“I’m telling you now and I want to know what’s going on. What’s got you off your game?”
“I don’t feel off. Maybe it was just a bad practice. We all have them.”
“For the last three in a row?”
My eyes swoop back down to the paper in my hand and sure enough, he’s right. My time is off.
“I don’t know.”
“You’d better damn well figure it out. You’re the best player I’ve had in my locker room in years. I don’t want you to throw your shot away on booze or women.”
“I haven’t drunk during the season since I was a freshman.”
He purses his lips, unsure if he believes me or not. But it’s the truth.
“I’m not dating anyone either.”
He snorts. “It’s not the steady girlfriend I’m worried about. It’s all the one night stands. Partying and whoring, that’ll kill your talent faster than anything else.”
“So you want me to get a girlfriend?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m trying to find out why you’re slowing down.”
“I didn’t even know that Iwasslowing down.”
To echo Coach, what the hell is going on?
“The Raptors are in a rebuilding year. They’re looking for new talent.”
Coach looks me straight in the eye and I want to piss my pants. Is he about to say what I think he’s about to say?
“I’ve had several calls from their head coach about you and two other members of the team. I told him you wanted to graduate, but you’re willing to talk. He’ll be at our first game and I told him he was welcome to come to any of our practices to observe the team. If you’re still skating like this, do you think he’ll stay to talk?”
Fuck no he won’t.
“Shit.”
“Exactly, so we need to understand what’s slowing you down before the season starts in a month. Go home and think about it, then I want you here at 4am to run speed drills.”
An hour before practice.
If it means getting a spot on the home team here in Minnesota, then I’ll run speed drills until I can’t walk.
“I’ll fix this.”
“You better fucking hope so. Now get out and send Mendoza in.”
“They want to talk to him too?”
Coach frowns. “They like the dynamic you and he have. If you can get your speed up, they might pick you both up.”
“They know he wants to graduate too?”
Coach snarls. “Out boy and go unfuck your head!”
“Yes, sir.”
I step out of the office, my head spinning in a million different directions. The Raptors might want to recruit me? I might be able to stay here, close to my mom? That’s the dream, but one I didn’t think I’d get to realize for years. I don’t know what to think.
