the weekends.

“I’d look at it this way, he’s giving you a chance to stop it before it happens,” Brody grunts.

“Yeah.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair and grimacing when cold sweat squishes through my fingers.

“I can help,” Ellie says.

“No.” I shake my head. “I love you, babe, you're my bestie, but I’m not going to take up the extra time you have. I want you to enjoy life and let loose.” Ellie just had her second kid, Bennett, a few months ago.

There’s no way I’m going to make her give up any free time to help me when she already has so much going on.

“What are you going to do?” Ellie asks. “The tutoring program can be expensive.”

Silver Valley University is a prestigious school. Most people who attend have more than enough money to throw around. However, I’m here on a scholarship. I have a part-time job working as a mechanic at my dad’s shop, but that only earns me enough to get by.

I live at the football house with the other players for free, and the school pays for my tuition and textbooks as well.

I am grateful to have a meal card, but it’s only useful for the average student.

I’m a football player, the meals I’m given are nowhere near enough to sustain me, so most of my paycheck goes to feeding myself.

“Coach said something about volunteer tutors for the scholarship students. I’m going to look into that and see if anyone is available.”

“You know, I could—”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” I hold up a hand, shooting Brody a smirk. “If you think you can throw your money around at me and I’ll take it, then you don’t know me well at all.”

He narrows his eyes. “Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? Take the help, Cooper.”

I shrug. “Not who I am. I’ll try my best to work my ass off for it before I let anyone help.”

“Too damn noble for me sometimes.” Brody sighs.

“It’s one of the reasons I like him so much.” Ellie grins up at Brody

Brody narrows his eyes. “You like him, huh?”

“Stop it.” She laughs. “Don’t go getting all jealous.”

“He’s your ex-boyfriend. How can I not be jealous when I think about that?”

Ellie’s eyes widen. “Really? You’re going to bring that up? You damn well know that wasn’t real. He’s gay, remember?”

“Very gay.” I nod my head agreeably.

“You’re mine, Eleanor Tatum. Only mine,” Brody growls, cupping the back of Ellie’s head and planting a very possessive kiss on her lips.

“Technically, she’s also Jax’s, Chase’s, Rain’s, and Theo’s, too,” I chime in. Sometimes I love to poke the bear. With everything he’s put Ellie through in the past, he deserves to be picked at sometimes.

“Hit the showers, Novak!” Brody barks. “Coach’s orders.”

“Yes, sir.” I wink, giving him the two-finger salute before jogging away, chuckling at the pissed-off look on his face.

Once I’m far enough away, my face drops, and my mind starts to race.

It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I got kicked off the team, I’d still be able to finish out my year. Still, I wanted this last one to be the best, to go out with a bang. To fill it with so many good memories that I can spend the next lifetime thinking about it.

When people graduate from college, they move on, losing most of the people they made friends with along the way.

I’m confident that won’t be me, though. I’m staying in Silver Valley, working at the shop until I save up the money to fulfill my lifelong dream.

I’ll have Ellie and her family. They set roots down and have no plans on leaving.

In the end, I’ll be okay.

I’m not going down without a fight, though. I’ll do whatever I can to keep my grades up and do my best to finish this year off how I originally planned.

***

Yeah, turns out, it might not be that easy.

I feel defeated as I walk towards the dining hall. After my last class, I rushed down to the main office to ask about finding a tutor. It was the only thing on my mind, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the rest of my classes if I was sitting there worrying about what to do.