Page 53 of Campus Muscle

I looked down at the grass and bit my lip. The last thing I wanted was to give away evidence that could be used against me, but I didn’t want to give away too little to get the help I needed either. When I looked back up I realized he already knew.

“Okay… This is all I can tell you,” he said. “You don’t need someone like him to turn you into what you want to be. He can’t make you a good player and even though he can help you get noticed, that isn’t all that’s needed. You already have the talent and the crowd came because of that, not because of a douche in a suit.”

“But he can make it easier,” I argued. “Especially in the areas where I’m really struggling right now, like academically.”

“Yes, he can, and he can speed up your entire career as well.” But Coach didn’t look like this was necessarily a good thing. “He has all the connections to create the opportunities, but things like that always come with a price and when all else fails, you’ll be the one who pays. Is that really worth it?”

The right answer was ‘no’. Logic pointed to me feeling the same way about it as he did. Dakota had said the same thing. But it wasn’t that simple for me. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around exactly what it meant. Were we talking about a ruined career? Jail time? Something worse? Or was it as benign as getting kicked off the team?

Coach gently squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve got to decide what kind of player you want to be. And once you know that, you need to think about whether you’ll be okay with your decisions in the future. Not everyone’s cut out for that world, and if you force yourself into finding a place in it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

I looked away, but Coach kept his gaze locked on me. Then, without saying another word, he stepped away and ended the conversation. I stood where I was, with the empty field and my entire future stretched out in front of me.

*

As soon as I hit the locker room, the noise assaulted me, and I cursed under my breath. I would’ve preferred to think about the rest of my life hanging in the balance without everyone bustling around me.

“Hey, Prescott!” Lucas said as he tried to pull a shirt over his head. “We’re heading out after this. Are you coming with?”

“Where are you going?”

“Hopefully somewhere that has food,” Connor said with a grin.

Malik leaned against his locker with his arms folded across his chest. “Have you people forgotten that the man has an English exam he needs to study for?”

Lucas grimaced, and Connor gave me a bitter look. It was one of the most embarrassing things I had ever experienced in my life.

“Don’t ruin the vibe, dude,” Lucas said with a groan. “Who studies for English, anyway? It’s literally the language you speak.”

Connor pointed at me. “Yeah, man, don’t start being all responsible now.”

I glanced at my bag and thought about what was inside. I could feel the weight it carried and saw the opportunities it provided. A night out with the team wouldn’t be a problem if I took the road Frank had to offer.

“I’m good,” I started, but stopped when Dakota’s voice slipped back into my mind.

The way she said that sentence… It was so threatening and unfortunately unavoidable. I took a deep breath and pushed off the bench to catch up with them.

“Hey guys! Wait up!”

They turned back slowly, and bile rose sharp and bitter in my throat. It felt like I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life, but at that exact moment, I didn’t care.

“I’m finished studying for this one,” I lied.

Malik raised a brow. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I swear.”

Lucas’s grin widened. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

“Let’s go, Prescott!” Connor whooped so loud my ears nearly burst, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

I fell into step with them, and the energy felt so familiar. It was the kind of group that didn’t ask questions and didn’t dig into things where they didn’t belong. And for a good long while, it worked. There was laughter and noise, and it felt normal, but as we pushed into the late afternoon light and I adjusted the strap of my bag, I felt a change within myself.

A deep, depressing weight had settled in my soul and it waited there for me to make my next move. I tried to drown it out with the entertainment, but it didn’t matter how loud it got, I could no longer ignore the facts.

19

Dakota