Chapter 23 Weston
Weston
I stood a few feet from the boys, with the ball on my hip and my wrist draped over it.
They were on the baseline, bent over and sucking air after running the snake.
This was part of our conditioning and not a punishment, as many might think.
Anytime they had to run, it was as if their lives were over. Teenagers were dramatic.
“Tomorrow is our last regular season game,” I told them.
“We’ll have our normal warm-up, and then we’ll stop the clock with three minutes to go and have our Senior Day celebration.
Each senior will have their name called, and your parents will meet you at half-court for photos.
Once we’re done, we’ll put another five minutes on the clock and warm up. Any questions?”
The boys all mumbled a no. I paced a bit, increasing the anticipation of me blowing my whistle.
When I did, they turned and sprinted. Coach Levy timed them with the scoreboard clock so the boys would know their times.
Normally, each boy would run individually, but I’d put the fastest boy at the front of the line, and they all had to keep pace with him.
When the last boy touched the end line, I blew my whistle and told them to bring it in.
“Great practice, guys. If we take care of business tomorrow, we’ll be the number one seed going into playoffs.
We’ll have a first-round bye. Like last year, you’re more than welcome to attend other games with Coach Levy and me.
I just need to know so I can tell the other school how many tickets I need. Timberwolves on three.”
Malik’s voice boomed as he counted the team down, and everyone yelled. Each of the boys took off to the locker room, but Malik stayed.
“Hey, Coach?”
“What can I do for you, Malik?” It’d only been two days since he’d dropped the bomb that his girlfriend was pregnant. I’d told him I’d support him in any way I could and had even reached out to Lee about giving Malik a job.
He looked around, which I assumed was to make sure his teammates were all out of the gym. “Are you free tonight? To talk to my dad with me?”
I nodded. “Of course.” I hadn’t expected him to be ready to tell his dad so soon.
“I saw Mr. Waters the other day, and he gave me a job. I’m going to learn how to host and bus tables, and then I’ll start the training to be a server. I wanted to thank you for reaching out to him.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“And Janelle . . .” He sighed and took a deep inhale. “She’s telling her parents this weekend, and I thought that maybe I should tell my dad first. I hoped she would come with me, but she doesn’t want to.”
“I understand. This is a hard situation to navigate.”
Malik nodded. “It’s making me sick to my stomach. She keeps going on and on about how we’re going to be a family, and all I can think about is how this was a mistake and we’re ruining our lives.”
My lips went into a fine line as I tried to find the right words to ease his mind, but the truth was, there weren’t any.
Malik and Janelle were young, and a baby was going to change their lives, no matter what.
For good and bad, but for teens, it was likely the latter, until they figured it all out.
“Anyway, can you come over?”
“Yep. What time?”
“Does now work? My dad didn’t work today, so he won’t be overly tired, and he’ll be happy you’ve stopped by. At least for a few minutes.” Malik’s face turned grim. “I’m really afraid he’s going to kick me out.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Even if he does, my door’s open. You’ll have a place to stay.”
“Thanks, Coach.” Malik ran toward the locker room, leaving me with my thoughts.
At this point, I should’ve considered opening a home for my players. I’d already told Cutter he could live with me, although I wasn’t sure how Antonia would feel about that. She’d said she and the kids were here, at least until the start of next year. And then what?
“And then nothing,” I muttered to myself as I walked toward my office. Antonia had a life away from Grove Hill. She had a boyfriend and a job, and she didn’t need the likes of me trying to intervene.
Lust was a tricky emotion to navigate, evident by what Malik was going through, although we were in completely different situations. I hadn’t bothered looking twice at a woman until I’d spotted Antonia, and now I couldn’t get her off my mind.
In my office, I gathered my things and waited for Malik to come out of the locker room. He tried to look cheerful when, in fact, he looked grim, and his complexion was ashen. I put my hand on his shoulder as we walked out of the gym.
“It’s easy for me to say everything will be okay. I don’t know if it will be or not, but I do know you can sit down with your dad and accept responsibility.”
Malik didn’t say anything. I imagined he was probably scared shitless. I would’ve been.
I followed him over to his house, and as we walked in, his father, Gordon, greeted me like we were old friends.
It was shortly after I’d arrived and started my job that Gordon had told me he knew who I was and that he’d been a fan.
We’d been friends ever since, but not the type to always hang out.
If he wasn’t working and was enjoying a beverage at the diner, we’d sit together.
“Coach, glad you could join us,” he said as he shook my hand. “I’ve had the ribs on the cooker since this afternoon, when Malik said he invited you over for dinner. Come in, come in. Can I get you something to drink?”
I gave Malik the side-eye. I didn’t like dishonesty, and while it wasn’t egregious, he needed to know it wasn’t okay to stretch the truth. What would he have said to his dad if I couldn’t come over?
