All this Time

Nathan part 2

On Friday night, after the game, I walk through the locker rooms and congratulate the team on their win, giving each of them individual feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.

Fin has a weak knee and I tell him to get his ass to physio this week so I don't have to bench him. Judd needs to make his laterals count instead of fucking fumbling the ball.

Mitch— where the fuck is Mitch?

Judd, who is comfortably dressed, kicks his locker shut while he tightens the draw string on his sweats.

"Where's Mitch?" I ask.

Judd gives me a shrug, shaking out his thick blonde hair. "No idea, Coach. Fucked off as soon as we left the field."

Clutching my clipboard tighter, I mutter a curse under my breath because I bet I know where that little dick slinger is. Hiding out with his girlfriend. Fuck, whatever.

Wyatt comes out of the showers with his towel on and brightens when he sees me. "Coach, dad wants me to tee up a meeting soon so we can go over a game plan."

Wyatt has a proactive dad who's had scouts watching him since junior. Last April he, along with a couple of other students were given a tour of Denver's campus and I had calls all through January doing the basic check in's, asking me for honest opinions on their top choices for a scholarship. A lot of the team have choices coming to them, some don't.

Mitch is one of our most sought after team members, Wyatt a close second. It's getting into the final weeks of the season and I know the team are feeling the pressure to perform their best.

"Send me an email, Wy," I scrawl a note down on my clipboard to remind myself to keep an afternoon clear next week. "We'll catch up. Great game tonight, fucking beautiful wide."

"Thanks, Coach!"

Slipping out into the office, I check my phone, walking head down. There's a text from Gabrielle letting me know that Lydia is doing well and the pain relief is working. That's a relief. To be honest, I can't wait to get home and see them both.

Working has seemed easier in the past, before I had other commitments. Now, I'm dealing with a team, the full time work it takes to get the them prepared for college, meetings, phone calls with scouts. And now, coming home to Gabrielle and Lydia, who I want to spend time with, rather than continuing admin on my computer.

I'm cramming to get all of that shit done before I get home and it's harder than I expected. Kudos to working parents.

I'm heading to my office when I hear some raised voices from down the hall. Slipping my clipboard onto the hook beside my office door, I do a slow walk toward the gym, listening out to whether I have students who need to be split up or not.

It wouldn't be the first time there's been a lame brawl on the school grounds after a game. The adrenaline gets some of these dickheads fired up in the worst way.

It should be quiet in the gym, it's not in use this late and the team has locker rooms that are separate from the general change rooms the rest of the school uses during class. I quietly push through the swing doors, out into the foyer where the voices become clear.

Mitch is one of the students around the corner, that much I'm sure of.

It's the older voice going off at him that I don't recognise.

". . . warning. I'm not sure how many fucking more times it has to be said you little prick. Leave her alone."

What the fuck?

There's a sobbing girl's voice next, a plead. "Dad, leave him, please. He's—"

"I haven't fucking done anything wrong," Mitch snaps, his voice tight and even though he stands his ground, there's a hint of fear.