“I’m good with water, Gordon. Please don’t go to any trouble.”
“Nah, no trouble,” he said, waving away my comment. “Come on in, the game’s on.”
I followed Malik into the small living room and sat on the couch, leaving the recliner for Gordon. The sliding glass door opened, and the smell of smoked ribs wafted through the air. My stomach whined in anticipation.
“Malik, set the table, please.”
“Yes, sir.” Malik went to his room with his bags and then came back empty handed. I stood and went to help, needing something to do because, honestly, I felt awkward.
Gordon went in and out, returning with a plate of ribs and tinfoil-wrapped baked potatoes.
“What can I do?”
“Please, just sit. You’re our guest.” No, I was going to be a mediator and support system for one of my students. I asked Malik what he and his father would drink with dinner and busied myself gathering their beverages.
“Okay, I think that’s it,” Gordon said. I waited for him to sit down before I took my seat. He asked for our plates and heaped food onto each one. Part of me felt guilty for eating such an expensive meal, knowing Gordon worked two jobs, but not eating what he’d made would be an insult.
Now that I was here, I regretted agreeing. Malik was going to break the news to his father over a home-cooked meal, and it could possibly ruin his night.
While I sat there, the appetite I had was gone.
I wanted to support Malik, as promised, but I also wanted this over with.
We ate in silence, breaking to talk sports and the upcoming games.
Everyone in town expected us to be in the championship game.
I had high hopes for my boys but would take each win as they came.
As soon as Gordon pushed his plate away, Malik cleared his throat. “Dad?”
Gordon looked at his son, and it was like he knew. I could see some sense of realization on his face.
“Spit it out.”
Malik looked at me, and I nodded, watching as his eyes filled with tears. “I made a mistake.”
Gordon nodded.
“Janelle . . . she’s . . . uh . . .”
“Pregnant?” Gordon finished for him. He threw his napkin on the table and stormed out of the house.
Malik jumped when something crashed outside. I set my hand on his arm. “I’ll go talk to him. You do whatever you’re supposed to be doing right now.”
I gave Gordon a few more minutes before going outside. I handed him his beer from the counter and stood next to him while the dark sky settled over us.
“He knows better.”
“He does,” I said in agreement. “We also know what it’s like to have out-of-control hormones.”
“I’ve worked so hard to give him a good life and have preached to him about being careful. He had his future in front of him, and now this.”
“He can still have the future you guys planned, and he still wants it. Malik is a great student and a strong athlete. I’ve already spoken to a couple of schools that were interested last year, and they’ll be interested this year as well. Malik will go to college, if that’s what he still wants.”
“Not with a kid. He’ll have to pay support.”
“With how athletes are treated these days, he’ll have funds. He also got a part-time job at the diner to start saving money.”
Gordon looked at me. “Did you set that up?”
“I put a feeler out to Lee. He’s always looking for help and is willing to work around Malik’s schedule.”
“How does this affect his status on the team?”
“It doesn’t, Gordon. He’s not in trouble. He wasn’t caught drinking or doing drugs. They’re two young kids who made a mistake. We’ve all been there.”
He shook his head and groaned. “Why didn’t he just listen to me?”
I let out a small laugh. “Did you listen to your father?”
“Nope, not a single word.”
“Me neither. Mine told me not to get married. I did, and look at where that got me.”
Gordon laughed, and then his demeanor shifted back. “As much as it pains me to say this, I hope that’s not next for Malik.”
I put my arm around his shoulders. “Talk to him. Malik is looking for guidance from you. He was afraid to tell you, which is why he invited me over. I’m not here to keep the peace or save him, but here as his coach and your friend.”
We stood there for a moment, staring into the nothingness. “Can you let him know I’ll be in shortly? I . . .” He sighed. “I need some time.”
“Sure will. Thanks again for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”
Inside, I found Malik at the cleared table, doing his homework. He glanced at me expectantly. I kept my face as stoic as possible. “Give your dad some time,” I told him.
“Is he going to kick me out?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t get that impression, Malik. I think he’s more hurt than anything and scared for you.”
Malik looked out the window, where he could see his father’s silhouette.
“I’m going to go. Call me if you need anything.”
“See you tomorrow, Coach. And thanks.”
“Anytime.”
As I drove home, I thought about Malik and Cutter. Two of my stars going through something life changing, but for different reasons. Both had such bright futures that something like this could send them down the wrong path.
When the Vaughns’ driveway came into view, I slowed and looked down it. Two cars were them, neither them Antonia’s. Don’t ask me how I’d memorized what her car looked like, but the one with Massachusetts plates in the driveway was not hers.
I continued to my house, pulled into my own driveway, and shut my truck off. I counted to three, and then the barking started. After the day I’d had, it was going to be nice to sit on the couch with Scout and think about nothing for a few minutes.